Chicken Satay with Cucumber Salad

Recipe courtesy of High-Protein Recipes by Victoria by Victoria Minell, Macmillan, RRP $49.00

It’s not a proper takeaway Thai order without chicken skewers… but these are a lighter, high-protein twist you can make at home.

Makes: 6  |  Prep time: 15 mins, plus marinating  |  Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 6 skewers
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (or PB2/powdered peanut butter for lighter option)
• 2 tablespoons light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 small red chilli, finely chopped, or to taste
• 450 g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and cut into bite-sized strips
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• fresh coriander leaves, to serve

CUCUMBER SALAD

• 1 large cucumber, sliced diagonally
• 1/2 small red onion, finely sliced
• 1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari

Method

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes to prevent burning.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger, honey and chilli to make a marinade. Set aside 2 tablespoons of this satay sauce for drizzling later.

3. Add the chicken thigh strips to the remaining marinade and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours in the fridge).

4. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, folding the strips as you go about 4–5 times, and cook on a preheated grill or griddle pan on medium–high heat for 5–6 minutes per side until golden, sticky and cooked through.

5. While the chicken cooks make the salad. Toss the cucumber, red onion and carrot in a bowl with the rice vinegar, lime juice, honey and soy sauce. Set aside to lightly pickle.

6. Serve the satay skewers on top of the cucumber salad, drizzle with the reserved satay sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds and coriander.

LEFTOVERS

• Chicken satay skewers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat in the air fryer or in a pan for 3–4 minutes to keep them juicy.

• Satay sauce: Refrigerate any extra sauce for up to 5 days. Perfect for drizzling over salads, rice bowls or veggies.

• Cucumber salad: Best eaten fresh on the day (keep the dressing separate) and toss through veggies just before serving.