Satay lovers rejoice! This is the stuff food dreams are made of – chicken marinated in an authentic homemade Satay Seasoning, then simmered in an incredible Satay Peanut Sauce (Malaysian restaurant recipe). No hard to find ingredients, simple to make, guaranteed to blow your mind!
Satay Chicken Curry (Malaysian)
“I rarely leave comments on blogs…but I am going OUT OF MY MIND about this recipe. Seriously, it’s the best thing I’ve ever cooked. My partner actually thinks I ordered it from a restaurant and am trying to pretend like I cooked it!”
– Kellie, 22 May 2017
As you can see from the date stamp of the above reader feedback, this Satay Chicken Curry is a recipe I published years ago. 9 May 2016, to be exact. Way back before I taught myself to make recipe videos.
A recipe this good, a personal favourite of this curry-loving, satay-obsessed gal, had to be filmed.
So I’m giving it a total makeover – new photos, new video, tidying up some writing. But I promise I have not touched the recipe. I wouldn’t dare – too many people are obsessed with it!!
Different types of satay
Real Satay Chicken is skewered chicken marinated with satay seasonings, seared over charcoal and served with a peanut sauce. Many South East Asian countries have their own version, with most well known being Thai, Indonesian (Bali) and Malaysian (this recipe).
All are slightly different, but have similar undertones. Thai Chicken Satay (pictured below, left) is sweeter, more coconut-y and has a mild red curry flavour (the secret ingredient). Indonesian Satay (below right) is the simplest and most peanutty.
Malaysian Satay is said to be the king of all Satays, with the most complex, deep flavours. Stronger satay seasoning, less peanutty and less coconutty than Thai and Indonesian.
What this tastes like (and why it’s not on skewers)
As far as I know, Chicken Satay in this curry-like form is not authentic Asian. But I love making it this way because it’s so much more satisfying to eat (compared to tiny little skewers!) and so much easier to make large volumes (again – no skewering!).
But while the form of this Satay Chicken Curry might not be an authentic Asian recipe, I can promise you this: it tastes 100% authentic. Because I’ve used a Chef recipe for the homemade satay seasoning and a Restaurant recipe for the Peanut Sauce (this recipe from Chinta Ria in Sydney). 🙂
I think you will be surprised when you see the ingredients for the Satay Seasoning. All spices that you might already have in your pantry!
Ingredients in Satay Seasoning
The foundation of this recipe is the homemade Satay Seasoning which is used for both marinating the chicken AND in the satay sauce. Here are the spices required: coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, chilli, curry powder (any brand is fine), sugar and salt.
🇺🇸US readers note: the “chilli powder” in this recipe is not what you call “Chili Powder” (with one “l”) which is a spice mix that is not very spicy. This recipe calls for real chilli powder which is pure ground dried chillies and it is spicy!
With the Satay Seasoning, the chicken is absolutely divine by itself. I could honestly eat it straight out of the pan, without the peanut sauce.
But with the peanut curry sauce….it just takes it to a whole new level……
Ingredients in Satay Curry Sauce
And here’s what goes into the sauce:
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Chicken – thighs are best for the juiciest pieces of chicken, but breast and tenderloin work fine too. Other proteins: pork and beef work too, but it needs to be slow cooking cuts simmered for an hour or so until fall-apart tender. I’ve popped tips in the recipe notes;
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Peanuts – roasted, unsalted. Some for blitzing into the sauce, some added later for a bit of crunch in the sauce;
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Peanut butter – NATURAL is best (ie no added sugar or oil) because it has the most intense peanut flavour and is thinner than sweetened peanut butter spread. But ordinary peanut butter spreads will work fine too – the peanut flavour is slightly less intense;
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Fresh red chilli – I’ve used birds eye chilli here (a common type Australia). 6 chilli = noticeable spiciness but won’t blow your head off. Dial it down if you can’t handle the heat. If you can’t find these specific chillies, don’t worry – use any red chilli you can find, remembering the rule that the smaller the chilli, the spicier it is. You can also leave it out, or take the safe route and start with less then use chilli powder at the end to dial up the spice. Some alternatives: Thai Red Chillies are around the same spiciness. Cayenne is much less spicy (and larger). Habanero is spicier so use 1/2 of 1 (about 1/2 tsp);
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Kecap Manis – this is a sweet soy sauce with a consistency like syrup. Here in Australia, kecap manis is available in major supermarkets, in the soy sauce section. And if you can’t find it at your supermarket, don’t worry! It is SO easy to make – just reduce soy sauce and brown sugar. Seriously. I’ve included directions in the recipe for you;
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Dark soy sauce – the intense colour of this soy sauce is what darkens the sauce colour from a pale yellow colour to a deeper orangey reddy colour. Read more about different soy sauces here. Don’t have it or can’t find it? That’s ok – you can use normal or light soy sauce, just know your sauce colour will be lighter. Won’t affect flavour that much;
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Coconut milk – full fat, for best flavour (because coconut flavour is in the fat);
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Chicken stock/broth – to thin about the sauce. Much tastier than using water;
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Lime juice – for a touch of sour, to balance out the flavour. Not the end of the world to substitute with a vinegar (it’s not a major flavour component in this recipe);
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Garlic and onion – essential aromatics;
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Lemongrass OR kaffir limes leaves – plonking either of these into the sauce as it simmers adds a special extra touch of flavour that really elevates it to “real restaurant” flavour. It is still mighty tasty without (I’ve made this plenty of times without either of them) but with, it really is that little bit more special. They both add similar flavour – so use whichever is easier for you to find.
