This easy 10-minute Satay Sauce Recipe makes a great dip for chicken, pork or vegetable skewers. Smooth and creamy with a little chilli kick!

Peanut satay sauce in a small copper pan topped with peanuts and coriander
Want to save this recipe to your email?
Just enter your email and get it sent straight to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

A decent satay sauce, made from store cupboard ingredients is a great recipe to have on standby.
It’s a simple way to pep up a rotisserie chicken, drizzle over a salad or to use as a dip for veggies.

Of course it also goes perfectly with satay chicken skewers – which is a recipe we all love at home. Not forgetting beef satay skewers too (I must get a recipe up for that one on the blog).

What do we need?
Ingredient for satay sauce on a wooden table

I prefer to use shop-bought smooth peanut butter for the sake of simplicity, but you can whizz up your own peanuts for this if you prefer. Or you could use chunky peanut butter.
A traditional Indonesian Satay (where satay originates) would use roasted peanuts that have been ground by hand.


How to make Satay Sauce

Ingredients for Thai peanut sauce in a pan

In a small saucepan mix together peanut butter, soy sauce, chilli flakes, fish sauce, coconut milk, light brown sugar and ground coriander whilst heating over a medium heat.

Thai satay sauce in a pan on a light background

It will thicken as it approaches boiling point. Turn off the heat just before it comes to the boil and stir in fresh lime juice. You can serve it warm or cold. If serving it warm, reheat right before serving.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes! The sauce can be made ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2-3 days. Place in a pan and reheat whilst stirring if you want to serve it warm.

What Type Of Peanut butter

Either crunchy or smooth is fine. Alternatively you can whizz up your own dry-roasted peanuts in a food processor to a chunky or smooth texture.

Don’t want the heat?

You can leave the chilli flakes out entirely if you prefer. I like it a little spicy, but it’s completely up to you.

Satay sauce in a small copper pan topped with peanuts and coriander. Chicken skewers in the background
Square image of Chicken skewers with peanut satay sauce on a dark background

More Peanut Butter Recipes

If you are a fan of peanut butter? Try these recipes:

Savoury:

Sweet:


Watch how to make it

Stay updated with new recipes!
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

4.80 from 25 votes

Easy Satay Sauce Recipe

This easy 10-minute Satay Sauce Recipe makes a great dip for chicken, pork or vegetable skewers. Smooth and creamy with a little chilli kick!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Sauces, side dish
Cuisine: Indonesian

Ingredients

  • 3 heaped tbsp smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce use tamari for gluten-free
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce sub with vegetarian fish sauce if you want it vegetarian
  • 200 ml (7 oz) coconut milk from a tin
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • juice of 1 lime about 2 tbsp

Toppings (optional):

  • ½ tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp roasted peanuts finely chopped
  • pinch chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander cilantro leaves
Save This Recipe!
Just enter your email and get it sent straight to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Instructions 

  • Place all of the satay sauce ingredients EXCEPT for the lime juice into a small pan
    3 heaped tbsp smooth peanut butter, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 200 ml (7 oz) coconut milk, 1 tbsp light brown sugar, 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • Heat over medium heat whilst stirring with a wooden spoon. The sauce will look thin at first, then as it comes close to boiling point, it will start to thicken. Don't let the sauce boil, just turn down the heat as it approaches boiling point and stir until thickened, then turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice.
    juice of 1 lime
  • Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, chilli flakes and fresh coriander before serving.
    1 tbsp roasted peanuts, pinch chilli flakes, 1 tbsp fresh coriander, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Video

Notes

Reheating:

The sauce can be served cool or warm, or you can reheat if you wish (the oil will separate a little from the peanut butter and coconut milk as it cools, but a good mix with a wooden spoon will bring it back together again).
Nutritional information is per serving. This recipe contains 8 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate the recipe




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Mick dunne says:

    I love pork ribs I’m looking for recipes for marinating the ribs over night.and also like a good recipe for pork ribs with peanut saute.thank you if you can help Mick dunne

  2. Myrna says:

    Good

  3. Janet Darragh says:

    5 stars
    Thankyou for this satay sauce recipe. I used dairy milk instead of coconut milk as I had non. I also had no fish sauce. However I substituted with a quarter tsp of whole grain mustard and a couple of shakes of Tumeric powder mixed in. It probably took longer to thicken with cows milk but it eventually did thicken and was delicious! We had it with chicken, rice and siverbeet which you would know as chard.

  4. Cabe rawit says:

    5 stars
    Delish! I use maple syrup instead of sugar, maggi sauce instead soya or fish sauce and also i add turmeric for color.