This one is the umami bomb of Thai street food, the most exotic flavored and juicy lip smacking chicken ever put on a stick.

First you marinate the chicken thighs in lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce, limes, brown sugar, tamarind, turmeric and tons of spicy exotic stuff… then you grill it on sticks over charcoal or BBG grill till it’s crazy tasty with crunchy burnt bits… and then you dip that into the spicy creamy luscious peanut sauce. And then your head blows up… it’s that good. This entire recipe is now on our blog, including the fabulous peanut sauce. This is one you won’t forget… we promise.

Ingredients

4 to 5 chicken thighs, about 1 1/4 pounds, free range and air chilled, lightly salted and then cut into strips about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch thick (this is what you need as an appetizer for 4 people)
bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Ingredients for Satay Marinade

1 stalk lemongrass, diced into small pieces
2 inch piece of galangal, sliced thin (be careful, it’s hard)
1 inch of ginger, shredded
2 shallots, diced (or 1/2 small onion)
4 cloves garlic, crushed not diced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons fish sauce (we use Red Boat brand)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 juicy limes, squeezed
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (you can easily acquire this on Amazon)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1 teaspoons Sriracha
1 teaspoon salt (for the chicken strips)

Prep Work

Lightly salt the chicken thighs on both sides and cut into strips about 2 inches long, 1/2 inch thick and about 1 inch wide. We use thighs because they have far more flavor than chicken breasts. You may need to pound the thighs lightly with a meat mallet to make them slightly flatter.

In a food processor, pulverize the lemongrass, shallots and galangal first, and then add all of the rest of the ingredients for the Satay Marinade. Blend on high speed until a smooth paste, about 30 seconds.

Using a 1 gallon resealing storage or freezer plastic bag, place the chicken strips and the marinade inside, press out the air and seal the bag. Using your hands, knead the mixture until well mixed together. Allow to marinate a few hours or overnight.

When ready to BBQ, thread the strips onto the bamboo skewers.

Cooking

BBQ over gas or charcoal until browned… if using the gas BBQ, about 8 to 10 minutes on the first side, and then about 5 minutes on the flip side… if using a very hot charcoal grill, about 3 to 5 minutes each side. As they come off the flames, brush on melted coconut oil so they are glistening.

Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve with our Spicy Satay Peanut Sauce.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (we use Laura Scudder’s brand or make our own with 1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate
2 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup coconut cream
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch ginger, grated

After all the ingredients are mixed and blended to gather in to a smooth creaminess, like a slightly running paste, you can serve immediately or sometimes we quickly give this sauce a quick fry on the wok, to brighten the umami flavors.