Kaffir lime leaves – sold in small packets at fruit & veg stores, Asian stores and most large grocery stores in Australia. Leftovers freeze perfectly, and it’s used in most authentic Thai dishes (like red curry, Tom Yum Soup) as well as other South East Asian dishes like Beef Rendang and Coconut Rice.
Lemongrass – using a fresh stalk is best if you can get it (bashed to release flavour), otherwise a dab of paste from a tube will works wonders too. If you use paste, just stir in 2 teaspoons when the lemongrass is supposed to go in. Use leftover paste for Thai recipes like Thai Meatballs, Red Thai Curry, Poached Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce, Thai Coconut Noodle Soup.
How to make Chicken Satay Curry
And here’s how to make it – very straightforward!
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Mix the Satay Seasoning ingredients together;
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Marinate the chicken in the Seasoning with some grated onion for extra flavour;
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Sear the chicken just to get some nice colour on it – no need to cook the chicken through;
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Saute aromatics – onion, garlic, chilli;
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Transfer to blender (or Nutribullet, in my case) with most of the peanuts and chicken broth;
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Blitz until smooth;
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Pour back into the skillet along with the coconut milk, and lemongrass or Kaffir Lime leave;
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Add chicken back in then simmer until it reduces and thickens, your mouth is watering and it looks like THIS ↓↓↓:
Food euphoria. Food so good it makes you want to cry. And to think this is made from scratch, no jar pastes…just incredible.
This peanut curry sauce is so good it’s nuts. Go on – groan at the terrible pun!!! That might distract you for a mere moment of lusting after this sauce!!! 😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Satay Chicken Curry (Malaysian)
Ingredients
Satay Seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika (sweet or normal, not smoked or spicy)
- 1 1/4 tsp chilli powder , adjust to taste (not US "Chili Powder", Note 1)
- 3 1/2 tsp curry powder , not HOT (any, Malaysian, generic, Clives of India, Keens)
- 1 1/4 tsp salt , cooking / kosher (or 1 tsp table salt)
- 2 tsp white sugar
Chicken
- 750g / 1.5 lb chicken thigh fillets , cut into bite size pieces (Note 2)
- 1/2 onion (brown, white or yellow), grated
Satay Sauce
- 2 tbsp oil , separated
- 3 - 6 birds eye chillies or other small hot red chillies , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup onion (brown, white or yellow), finely diced (~ 1/4 onion)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 cup chicken broth / stock
- 3/4 cup peanuts, roasted unsalted, , chopped, separated
- 2 tsp kecap manis (Note 4)
- 3 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 5)
- 400g / 14oz coconut milk (preferably full fat but light will be ok)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter , pure best but spread ok too, crunchy or smooth
- 2 tbsp lime juice , to taste
Flavour Infusion - choose ONE:
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 lemongrass stalk , white part only, smashed to burst open (Note 6)
Garnish (choices)
- Peanuts , chopped
- Cilantro / coriander leaves
- Fresh chilli, finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine Satay Seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
Marinate & Cook Chicken:
- Marinate - Combine chicken with 3 1/2 TABLESPOONS Satay Seasoning and onion in a bowl. Marinate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, minimum 20 minutes (Note 6)
- Cook - Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick skillet over high heat (Note 7). Cook chicken in 2 batches until browned all over but still raw inside. Transfer to bowl, cover and keep warm.
Satay Sauce:
- Saute aromatics - Using the same skillet, turn heat down to medium and heat 1 tbsp oil. Add chill, onion and garlic cloves. Sauté until onion is translucent - around 2 minutes.
- Satay Seasoning - Add remaining Satay Seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
- Blitz - Transfer to a blender or small food processor (I use a Nutribullet). Add chicken stock and 1/2 cup of the peanuts (rest gets added later). Puree until pretty smooth - some peanut chunks can remain. Pour mixture back into the skillet.
- Add remaining ingredients into sauce - Add remaining 1/4 cup peanuts, kecap manis, dark soy sauce, coconut milk and peanut butter. Stir to combine.
