I know, it’s not like the marmite camp, where I’ve probably got half you on my side here. I think most people actually like peanut butter on toast. In fact, I did a bit of googling to understand the peanut butter split. Surprisingly there wasn’t much research on it…. However, I came across one paper involving a study of 157 people, which said 80% of them liked peanut butter. I think that sounds about right, so I’m going to believe that as scientific fact.
Now my real question is, how many of that 20% of peanut butter haters like it mixed with other stuff, like peanut chicken or Thai chicken salad? In other words, how many people are like me? Maybe I should do an experiment (I do love a good experiment. Have you seen my cookie experiment ?). Before I go down that rabbit hole, let’s talk through this chicken satay recipe.
What do we need?
How to make it:
For the satay sauce, we mix together peanut butter, soy sauce, chilli flakes, fish sauce, coconut milk, light brown sugar, ground coriander and lime juice. Once the satay ingredients have been mixed together, heat over a medium heat until thickened. Then turn off the heat. You can serve it warm or cold. If serving it warm, just reheat before serving.
TIPS**
If you’re using wooden skewers for your chicken satay, soak the wooden skewers in water for an hour beforehand, so they’re less likely to burn under the grill (broiler) or on the griddle. For the chicken, we marinade chicken breast strips (or you can use chicken thighs) in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, coconut milk, cumin, ground coriander and ground ginger. Give it a good mix, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to over night). The chicken is then threaded onto those pre-soaked skewers, and grilled on a griddle pan until cooked through. You can also cook on the barbecue, or under the grill (broiler).
Serve the chicken skewers with that lovely spicy peanut sauce. I also like to sprinkle on a few toppings (as always!) of some chilli flakes and fresh coriander/cilantro). You can also sprinkle on some sesame seeds, sliced red onion and a few roughly chopped peanuts if you’re as mad about toppings as I am!
So tell me, are you a peanut butter hater who has a delicious peanut butter recipe? I’d love to know about it!
Peanut butter or whizzed up peanuts?
I’d probably be frowned upon by some for using peanut butter at all in satay sauce, but I can’t really tell the difference between using that or using peanuts I’ve whizzed up at home. It does make the whole thing a lot simpler (and means I don’t have to drag out the food processor). A traditional Indonesian Satay (where satay originates) would use roasted peanuts that have been ground by hand. I might try that one day, for authenticity’s sake. I’ll let you know if I do.
Chicken breast or thigh meat?
I sometimes use chicken thighs (more tender meat), but chicken breast works really well when marinated in this way. Tenderising it with the coconut milk means the chicken breast takes that burst of high-cooking-heat much better than if they weren’t marinated.
More peanut butter recipes:
No-bake peanut butter granola bars Peanut butter ice cream cake Peanut pork with broccoli African chicken and peanut stew Snickers cheesecake (no-bake) Thai sweet potato skins
See how to make it:
Asian One-Pan Vegetables Vegetarian Kway Teow (noodles) Indonesian Fried Rice Veggie matchstick fries Vegetarian Buddha bowls This post was first published in August 2015. Updated in April 2020 with new photos and tips and a video. Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
