Indonesian · Main / Street food · Testada 12 vezes

Sate Ayam — Indonesian Chicken Satay

Indonesia's most famous street snack: bite-size chicken threaded onto skewers, marinated in sweet soy and grilled over hot charcoal until smoky and caramelised, then drowned in a rich peanut sauce. Served with kecap manis, fried shallots and a little rice cake — smoky, sweet, savoury and impossible to stop eating.

Por Dewi Pratama · Asia editor · Publicada 2026-06-01 · Atualizada 2026-06-01
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Preparação
30 min
Cozedura
15 min
Repouso
1 h
Total
105 min
Rende
4 servings (about 20 skewers)
Dificuldade
Easy
#indonesian#chicken#grill#peanut#street-food
Resposta rápida · Resposta em 30 segundos

Cut chicken thigh into small cubes and marinate in kecap manis (sweet soy), garlic, coriander, turmeric and a little oil. Thread onto soaked bamboo skewers. Make a peanut sauce by blending fried peanuts with garlic, chilli, palm sugar, tamarind and kecap manis, loosened with water. Grill the skewers over hot charcoal, basting with kecap manis, until smoky and caramelised. Serve drowned in the warm peanut sauce with fried shallots.

  • Use chicken thigh, not breast — it stays juicy over the fierce charcoal heat.
  • Grill over real charcoal if you can; the smoke is half the flavour of good sate.
  • Baste with kecap manis near the end for that sticky, caramelised, smoky glaze.

Equipment

  • Charcoal grill or griddle
  • Bamboo skewers (soaked)
  • Blender or mortar and pestle

Ingredientes

Chicken & marinade

  • 600 g boneless chicken thigh, in small cubes
  • 45 ml kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), plus more to baste
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp turmeric
  • 15 ml oil

Peanut sauce

  • 200 g roasted peanuts, or 180 g natural peanut butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, 2–3 red chillies
  • 30 g palm sugar (gula merah)
  • 15 ml tamarind paste
  • 30 ml kecap manis
  • Warm water, to loosen; salt

To serve

  • Fried shallots
  • Lontong (compressed rice cake) or steamed rice
  • Sliced shallot, cucumber, extra kecap manis

Preparação

  1. PASSO
    01

    Toss the chicken cubes with kecap manis, garlic, coriander, turmeric and oil. Marinate at least 1 hour. Soak the bamboo skewers in water so they don't burn.

  2. PASSO
    02

    Blend (or pound) the peanuts, garlic, chillies, palm sugar, tamarind and kecap manis into a thick paste, then loosen with warm water to a pourable sauce. Simmer briefly and season with salt — it should be sweet, savoury and a little spicy.

  3. PASSO
    03

    Thread 4–5 chicken cubes onto each soaked skewer, packing them close together.

  4. PASSO
    04

    Grill the skewers over hot charcoal (or a very hot griddle), turning, until cooked and charred at the edges, about 10–12 minutes. Baste with kecap manis in the last few minutes for a sticky, smoky glaze.

  5. PASSO
    05

    Arrange the skewers on a plate and pour the warm peanut sauce over (or serve alongside). Scatter with fried shallots and serve with lontong or rice, sliced shallot and cucumber, and extra kecap manis.

Make ahead

Marinate the chicken and make the peanut sauce a day ahead — both improve. Skewer ahead and grill fresh to serve, so the chicken is hot, smoky and juicy.

Storage

Best fresh off the grill. Grilled skewers keep 2 days refrigerated and reheat in a hot pan or grill. The peanut sauce keeps a week refrigerated (it thickens — loosen with warm water). Marinated raw chicken freezes well.

Variations

Sate Madura

The Madura style leans sweeter, with extra kecap manis and a candlenut-rich peanut sauce.

Sate with rice cake

Serve over cut lontong or ketupat (compressed rice cakes), the classic Indonesian way.

Quick peanut sauce

Use good natural peanut butter blended with the aromatics for a faster sauce.

Serve with

Lontong or steamed riceAcar (cucumber-shallot pickle)Sambal for extra heatEs teh manis (iced sweet tea)

Nutrition per serving

460 kcal 28 g fat 22 g carbs 32 g protein 14 g sugar 3 g fiber 720 mg sodium
Allergens: Peanuts, Soy
Diet: Dairy-free

Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.

Perguntas frequentes

What cut of chicken is best for satay?

Boneless chicken thigh is ideal — it stays juicy and tender over the fierce charcoal heat, while breast dries out quickly. Cut it into small, even cubes so it cooks fast and chars nicely at the edges.

Can I make satay without a charcoal grill?

Yes, though charcoal gives the signature smoky flavour. A very hot griddle pan, a gas grill, or even a hot oven broiler will cook the skewers and caramelise the kecap manis glaze — just get the heat high for some char.

What is kecap manis?

Kecap manis is Indonesian sweet soy sauce — thick, syrupy and molasses-sweet. It's central to sate ayam, both in the marinade and brushed on as a glaze. If you can't find it, simmer regular soy sauce with palm or brown sugar until syrupy.

How do I keep bamboo skewers from burning?

Soak them in water for at least 30 minutes (longer is better) before threading the chicken, so the exposed wood doesn't catch fire over the coals. You can also shield the exposed ends with a strip of foil.

Can I use peanut butter for the sauce?

Yes — natural peanut butter (just peanuts) makes an excellent shortcut. Blend about 180 g with the garlic, chilli, palm sugar, tamarind and kecap manis, and loosen with warm water until pourable. Taste for the sweet-savoury-spicy balance.

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