Spicy Chicken Satay Bowl Recipe

Jennine Rye

April 20, 2024 at 6:45 AM·9 min read

If you enjoy anything peanut flavored, you will love this spicy chicken satay bowl recipe, created by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye. Chicken satay is a Southeast Asian dish consisting of marinated chicken that is cooked on skewers before being served with a delicious peanut sauce. This version turns up the heat by adding chiles to the marinade, as well as a little kick of spice in the accompanying peanut sauce, and a final garnish of fresh red chile slices.

Simple yet deeply flavorful, chicken satay is often enjoyed as an appetizer or as a dish alongside a larger meal. This recipe adds a modern twist to this classic dish, by assembling it into a bowl alongside a myriad of other complementary foods. Rice is used for the base of the bowl, and then garlic and sesame stir-fried broccoli is added, along with red cabbage, crunchy radishes, edamame, salted peanuts, and fresh cilantro. The dish is finished off with lime and black sesame seeds for a bowl that is bursting with different colors, flavors, and textures. Nutritious and delicious, as well as visually appealing, this spicy chicken satay bowl makes a great healthy dinner option for you and your family.

Gather The Ingredients For This Spicy Chicken Satay Bowl

spicy chicken satay bowl ingredients - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

To begin this spicy chicken satay bowl recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. For the marinated chicken you will want coconut milk, honey, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, red chiles, garlic powder, and chicken thighs. For the peanut sauce you will need peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, toasted sesame oil, and a few tablespoons of hot water. To assemble to bowl you will want broccoli, toasted sesame oil, a garlic clove, basmati rice, red cabbage, radishes, edamame, cilantro, and salted peanuts. Finally, to garnish, you will additionally need lime slices, more red chile, and black sesame seeds.

Step 1: Create The Marinade

chicken satay marinade - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Mix the coconut milk, garlic powder, honey, lime juice, chili, garlic powder, soy sauce, and sesame oil together in a large bowl.

Step 2: Marinate And Refrigerate The Chicken

chicken in satay marinade - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Add the chopped chicken thigh pieces and mix well to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

Step 3: Mix The Peanut Sauce

peanut sauce in a bowl - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, and hot water to make a smooth sauce. Start with a small amount of hot water and add more to reach desired sauce consistency. Cover and set aside.

Step 4: Steam The Broccoli

broccoli florets being steamed - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

To prepare the broccoli, add the florets to a steamer for 3 minutes and cook until al dente.

Step 5: Fry The Garlic

garlic frying in a pan - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Place a frying pan over medium heat, add the sesame oil, and fry the sliced garlic clove for 1 minute until it is golden.

Step 6: Stir-Fry The Broccoli

stir-frying garlic and broccoli - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Add the steamed broccoli and stir-fry the mixture for 2 minutes.

Step 7: Set The Broccoli Aside

stir-fried broccoli in bowl - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Transfer the broccoli to a bowl and set aside.

Step 8: Preheat The Broiler

preheating the broiler - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Preheat the broiler to a medium-high temperature.

Step 9: Cook The Rice

boiling rice in a saucepan - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Boil the rice in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes until just cooked.

Step 10: Drain The Rice

rice draining in a colander - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Drain the rice and set aside.

Step 11: Prepare An Oven Tray

oven tray covered with foil - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Cover an oven tray with foil.

Step 12: Skewer The Marinaded Chicken

marinated chicken on skewers - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Place the marinated pieces of chicken onto wooden skewers. You should need roughly 12 skewers for this.

Step 13: Prepare The Chicken For Cooking

skewered satay chicken - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Place the chicken skewers on to the oven tray, and, if using wooden skewers, use a little tin foil to cover the edges so they don't burn.

Step 14: Place The Chicken Under The Broiler

cooking satay chicken on skewers - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Place the chicken under the broiler and cook for 4 minutes.

Step 15: Cook The Chicken Until Golden

cooked satay chicken on skewers - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Remove the chicken from the broiler, turn the skewers, and cook for another 4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the broiler.

Step 16: Assemble The Bowl

assembling spicy chicken satay bowl - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Assemble the spicy chicken satay bowls by portioning out the cooked rice, satay chicken, broccoli, red cabbage, radish slices, edamame, cilantro, and salted peanuts to each bowl.

Step 17: Add The Peanut Sauce

Drizzle the bowls with the peanut sauce, or alternatively, serve it in small dishes alongside the chicken satay bowls.

Step 18: Garnish And Serve

Finish with a few lime slices, a few slices of red chile, and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds before serving.

How Can This Spicy Chicken Satay Bowl Be Adapted?

Depending on your personal preferences or any dietary needs, this spicy chicken satay bowl can be adapted in a variety of ways. To make this dish safe for anyone with a gluten intolerance or allergy, simply swap out the soy sauce for a gluten-free version, or for tamari. Also, make sure to check the ingredients of the sweet chili sauce to make sure it is free from any gluten-containing ingredients. If you are looking to enjoy this dish without the meat, the chicken can be substituted for tofu, mock chicken pieces, or vegetables such as eggplant or mushrooms.

If too much spice isn't your thing, feel free to reduce the chile to your own personal comfort levels. Alternatively, if you have a love of spice, you can add as much as you like — just remember to check that everyone else can manage the heat as well!

To keep the dish exciting and nutritious, why not add different ingredients to your bowl? This can be a great way to finish up any leftover vegetables in your fridge, or any dried grains or noodles in your cupboards. Shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, and bell peppers make great additions to this spicy chicken satay bowl.

Can You Store Leftover Chicken Satay Bowls?

Any leftovers of this spicy chicken satay bowl can easily be kept and consumed at a later date, as long as they are appropriately stored. The ingredients can either be stored in their individual parts, or you can use any leftovers to assemble ready-to-go meals for the day or two ahead. The most important thing is to make sure that all of the component parts of this dish are covered well or transferred to airtight containers, before being stored in the fridge to keep them chilled. Kept like this, the ingredients will last well for up to three days.

Although the fresh bowl ingredients such as the radishes and the red cabbage won't freeze well, the uncooked marinaded skewered chicken can be frozen to be defrosted and grilled at a later date. This can be a great idea for any uncooked chicken leftovers, and the pieces can either be used in future chicken satay bowls, for a snack or for salads, or other dishes.