Thai recipes Archives - Fuel My Plate

Prepare to fall hard for these spicy chicken skewers, which are grilled to perfection before being dipped in a zingy satay sauce. Peanut butter lovers will be in their element.

I’m a full-blown peanut butter obsessive. I would eat it every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner if my fiancée wasn’t so judgemental.

Satay chicken has always been one of my go-to dishes to order at my local Thai restaurant, which is why I spent so long perfecting this mouth-watering recipe.

I’ve added my own healthy twist by using natural yoghurt in place of coconut milk in the satay sauce, which is used as a marinade, glaze and dip for a triple hit of peanut butter.

I made a big batch for my last dinner party and they were all gone within 30 minutes.

Tips & Notes To Know

Use metal or soaked wooden skewers: Dry wooden skewers can easily catch fire or char when exposed to high heat. Leave to soak in water for 30 minutes before threading with the chicken.
Make ahead: Both the marinade and satay sauce can be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days.

Thai satay chicken kebabs

Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 mins, plus 2 hours resting time Cook time: 10 mins 10 mins

Ingredients

1 tbsp runny honey
50g chunky peanut butter
2 tsp light soy sauce (reduced salt)
1/2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/2 tbsp lime juice, plus extra for the salad
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
25g natural yoghurt (0% fat)
2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
Vegetable oil, for brushing

To serve
1 tsp white sesame seeds
Small handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/2 red chilli, finely sliced

Instructions

Step 1
Place the peanut butter in a bowl and stir in the honey, light soy sauce, Thai red curry paste, lime juice, crushed garlic cloves and Thai fish sauce.

Step 2
Transfer half the satay sauce into a small saucepan and set aside. Pour the remaining satay sauce into a bowl and mix with the natural yoghurt. Add the chicken pieces and coat well. Refrigerate for 2 hours, then thread the chicken pieces onto four skewers.

Step 3
Heat a grill pan over a medium heat and brush liberally with vegetable oil. Paint the satay chicken kebabs with the leftover marinade and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning and basting occasionally, until the chicken is nicely charred and cooked through.

Step 4
Gently reheat the satay sauce in the saucepan and let down with two tablespoons of hot water. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens, then spoon into a serving dish.

Step 5
Divide the satay chicken kebabs between plates and sprinkle over the sesame seeds, coriander and a few red chilli slices, if desired. Serve with the satay sauce on the side.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag me on Instagram at @Chef_Catling.

Serving Suggestions

With coconut, basmati, sticky or jasmine rice.
Tossed through egg or rice noodles.
Wrapped up in a roti or garlic and coriander naan – posh kebab style.
As a starter with a lightly pickled cucumber salad or Asian-style slaw on the side.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know If The Chicken Is Cooked Through And Safe To Eat?

The juices should be pale gold and clear. If there are traces of blood, return to the pan for a few minutes before checking again.

If you have a digital thermometer to hand, simply stick the probe into the thickest part of the chicken breast or thigh. The internal temperatures should be at least 73ºC (165ºF). This handy guide will help.

Chicken or turkey	Internal temperature
Breast	73ºC / 165ºF
Thigh	79ºC / 175ºF
Drumstick	79ºC / 175ºF
Wing	79ºC / 175ºF
Whole bird	73ºC / 165ºF (at breast) 79ºC / 175ºF (at thigh)

What Curry Paste Should I Use?

My advice – as with everything – is to always read the label. If you haven’t heard of some of the ingredients listed, you should maybe question whether this is something you want to be putting into your body.

Supermarket shelves can be a bit of a minefield, but I tend to use brands like Spice Tailor and Mae Ploy which use only natural ingredients without any artificial colours, MSG or preservatives.

What Peanut Butter Should I Use?

Supermarket shelves can be a minefield because of the amount of options available. As a rule of thumb, look for jars which contain 100% nuts with no added sugars or palm oils.

A lot of own-brand products are free of nasties and half the price of more established brands like Sunpat and Skippy.

Swap the takeaway menu for the slow cooker with this satay-inspired chicken curry. Weeknight dinners don’t get much easier than this.

I’m obsessed – and I mean, seriously obsessed – with peanut butter. Add it to a curry and I’m literally in heaven. This satay-inspired recipe is a classic case of a ‘throw it all in the slow cooker and see what happens’ experiment, which turned out to be an almighty success.

I’ve made a couple of alterations since then and because chicken breasts can easily dry out in a slow cooker, I’ve started using chicken thighs which are far more flavoursome and cheaper anyway. And, if you use an own brand peanut butter, this recipe will cost less than £1.50 per portion. Even more reason to add it to your weekly meal plan.

How To Make My Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Chicken Curry

Chef Catling’s recipe notes
Recipe: Slow cooker peanut butter chicken curry
Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

Don’t lift the lid: Every time you take a sneak peek, you lose 15 minutes of heat. Trust the process.
Cook once, eat twice: Double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for another time. Just thaw the peanut butter chicken curry in the fridge and reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

Slow cooked peanut butter chicken curry

Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 4 hours 4 hours

Ingredients

1 white onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 large red chilli, finely chopped
600g skinless chicken thighs
100g peanut butter (no added sugar)
1 x 400g tin peeled plum tomatoes
1 tbsp tandoori curry powder
1 star anise
2 tsp Thai fish sauce
2 tsp reduced salt soy sauce
1 tsp Chiu chow chilli oil
1 lime, 1/2 juiced, 1/2 cut into wedges
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Large handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

Step 1
Place the onion, garlic, ginger and red chilli in a small blender and add a splash of water to get it moving. Blitz to a paste and decant into your slower cooker or Instant Pot with the chicken thighs, peanut butter, peeled plum tomatoes, curry powder, star anise, Thai fish sauce, soy sauce, Chiu chow chilli oil and lime juice.

Step 2
Mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water in a small ramekin and add to the curry. Mix well and season generously. Place the lid on top and cook on low for 4 hours.

Step 3
Once cooked, stir in the Greek yoghurt, coriander leaves and garam masala. Season to taste and garnish with the chopped peanuts on top. Serve with rice and lime wedges on the side.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag me on Instagram at @Chef_Catling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Peanut Butter Should I Use?

Supermarket shelves can be a minefield because of the amount of options available. As a rule of thumb, look for jars which contain 100% nuts with no added sugars or palm oils.

A lot of own-brand products are free of nasties and half the price of more established brands like Sunpat and Skippy.

What’s The Difference Between Plum and Canned Chopped Tomatoes?

Canned tomatoes are picked at their ripest and retain more texture than passata because they are less processed. Canned cherry tomatoes are highly prized because of their wonderfully sweet flavour, while whole peeled ‘plum’ tomatoes are generally favoured over chopped tomatoes because they are the most versatile and fuller in flavour.

It is true that you get what you pay for, so try and seek out the best quality tomatoes to produce a richer and more flavourful sauce.

What is Chiu Chow Chilli Oil?

This Chinese condiment should probably come with a disclaimer. It is a seriously HOT chilli oil, made using dried and salted chilli peppers, soybeans, soy sauce, garlic and sugar.

A drizzle of this will jazz up any dish and add a fiery kick some people crave. Use sparingly.