This vegan chicken satay is a delicious and healthy dish that’s easy to make and very satisfying to eat. A few simple ingredients and a bit of time is all you need to enjoy this flavourful restaurant quality meal!

Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano

Preparing a Healthy and Delicious Vegan Chicken Satay is a great way to enjoy a flavourful and nutritious meal.

This iconic dish has 3 key components:

• Protein
• Marinade
• Satay Sauce

The vegan version of this popular Asian dish is made with my homemade seitan “chicken”, but you can use any other plant-based proteins of your choice, such as tofu, tempeh, and TVP chunks (like we did for these Tandoori Skewers), instead of chicken.

The marinade is made with flavourful ingredients like lemongrass, garlic, onion and turmeric, then the skewers are grilled or roasted for an irresistible smoky flavour.

Last (but not least) we are going to make our own authentic satay sauce, a delicious peanut based sweet & spicy dipping sauce that we will feature in a bunch of recipes to come!

Where is Chicken Satay From?

Satay is considered to be a national dish of Indonesia but it also is a popular Southeast Asian street food that usually involves a marinated meat being skewered and grilled, then served with a simple peanut-based saucy dip. Around Asia there are different variations of satay sauce that can include coconut, sometimes even peppers and different spice mixes and herbs.

Is Satay Sauce Vegan?

Some satay sauces can be vegan-friendly, but sometimes they may contain animal-derived ingredients such as fish sauce, cows’ milk or honey, depending on the region/country of origin. If you want to leave out the fuss of preparing this sauce from scratch (although I really recommend you to try it!), you can purchase vegan satay sauce online.

Is Vegan Chicken Satay Healthy?

This dish is very mush protein packed, between seitan and peanuts the protein intake can reach up to 22 grams per portion (100g skewers + 2 tbsp peanut sauce). The marinated skewers per se are very healthy and nutritious, however the peanut sauce is quite rich in fat and calories due to the its very high content of oil (per 2 tbsp portion: 95 calories, 3 g protein 6 g fat). For this reason, if you are counting calories, you should accompany the seitan skewers with just a spoonful of two of sauce, or omit it altogether and have them with freshly squeezed lime juice.

Why you should make these vegan chicken satay skewers:

• It’s healthy and delicious. Grilled vegan chicken satay is a delicious and healthy meal option that is high in protein and low in fat (minus the sauce, read more see above) , making it a great choice for anyone looking to eat healthier. Compared to chicken, seitan has less calories and more carbohydrates and iron than the animal protein, however, since it is a gluten based product, it does not suit a gluten free diet. If you are gluten free you can swap seitan for other plant based proteins like tofu, TVP (soy or pea based) and tempeh.
• It’s versatile. Plant-based satay is a versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, main course, or even as a snack, so it’s a great way to add some variety to your meal plan and keep things interesting.
• it can be prepped in advance. Making it ideal for batch cooking and meal prep, this satay dish does require a bit of work if you’re making all components from scratch, but the good news is that both sauces and “meat” can be prepared in large quantities and stored for days (up to a few months if you’re willing to take the extra step of vacuum preserve the sauce and freeze the seitan). Also, the satay sauce is another versatile element, that can be featured in plenty of other dishes from adding a spoonful to enrich and boost the protein intake of your favourite Asian-inspired foods, or to make quick and easy peanut noodles (recipe coming soon) and these Eggplant in Peanut Sauce.

How to make Vegan Chicken Satay Step by Step

Ingredients:

Chicken Skewers
350-400 g Vegan Seitan Chicken
4-6 Long Wooden Skewers

Satay Sauce
150 g dry roasted peanuts, salted or unsalted (1cup)
½ tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
40 g 1/4 cup vegetable oil (1/4 cup)
75 g Brown Sugar (1/3 cup)
200 g water
2/3 Lemongrass Stalk (top parts)
1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt or to taste (if using unsalted peanuts)
1 tsp Coriander Powder

…to blend…
30 g Water
2 Chillies
3 Garlic Cloves
1 White Onion (medium size)
1/3 Lemongrass Stalk (bottom part)
½ tbsp Ginger Paste
Satay Marinade
1.5 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Onion
1-2 Garlic Cloves
1/3 Lemongrass (white part/bottom)
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

Method:
1. For the Satay Sauce. Crush the peanuts with mortar and pestle or use a food processor to ground the peanuts. Set aside. Coarsely chop the ingredients of the blend mixture, transfer to a food processor and blend until very fine. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed to help blending. Then strain the mixture and use pulp only for next step and keep liquid for later.

2. In a saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat and add the blended paste along with the remaining two strips of lemongrass. Cook the spice paste until it becomes aromatic and smells spicy. 

3. Add the ground peanuts, water, liquid from the blend mix, vinegar, salt, sugar, coriander powder and soy sauce. Stir to combine well.

4. Turn the heat to medium-low heat, stir continuously for about 15-20 minutes or until the peanut sauce thickens to your desired consistency. When the oil separates from the peanut sauce you’ll know it’s done. At this point set aside to cool at room temperature. 