- Add kaffir lime or lemongrass - Crush kaffir lime leaf in hand a bit (to break leaf to release the flavour). Add kaffir lime leaf OR lemongrass and chicken to sauce.
- Simmer - Bring to simmer, turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.
- Serve - Add lime juice to taste. Serve with rice (jasmine, white rice or brown rice). Garnish with peanuts, cilantro/coriander leaves and more chilli if desired. See Note 9 for suggested sides.
Recipe Notes:
- Beef - 1kg / 2lb chuck or beef ribs cut into 4cm / 1.5" pieces. Marinate and sear per recipe (use a pot) then make sauce per recipe. Now, before adding beef back in, add about 2 cups of water, enough so that the beef is mostly submerged. Put lid on and cook on low simmer for 1.5 hrs (topping up water as needed) until beef is fall apart tender. Remove lid towards end to reduce sauce to pictured thickness. Crazy delicious!
- Prawns/Shrimp - Using about 500g/1lb peeled prawns, follow recipe as written except with following changes: prawns will cook through during sear step, so simmer to reduce the sauce without the prawns in it. Just add the prawns back in right at the end, just to warm through, making sure you tip in all the juices dropped by the prawns in the bowl.
- Fish - I personally wouldn't because I think the sauce is too rich for fish in this saucy curry form, but you certainly can if you want! Follow prawn steps using large fish cubes It would be great for economical freshwater fish that has a tendency to taste a bit muddy (those fish are always served with strong sauces to disguise the muddy flavour).
- white, jasmine or brown rice
- fresh slices of cucumber and tomato wedges, no dressing - very Asian, pairs great with rich mains like this
- Smashed Cucumbers (personal favourite), Asian Slaw, leafy greens or any garden salad with Asian Sesame Dressing or this Vermicelli Noodle Salad.
i). Make one common seasoning (because the ingredients are very similar); and
ii) Converted the sauce into a curry sauce rather than dipping sauce, but keeping the flavour; and
iii) Change the Satay Sauce steps to avoid grinding the peanuts with a mortar and pestle a) for convenience; b) because the sauce for this recipe should be silkier than chunky satay peanut dipping sauces for satay on sticks; and c) because depending on the quality of the peanuts, sometimes it can make the sauce a bit gritty. Also because of the vast volume of the sauce compared to making a dipping sauce, I added a small amount of peanut butter to help create a thick smooth curry sauce as well as adding a touch of sweet rather than using sugar. 12. Nutrition per serving, curry only no rice. Sauce is rich, coconut, peanutty, heavily spiced!
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2016. Updated September 2020 with brand new photos, process photos, brand new recipe video. No change to recipe!
Life of Dozer
No satay for Dozer – too spicy!
So he chewed his toy octopus instead.
And from the original publication date:
The only reason there’s no photo of Dozer drooling over Satay along with you (and me) is because he’s outside gnawing on a bone. He always splays his front legs out like this when he’s munching on a bone – is this normal?? Looks awkward!
Chin says
This recipe is amazing! I’m from Singapore and have eaten many satays in Singapore and Malaysia, and I can attest to the flavor authenticity of this recipe. I improvised with what I had – using whole chicken drumsticks (bone in and skin on), omitting coconut milk and just used water, omitting kicap manis and added dark brown sugar for sweetness – and it was still super scrumptious! Nagi, thank you very much for sharing your recipes! You come across as a very kind and beautiful person. 🙂
Lisa Kelly says
Wow!!!! I made this for the family tonight and it was AMAZING! My husband loves curries but isn’t a huge peanut fan but I knew the depth of flavour in your recipe would win him over. We all loved it so much.
I did the 6 birds eye chillies because we love heat and you said that’s what you do. I have to say it kind of blew our heads off so I will only use 4 chillies next time. But it was good heat and the bowls were cleaner up.
Thanks again for another superstar recipe.
Amaya says
Oh my goodness – this was sooo good! You are a recent find for me and all the recipes I have made so far (5 or 6) have been great! I did not add the chilies because I thought it would be too much heat for me. It was still really good. Looking forward to my next recipe. 😉
Helen Godlonton says
Can I cook this chicken curry in the slow cooker?
Kate says
I have become the hugest fan of your recipes during quarantine and this is ANOTHER winner. My husband is eating it out of the pan, not waiting for dinner. Thank you x
Jo says
Another winner! I have tried so many different satay recipes, and, whilst this one is more fiddly than the “throw peanut butter and sweet chilli sauce into a wok with some soy sauce” which is my go-to, it is more than worth it. Adding to the ‘must make again’ list.
