Chicken Satay (Whole30, Gluten Free)

If you’ve been craving smoky chicken satay slathered in a creamy peanut sauce while on your Whole30, I’ve got something right up your alley: this lip-smacking no-nut version of the real deal!

These delicious paleo chicken satay skewers are a simple and tasty Whole30-friendly weeknight meal that you can cook indoors or out. Got leftover Paleo Hoisin Sauce after making Moo Shu Pork? Then use it to make Hoisin No-Nut Sauce—it’s to die for!

What is satay?

Satay is a southeast Asian dish that consists of seasoned grilled meat on skewers that’s typically served with a soy- and peanut-based dipping sauce. Although the dish originated in Indonesia, you can find it on the menus at Thai, Malaysian, and Singaporean restaurants.

Do you have to serve satay with a dipping sauce?

Of course not! These skewers are well-seasoned and don’t require a sauce. Sure, I prefer to slather them with Hoisin No-Nut Sauce, but whenever I don’t have leftover Paleo Hoisin Sauce on hand, I just skip the sauce. By the way, if you want a fiery dipping sauce, I have a Spicy Thai No-Nut Sauce recipe on page 58 of our Ready or Not! cookbook. (There’s also another tasty variation of chicken satay on that page as well!)

Can I use other proteins?

Yes! Feel free to substitute chicken thighs, beef, pork, goat, or whatever meat you prefer. You can’t go wrong with grilled meat on a stick!

How do I make this ahead of time?

You can marinate the meat up to 12 hours in advance, and the sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance—just be sure to store both in sealed containers in the fridge.

What’s the best way to save leftovers?

Keep any leftover cooked skewers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can quickly reheat them in a hot skillet or in a 350°F oven for a few minutes. (Me? I like to eat them cold right out of the fridge.)

What side dishes do I serve with chicken satay?

Don’t overthink it! Just serve these skewers up alongside a crisp green salad. I also love to serve them with Asian Cauliflower Fried “Rice”, Simple Cauliflower “Rice”, and Smashed Cucumber and Carrot Salad.

Let’s grill some Chicken Satay!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1½ pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
• 1 large Medjool date, pitted and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Hoisin No-Nut Sauce

• ¼ cup Paleo Hoisin Sauce
• ¼ cup sunbutter 
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Equipment:

• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Large bowl
• High speed blender or immersion blender
• Wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
• Grill or Oven
• Tongs
• Rimmed baking sheet

Method:

Slice the chicken breasts into ½-inch strips and place in a large bowl.

Combine the coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, date, garlic, fish sauce, and turmeric in a high speed blender…

…and blitz until smooth.

Pour the marinade over the chicken strips and mix well.

Cover the chicken and marinate in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Usually, I just let the chicken hang out in the fridge while I’m preparing my side dishes for dinner. 

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, grab some soaked wooden skewers. Using one strip of chicken at a time, carefully skewer the meat in an accordion-like fashion. Depending on the size of the chicken pieces and the length of the skewer, you might have two to four pieces threaded tightly on a skewer. 

Now, you can choose how you want to cook the skewers: on the grill or in the oven. If you’re cooking the skewers on a grill, set the grill to high heat. When it’s nice and hot, clean the grill and brush the grates with a high smoke point fat (e.g., ghee, avocado oil, etc.)  Place the skewers on the hot grill and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. 

If you choose to roast them in the oven, heat the oven to 400°F convection or 425°F (no convection). Place the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet and cook them in the hot oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through, flipping the skewers over at the halfway point. Broil for an additional 2 minutes if you want some more color.

Time to make the Hoisin No-Nut Sauce! Dump the hoisin sauce, sunbutter, water, and rice vinegar into a blender and blitz until smooth. You can add a smidge more water if you like a thinner sauce.

Slather the sauce on the chicken satay and chow down!

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Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).

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