Chicken Satay

An Indonesian classic for the grill

Some dishes are worth making again and again simply because they never disappoint.

Indonesian chicken satay, or satay ayam, is one of them. It’s tender, packed with flavor, and instantly brings to mind long summer evenings, a smoky grill, and a table full of good food. For us, this is the ultimate barbecue dish.

The roots of satay

Satay originated in Indonesia and has since spread throughout Southeast Asia and beyond. Every region and family has its own take on the dish. Satay ayam (ayam means ‘chicken’ in Indonesian) is one of the most popular varieties, known for its mild seasoning and tender marinated chicken.

The marinade makes all the difference

What makes this satay ayam so special is, of course, the marinade. We make ours with a combination of kecap manis or sweet soy sauce, lime juice, coriander, ginger, cumin, galangal, and a little sambal oelek (chili paste) or sriracha sauce for some heat. A splash of gula jawa, or brown sugar as an alternative, adds a subtle sweetness. Don’t be shy with the marinade. We thoroughly coat the chicken thighs and let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably longer.

Kecap manis

An important ingredient in the marinade is kecap manis. This is a thick, sweet Indonesian soy sauce with a distinctive flavor that’s widely used in Indonesian cooking. Its syrupy texture and rich flavor come from palm sugar and spices like star anise and cloves. It adds sweetness, depth, and a touch of warmth to this dish. If you can’t find kecap manis, you can use a sweet soy sauce instead. Just make sure to choose a thick, syrupy variety, as thinner versions won’t provide the same flavor and texture.

If you don’t have either on hand, you can easily make a substitute at home. In this recipe, we use 5 tablespoons kecap manis. You can replace it with a mix of 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons molasses, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. You can make this ahead of time if you want the sauce to thicken slightly, but that’s not required.

Fire up the grill or use a grill pan

Once the grill is hot and ready to go, it’s time for the skewers. We thread the chicken onto wooden skewers just before grilling. The skewers have already been soaked in cold water to help prevent burning. A few minutes per side is usually enough. The outside develops beautiful grill marks while the inside stays tender and juicy. If you’re using a grill grate, you’ll get those classic charred lines that make grilled satay even more appealing.

No barbecue available or dealing with bad weather? No problem. This satay works just as well on a grill pan or indoor grill. The result is just as delicious as long as the heat is high enough and the chicken isn’t overcooked.

Serve it with the classics

In our opinion, satay ayam is never complete without a good satay sauce. Homemade, of course. Rich, creamy, and full of flavor. We also like to serve it with fresh cucumber pickle (acar ketimun), crispy fried shallots, prawn crackers, and white rice. Together, it makes a plate full of Indonesian comfort food.

It’s actually hard to believe this chicken satay wasn’t already on our website. We already had satay babi (pork tenderloin) and a mixed satay recipe, but this one was still missing. It’s the kind of dish you make when family comes over, or simply on a weeknight because it’s easy, delicious, and always a crowd-pleaser.

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