Nala says
This is an AMAZING dish and recipe!! The flavours are married together so perfectly. I made my own Kecap Manis and the steps were all super easy to follow. My partner gave it a 10/10 🙂
Simone says
Wow, what a party for the taste buds. It’s a meal I would normally eat in a restaurant and say ‘I could NEVER make this at home’. But thanks to you I did. It is absolutely amazing & delicious. Thank you Nagi 😉
Beatrice Lawson says
Made last night and it was amazing. I am used to the dry Indonesian Satay so this was more like an Indian curry in flavour (I knew that reading the ingredients so no surprise, I wanted to try something different.)
It is complex, tasty, you can adapt the slickness level to your family’s preference, and it goes great with naan/flatbreads, a big pot of rice and in our case, some quick pickled Asian style cucumbers. Not sure where the cucumbers originated as I’ve had something similar in Vietnamese, Thai and bothers Asian restaurants, but it’s dead simple: boil 1 cup water with 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes and then add rice vinegar once it’s cooled and off the stove. I use 2tbsp vinegar but it’s done to taste. Add sliced cucumbers and refrigerate for up to a week. Best served cold.
Sorry, I digressed: just wanted to say Thank You Nagi for another huge winner. My teen asked for a second helping, polished the plate and said it’s one of the best tasting chicken dishes ever. In fact when he walked in the kitchen he said it smelled amazing and how come I’ve never made this before.
My only negative comment is that the 20 minutes prep work is unrealistic. I’m an experienced cook and it takes 20 min just to mix the spice, grate the onion, cut the chicken (and clean – even deboned, skinned thighs still need a lot of trimming) and mix it all to marinate. The second part of the cooking prep is at least 30 minutes so plan accordingly.
Lori Corradetti says
Wow. I made this on a cool, dark, rainy autumn day. I am vegetarian so I used paneer in place of the chicken. This is going to be a regular meal for us. Absolutely perfect.
Ed says
Looked good so I thought I’d give it a go. Result was as good as any restaurant dish. Keep up with great recipes Nagi.
Jolene says
Delicious!! Try this, try this recipe!! It is sensational. I paired it with Nagi’s no yeast flat bread and stir-fried a side of mixed veggies with butter and garlic. It was a perfect combination. And helps get some veggies into the kids. They roll it up as a wrap with the bread, rice and satay mix.
The perfect combination.
Thanks for another fool-proof tasty recipe Nagi Xx
Andrew Telfer says
Hi Nagi, you are definitely my go to chef your recipes are fantastic and not had any fails. This satay curry tastes amazing and so easy to make,
Debbie says
This recipe is insane. So tasty and full of flavour. My husband is the cook in the family and he does amazing curries, this was on par with his and so easy to cook and that’s coming from a non cook. I’m now interested in cooking thanks to you Nagi. I have cooked a few of your recipes and yours are the only one I do. My husband says thanks for the rest he now has from cooking. BTW, I’m doing the stroganoff for dinner tonight
Raelene Wang says
Nagi, an Asian chef taught me a trick to using kaffir lime leaves to maximize the flavor: just rip the spine out of the leaves and use. Wow what flavor!
Nagi says
Oh!! That’s really clever, I will give it a go!
Patrícia says
Sorry, Nagi, spellcheck changed your name in my previous comment.
Patrícia says
Wow! Great recipe. I lived in Kajang, Malaysia, where Satay began and this brings back memories of those flavors. But, with easy to find ingredients and make in a kitchen in Spain. Navi, a small suggestion, to add a note to the satay sauce ingredients list to include “remaining 1 3/4 tablespoons satay seasoning” and adding also in the seasoning list that it is “to be separated later”. I didn’t catch that until I had mixed in all of the seasoning with the chicken as marinade the night before. Fabulously good. Thanks.
Esther Goh says
Yea I did that too. I am glad it went well for you. Looking forward to cooking it soon 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Patricia, I always advise people to read a recipe in its entirety before cooking so you know what steps are needed (including separating the seasoning). I’m so glad you loved it in the end!! N x
Alice says
I pre-read the recipe and still missed the part about separating the satay seasoning/only marinating the meat with part of it 🤦♀️ I made up an extra bit of seasoning and diluted the sauce slightly to fix my mistake but I think quite a few of us have done the same thing 😂 I think I cook on autopilot a bit 😂
Karl H says
OMG, I’ve just made this Malaysian Satay Chicken Curry and it tastes amazing!!. Made it with Chicken breast and cooked for about 10 mins. Added 1 Tb of vinegar as it was cooling down for some sharpness as I didn’t have anymore lime and it worked.
Sarah says
Curious to know what type of curry powder is used? I have the generic aussie – keen’s or have baba’s meat curry…
Karl H says
I used Clive of India. I got that at Woolies or Coles.
Jo says
Last nights dinner. It was delicious.
A little too much curry powder for me so I’ll cut that back by 1/2tsp next time but I can wait to have leftovers for lunch.
Thank you