Thai Chicken Skewers with Peanut Satay Sauce

Name: Thai Chicken Skewers Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 lb chicken thighs (boneless skinless ); 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if needed); 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 tablespoon coconut sugar; 1 tablespoon lime juice (fresh is best); 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger; 1 clove garlic (finely minced); 2 teaspoons coconut oil; 1 small onion (minced); 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger; 2 cloves garlic (minced); ½ cup canned coconut milk; 3 tablespoons peanut butter; 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free if needed); 1 tablespoon lime juice; 1 English cucumber (sliced into half moons); ¼ cup red onion (sliced very thin); 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (try homemade mayo); Sea salt and pepper (to taste)

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Enjoy the taste of that at home with these easy and flavorful grilled Thai chicken skewers. Juicy marinated chicken is grilled to perfection and then served with a creamy peanut satay sauce and cucumber salad. It's a delicious complete meal, and it's ready in just 30 minutes!

If you love the taste of Thai food, also try our sticky Thai peanut chicken wings, Thai fish curry, or Thai turkey lettuce wraps.

Thai Chicken Skewers with peanut satay sauce and cucumber salad

This recipe was originally published in 2014. We've updated the post with some new photos and more information, but we've left the delicious recipe exactly the same.

This is our go-to Thai grilled chicken dish for summer, and it's such a hit. With ginger, garlic, lime, and coconut sugar, it's full of authentic Thai flavor. And it's healthier and tastier than take-out!

It's a great recipe for grilling season, and it's time-efficient, too. Make the satay sauce while the chicken marinates, and mix together the cucumber salad while the chicken is grilling.

Since we're firm believers that sauce makes everything better, this recipe is all about the peanut satay sauce. It's creamy, savory-sweet, and simply irresistible. You'll be looking for reasons to dip everything in it!

a fork dipping Thai grilled chicken into satay sauce

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need for the chicken:

Chicken thighs – we use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. The darker thigh meat is more juicy and great for grilling!
Soy sauce – you can use tamari, coconut aminos, or a gluten-free alternative if needed.
Fish sauce – this pungent-smelling ingredient adds tons of delicious flavor to the chicken.
Coconut sugar – find coconut sugar in most well-stocked grocery stores in the same place you'd find other sugars. Granulated cane sugar or brown sugar also work in a pinch!
Lime juice – ideally freshly squeezed.
Turmeric
Paprika
Ginger + garlic

Here's what you'll need for the satay sauce:

Coconut oil
Onion, ginger + garlic
Coconut milk – helps make this sauce extra creamy!
Peanut butter – go for a natural peanut butter because it tends to be runnier and is a better consistency for the sauce. Plus, it has no unwanted ingredients.
Soy sauce
Lime juice – you could also add some of the lime zest for more citrus flavor!

Here's what you'll need for the cucumber salad:

English cucumber
Red onion
Mayonnaise – try our delicious homemade mayonnaise!
Sea salt + pepper

How to make these grilled Thai chicken satay skewers

3 pictures showing how to make this recipe for Thai chicken satay skewers

There are three components to making this recipe: marinating the chicken, making the satay sauce, and mixing the cucumber salad. It's an easy recipe to make, and here's how it comes together:

Start by cutting the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Mix the remaining ingredients for the chicken in a bowl, add the chicken pieces, and stir. While the chicken marinates, start on the satay sauce!
To make the satay sauce, sauté the onion in coconut oil until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic, followed by the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice. Let the sauce cook for another minute, or until it has thickened (add a splash of water or more coconut milk if it gets too thick).
Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade and thread them onto the skewers, folding over larger pieces to skewer them twice.

3 pictures showing how to make thai chicken skewers

Now grill the chicken skewers for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
While the chicken cooks, make the cucumber salad by mixing the cucumber slices, red onion, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
Serve the chicken on a platter with the satay sauce and cucumber salad on the side and let everyone dig in!

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

Tips for making the best Thai grilled chicken

If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you marinate the chicken so that they don't burn on the BBQ.
To make it spicier, whisk in a teaspoon of dried red chili flakes or Thai red curry paste to the satay sauce.
If you're making this indoors, a cast-iron grill pan works great, too.
For an extra bit of flavor, top the cooked skewers with some thinly sliced scallions or minced cilantro for garnish.

Thai Chicken Skewers on a plate next to peanut satay sauce and cucumber salad

FAQS

Are Thai chicken skewers healthy?

With only real ingredients, no oil, and a minimal amount of sugar, these Thai chicken skewers are a nutritious complete meal that's high in protein.

Can I use almond butter instead of peanut butter?

Yes! A natural almond butter is a great substitute for peanut butter in this recipe.

What to serve with Thai chicken skewers

These succulent Thai chicken skewers with peanut sauce are versatile, high in protein, and taste great with a simple side salad, as we've done in this recipe. If you're craving something a bit heartier, serve them with some fluffy coconut rice.

You could also swap the cucumber salad for other Thai-inspired sides like mango Thai noodle salad with sesame ginger dressing or Thai chopped salad with sweet sesame mango dressing.