Juicy, tender satay grilled chicken served with the BEST & EASIEST Sate Sauce you have ever tried! It is restaurant quality and you can have it on the table in under 10 minutes (the sauce that is)! Once you’ve tried this sate sauce you won’t ever buy it again. The secret weapon – Jimmy’s Sate Sauce!
This is a great sharing plate amongst friends. Lay it all out and just let everyone dig in! If your anything like us, make a double batch of the satay sauce as its so finger licking good, everyone will be coming back for seconds, thirds and probably fourths! 🤣
Surprise Satay Chicken!
This meal came about quite unexpectedly. We had a friend staying over, and I had just returned from the supermarket with some basic ingredients, mostly meat. I had no clear plan for dinner the following night and was considering deboning the chicken, stuffing it, and preparing a traditional style roast.
But our friend, Warren, spotted a jar of Jimmy’s Sate Sauce in the fridge, sparking a conversation about how much he loved it. My partner Rob, being the satay enthusiast that he is, suggested we have satay chicken for dinner (he could eat satay every day if he could!). It got me thinking. I had a whole chicken in the fridge, so instead of making our usual stir-fry, why don’t I butterfly and barbecue the chicken in my favourite satay marinade and whip up a quick satay sauce to go with it!
And wow, I am so glad we did! This impromptu meal has turned out to be a new household favourite. We’re totally hooked!
Its super easy to prepare! The chicken can be marinated the day before and the sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. All that leaves you to do on the night, is grill the chicken, cook some rice and serve it up!
For a quick and easy side, I served with my Quick Pickled Asian Cucumbers – they are sweet, a little bit spicy and oh so delicious! The perfect match for this meal! I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we do.
If preferred, simply switch out the marinade on the chicken, and use a store-bought satay marinade or satay seasoning instead. The quick sate sauce though, is a definite MUST to serve alongside it!
Grilled Satay Chicken with Jimmy’s Sate Sauce
Ingredients
SATAY MARINATED CHICKEN
- 1 whole chicken, butterflied (See Note 2)
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder or flakes (optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
QUICK & EASY JIMMYS SATE SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 onion, very finely diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1-2 tablespoons Jimmys Sate Sauce (See Note 3)
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped peanuts (plus more for garnish)
TO SERVE
- Steamed jasmine or white rice
- Quick Pickled Asian Cucumbers (See Note 4)
- Coriander, to garnish
- Sliced red chilli, to garnish
- Store-bought fried shallots, to garnish
- Tomato, sliced into wedges (optional)
- Hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges (optional)
Instructions
MARINATE THE CHICKEN
- Place your butterflied chicken into a large non-metallic baking dish or tray. Make a few slits in the skin and meat (not too deep) over the thigh/leg section and loosen the skin under the breasts. Set aside.
- Place all the marinade ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until mostly smooth.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken, massaging in really well all over, front and back till it’s evenly coated making sure to get in all the nooks and crannies. Push some of the excess marinade under each breast skin. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour but up to 24 hours. (The longer the better)
SATE SAUCE
- To make the sate sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and salt, stir over a low heat for at least 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic and continue cooking for a further 1 min. Stir in the curry powder for 30 seconds then add the Jimmy’s Sate Sauce, stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the water and add the sugar stirring until dissolved. Bring to the boil then add the peanut butter and stir for 1-2 minutes or until melted and sauce has thickened. Stir through chopped peanuts. Transfer to a dish and allow to cool. Chill unit required. (Can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and kept chilled)
COOK THE CHICKEN
- Preheat a covered barbecue grill for at least 10 minutes. Close the lid and allow the grill to reach very high heat. Once it’s reached high heat, cook the chicken for 5 minutes each side then leave it breast side up. Close the lid again and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 1 hour – 1hour 30 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken). To test if the chicken is cooked completely, skewer the thickest part of the meat. When the juices run clear, it’s cooked perfectly through. Place the chicken on a tray or large plate, cover loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
- Once rested, using a sharp knife or poultry scissors, cut into 10 serving size pieces. (2 wings, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 breasts – each cut in half to give 4 pieces)
SERVE
- Serve at the table with steamed rice, warmed up sate sauce you made earlier (dont forget to garnish with extra peanuts) and I also served with my Quick Pickled Asian Cucumber Salad. If you don’t wish to serve with the pickled cucumbers, simply serve with some chopped cucumbers, red onion and chilli on the side along with some coriander to garnish. Simple but beautiful!!Optional to serve: hard boiled eggs and tomato slices!
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - HOW TO BUTTERFLY A WHOLE CHICKEN
I used a 2.2kg whole chicken for this recipe but you can use any size you have. Butterflying a whole chicken is a great way to ensure even cooking and faster cooking times. Here’s a quick guide:- Prepare the Chicken: Place the whole chicken breast-side down on a cutting board.
- Remove Backbone: Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut along both sides of the backbone from tail to neck. Remove the backbone completely (freeze and keep for making stock at a later date if desired).
- Open Up: Open the chicken like a book, laying it flat with the skin side up.
- Flatten: Press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. You may hear a crack, which is normal.
- Tuck Wings: Tuck the wing tips behind the back or under the breasts to prevent them from burning.
- Season: Season the chicken as desired, ensuring to season both sides evenly.
- JIMMY’S SATE SAUCE
Jimmy’s Sate Sauce is unquestionably the world’s best satay sauce – a bold claim but once you’ve tried Jimmy’s, there is no looking back. It’s an authentic Malaysian recipe, a delicious aromatic blend of peanuts, oriental herbs and spices with a wonderful aroma. This sauce can be used as a dipping sauce and also in marinades and stir fries to flavour chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, seafood and noodles.
It does have a spice kick to it. For Rob’s heat levels, 1 tablespoon is plenty in the sauce but if you enjoy heat, simply add more!
You can purchase Jimmy’s Sate Sauce from any Asian supermarket, Harris Farm Markets (and other gourmet food stores), Amazon or purchase online. You won’t regret it… - QUICK PICKLED ASIAN CUCUMBERS
I choose to serve this meal with my Quick Pickled Asian Cucumbers. It really hit the spot. They are sweet, tangy, a little bit spicy and so so delicious. They only take a few minute to make!
If however you don’t wish to serve with these, simply chop up some Lebanese cucumbers, red onion and chilli and serve alongside the chicken and sauce for an easy alternative. But I think they are really a must! I also served with some tomato slices and hard-boiled eggs on the side!
You may also enjoy
- Satay Chicken Curry with Jimmy’s Sate Sauce
- Quick Pickled Asian Cucumbers
- Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers (Gai Yang)
Omg this was incredible. And so super easy. I’ll definitely whip this one up when I have friends over next time. This has taken my satay sauce to a whole new level of goodness! Thanks Kate
Oh Wow!! Thank you so much for the feedback Emily and so happy you enjoyed the satay! It’s definitely a keeper