Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Living in San Diego I have the luxury of grilling outdoors nearly all year around.  With the exception of rainy and really cold days (read: wind chill below 55!) the grill is usually fired up 3 - 4 times a week.  From the garlic bread to the veggies and meats, I love the ease of putting the whole meal on the grill.  Saving time on cleanup is a bonus.

Over the holidays, Amazon had The Sunset Grill Cookbook on one of their "Deal of the Day" specials and I tossed one in the cart for as a gift for my friend Becky (of Becky's Famous Football Stromboli!).  Not wanting to give her something that I couldn't vouch for, I figured I'd better add one of those books for myself as well and I'm thrilled I did!!  Last night was the first time I ventured into the book, and if the rest of the recipes are half as good as the Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce, the book is a winner.

Simple marinated chicken is threaded onto skewers and served alongside a Spicy Peanut Sauce.  Perfectly complementing the Asian flavors of the chicken skewers, the sauce quickly became my favorite part of the meal... part peanut butter, part coconut with a ginger essence and a bright squeeze of lime to finish it off.  A bed of coconut rice rounded out our meal and everyone including the dishwasher (me!) was happy!

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

adapted from The Sunset Grill: 125 Tasty Recipes for Casual Get-Togethers and Easy Weeknight Cookouts

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dried, ground ginger (may sub 2 Tbs minced fresh ginger if you have it on hand)
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs honey
2 tsp Asian Chili Paste
1/4 cup water 

Peanut Sauce: 
1/4 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbs jalapeño, finely diced (may sub serrano for spicier sauce)
1/4 tsp dried ground ginger
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbs fresh squeezed lime (more or less to taste)
salt to taste

In a small bowl combine the marinade ingredients (soy sauce through water) and whisk to combine.  Add the chicken to a large zip top bag, add the marinade and seal.  Squish the chicken around in the bag to coat and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Make the sauce.  In a medium bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and whisk well to combine.  If sauce is too thick, add a little extra coconut milk, if sauce is too thin, add a little peanut butter.  Taste and adjust ingredients to your taste (I love lime, so I added extra lime!) Set aside.


Thread the chicken onto skewers.  If you are using wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for 1/2 hour before threading.  Preheat grill on high.  Place skewers on the hot grill and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes, then flip to grill the other side.  Grill a few minutes more (time depends on how large your chunks or strips are!).  Remove from grill when chicken is cooked through.

Serve over rice with the Peanut Sauce on the Side.