Easy chicken satay recipe with creamy peanut sauce

Chicken satay offers an easy opportunity to enjoy Asian flavors at home, featuring tender marinated chicken on skewers accompanied by a creamy peanut sauce. While typically ordered at restaurants, this dish is surprisingly simple to make in your own kitchen. Chicken is marinated, skewered, and cooked in an air fryer, making it an ideal choice for a weeknight dinner or casual snack.

Originating from Indonesia and popular throughout Southeast Asia, satay is commonly seen as street food, with meat cooked over open flames and served with various sauces. Although traditional satay achieves its signature smoky flavor through charcoal grilling, an air fryer simplifies the process for home cooks. The marinade combines spices, fish sauce, curry paste, and coconut milk, while the peanut sauce contributes a creamy, subtly sweet taste that characterizes chicken satay.

To ensure even cooking, use chicken thighs cut into uniform pieces. Allow the chicken to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, as this permits the flavors to penetrate without demanding extensive preparation time. When placing the chicken on skewers, refrain from overcrowding; leaving space facilitates the distribution of hot air within the air fryer.