5. For the Satay Marinade. Roughly chop the onions, garlic and lemongrass stalk, then add all the ingredients to a power blender and process until you reach a smooth sauce.
6. Prepare the skewers by threading chunks of vegan chicken onto long wooden skewers, then pour over the satay marinade and coat them evenly. Alternatively you can marinate the chunks first then pile them onto the skewers. Cover and allow to marinate the vegetable protein in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before grilling (you can also leave them overnight to pack more flavour).

7. Once both skewers are marinated and peanut sauce has cooled down, we can go ahead and grill the skewers. To do so you can do it over a barbecue (which will pack more smoke-y flavour), a grill pan, the oven or even the air fryer. For barbecue and grill pan versions, cook the skewers until slightly charred turning them constantly for an even look. If you want to bake them in the oven or air fryer set the max temperature and place the skewers onto a grilling rack. Cook for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size) or to taste, turning them once or twice.
8. Once the vegan chicken satay skewers are done cooking place them on a serving platter. Garnish with the chopped peanuts and cilantro and serve it with a bowl of satay sauce, and some steamed rice plus a side of vegetables for a complete and healthy meal.

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5 from 2 votes

Vegan Chicken Satay

This vegan chicken satay is a delicious and healthy dish that will deliver a restaurant quality meal!

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Skewers

• ▢ 350-400 g Vegan Seitan Chicken
• ▢ 4-6 Long Wooden Skewers

Satay Sauce (makes a big batch, see notes)*

• ▢ 150 g dry roasted peanuts salted or unsalted (1cup)
• ▢ ½ tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• ▢ 40 g 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup
• ▢ 75 g Brown Sugar 1/3 cup
• ▢ 200 g water
• ▢ 2/3 Lemongrass Stalk top parts
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste if using unsalted peanuts
• ▢ 1 tsp Coriander Powder

...to blend...

• ▢ 30 g Water
• ▢ 2 Chillies
• ▢ 3 Garlic Cloves
• ▢ 1 White Onion medium size
• ▢ 1/3 Lemongrass Stalk bottom part
• ▢ ½ tbsp Ginger Paste

Satay Marinade

• ▢ 1.5 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• ▢ 1 Onion
• ▢ 1-2 Garlic Cloves
• ▢ 1/3 Lemongrass white part/bottom
• ▢ 1 tsp Turmeric
• ▢ 1 tsp Brown Sugar
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
• ▢ 1/4 tsp Salt

4 people

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Instructions

• ▢
  Method:
• ▢
  For the Satay Sauce. Crush the peanuts with mortar and pestle or use a food processor to ground the peanuts. Set aside. Coarsely chop the ingredients of the blend mixture, transfer to a food processor and blend until very fine. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed to help blending. Then strain the mixture and use pulp only for next step and keep liquid for later.
• ▢
  In a saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat and add the blended paste along with the remaining two strips of lemongrass. Cook the spice paste until it becomes aromatic and smells spicy.
• ▢
  Add the ground peanuts, water, liquid from the blend mix, vinegar, salt, sugar, coriander powder and soy sauce. Stir to combine well.
• ▢
  Turn the heat to medium-low heat, stir continuously for about 15-20 minutes or until the peanut sauce thickens to your desired consistency. When the oil separates from the peanut sauce you'll know it's done. At this point set aside to cool at room temperature.
• ▢
  For the Satay Marinade. Roughly chop the onions, garlic and lemongrass stalk, then add all the ingredients to a power blender and process until you reach a smooth sauce.
• ▢
  Prepare the skewers by threading chunks of vegan chicken onto long wooden skewers, then pour over the satay marinade and coat them evenly. Alternatively you can marinate the chunks first then pile them onto the skewers. Cover and allow to marinate the vegetable protein in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before grilling (you can also leave them overnight to pack more flavour).
• ▢
  Once both skewers are marinated and peanut sauce has cooled down, we can go ahead and grill the skewers. To do so you can do it over a barbecue (which will pack more smoke-y flavour), a grill pan, the oven or even the air fryer. For barbecue and grill pan versions, cook the skewers until slightly charred turning them constantly for an even look. If you want to bake them in the oven or air fryer set the max temperature and place the skewers onto a grilling rack. Cook for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size) or to taste, turning them once or twice.
• ▢
  Once the vegan chicken is done cooking place it on a serving platter. Garnish with the chopped peanuts and cilantro and serve it with a bowl of satay sauce, and some steamed rice plus a side of vegetables for a complete and healthy meal.

Notes

*It is easier to make a bigger batch of satay sauce although you won't need it all for this recipe. You can use the leftover sauce for other recipes (see post for inspiration) or store it in the fridge up to 1 week, freeze (up to 4 months) or preserve it in sterilized jars and vacuum seal in boiling water for 30 minutes. Preserved homemade sauce can be stored in the cupboard for months to come. If you rather make a smaller batch type 0.50 or 0.25 in the serving field for reduced quantities.

Please note: nutrition facts are for 1 portion (100g seitan) including 2 tbsp peanut sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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