Satay-Style Grilled Chicken Thighs

By Sherry Rujikarn

Published June 20, 2025

Satay-Style Grilled Chicken Thighs
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
2 hours 50 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes, plus at least 2 hours’ marinating
Rating
5(133)
Comments
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A familiar sight on many Thai menus in the U.S., chicken satay typically involves grilled skewers of marinated chicken, charred and stained with spices, and served with peanut sauce and perhaps a cucumber relish on the side. This recipe gives the dish a one-plate remix by bringing all the same flavors together, in slightly different proportions, and placing them atop rice. Because of its sugar and fat content, the coconut milk in the chicken marinade chars up beautifully on the grill, while the chile in the cucumber relish — served as an abundant garnish here — balances out the sweetness of the dressing. Replacing the traditional peanut sauce, chopped peanuts add pops of crunch. Get ahead by putting together the salad and marinade the day before and storing them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the chicken.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

    For the Marinade and Chicken

    • ½cup unsweetened coconut milk
    • 2tablespoons fish sauce
    • 2tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
    • 2tablespoons Thai red curry paste
    • 1tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1teaspoon yellow curry powder (any kind)
    • 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6 large thighs)

    For the Cucumber Salad

    • 4mini cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
    • 1medium shallot, halved and thinly sliced
    • ¼cup seasoned rice vinegar
    • 1tablespoon fish sauce
    • 1fresh Fresno, cayenne or serrano chile, thinly sliced
    • 3tablespoons chopped cilantro
    • Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
    • ⅓cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

374 calories; 16 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 912 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, fish sauce, vinegar, curry paste, brown sugar and curry powder. Transfer ⅔ cup of the marinade to a gallon-size resealable zip-top bag, along with the chicken. (Set aside the remaining marinade.)

  2. Step 2

    Seal the bag, pushing out any excess air. Toss to coat the chicken. Place in a dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, prepare the cucumber salad: In a small bowl, combine the cucumbers, shallot, vinegar, fish sauce and chile. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.

  4. Step 4

    Heat a grill to medium-high. Remove chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade in bag.

  5. Step 5

    Place chicken on the hot grill grate. Cover and grill for 5 minutes per side. Brush tops of chicken with reserved marinade. Continue grilling, turning, and brushing on marinade until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more.

  6. Step 6

    Thinly slice the chicken and serve atop the rice. Stir the cilantro into the cucumber salad, then spoon the salad and its dressing over the chicken. Garnish with the peanuts.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
133 user ratings
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Comments

Lauren M.

YUM! This is delicious and comes together super fast. I made exactly as directed except for halving the amount of red curry paste in the chicken to cut the spice a bit for my kids. Everyone raved about this one!

Lisa Rad

Very good and also easy! We made a peanut sauce to go on the chicken also.

anne a

@Annie Nord can you share your recipe for peanut sauce?

Duncan

Next time I'd make sure to get the spicy Mae Ploy curry paste instead of the Ralph's Thai Kitchen stuff—wasn't as hot or flavorful as I wanted. Also, I'll triple the recipe so there's no leftover coconut milk and just freeze the extra chicken in the marinade. Oh! And double the cucumber salad. That stuff's great.

Bee

I live in a food dessert where I can’t get fish sauce. I usually sub lime juice… Suggestions?

abr

So delicious! I made with Ali Slagle's peanut sauce, which paired perfectly with this recipe. Ali Slagle's Peanut Sauce: ½cup peanut butter (any kind) 2tablespoons lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes) 1tablespoon soy sauce 1 to 2teaspoons chili sauce to taste, such as sambal oelek or sriracha 1teaspoon brown or granulated sugar 1small garlic clove, finely grated

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