Almond butter chicken satay is a Thai inspired peanut free recipe where chicken pieces are fed onto a skewer, marinated then grilled and served with an almond butter sauce for dipping.
This chicken satay is to die for and let me tell you why. Actually, this is my rendition of south east Asian satay which would normally be made with peanuts.
As this is paleo and whole30 approved I took the liberty of spinning the recipe on its head by doing an almond butter chicken satay instead.
What's chicken satay?
In case you are unfamiliar with what chicken satay is, then let me inform you. Chicken satay is a dish where meat (chicken, beef or pork) is seasoned and then skewered where it is barbecued grilled and served with a dipping sauce.
Although the origins of this dish connect to Indonesia, other south east Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand eat this popular street food too.
Recipe Inspiration
A male friend of mine who I went to college with during my late teens, invited me to a Thai themed birthday dinner he was hosting. At this dinner party I sampled some chicken satay and it was very succulent and tender.
I had no clue what the dipping sauce was but found it addictive. The food at the restaurant was very authentic, I'd heard many reviews about this establishment and this was partly why I accepted the invite.
I knew one day I would love to make a peanut free version of satay chicken because I prefer the taste of almond butter and knew so many people who suffer from peanut allergies.
I also took the liberty of applying this allergy friendly approach with my Roasted Almond Porridge as well as my Orange and Almond Cake
Reasons to make this recipe
- It's low in carb making it perfect for a weight loss lifestyle
- Paleo friendly and free from gluten
- It's the perfect nut based main meal
- Contains no legumes/peanuts for those afflicted with peanut allergies
- Tastes amazing......try the dipping sauce......yummy!!
- Who doesn't love chicken satay
- Perfect for hosting at a dinner or ultimate crowd pleaser
How to make almond butter chicken satay
This chicken satay was purposely made with almond butter as opposed to peanut so my paleo audience can reap the delicious benefits along with the gluten free crew. It's succulent and tastes identical to the peanut butter version only legume free.
The marinade - You'll be pleased to know there isn't a lot of prep and marinating going on - no overnight marinating (yahoo) yes I will let you off just this once.
Satay skewers - make sure to feed each individual piece of chicken onto the skewer - metal or wooden.
Save half of the marinade for the dipping sauce - yes the marinade doubles up - half for marinating and the reserved portion for a dip - two in one ain't bad.
Grilling your chicken - I grilled the almond butter chicken satay to a fine crisp,
How to make the recipe keto?
If you are keto and would like to make this recipe, simply omit the coconut sugar (use monkfruit or stevia instead) and aminos. Certain brands of soy are safe to use if they don't have high net carbs.
You will just have to see for yourself and use which brands works for you! In the worst case scenario, it's okay to omit this ingredient.
Can you leave the chicken to marinate overnight?
Yes, you are more than welcome to marinate the chicken overnight
Can you freeze the chicken satay?
Yes! you are more than welcome to freeze the chicken either on the skewers or place the chicken in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months (label the contents).
Be sure to thoroughly defrost the chicken up to 24 hours in advance before cooking.
Do you recommend any other chicken recipes?
Yes, try my Jamaican Fried Chicken, Tamarind Chicken or my Brown Stew Chicken
Serving suggestions
- Salad it up - Turn this would be appetizer into a light, hearty salad by adding some leafy greens, think rocket/arugula, cherry tomato, cucumbers, shredded carrots, zucchini
- Meal deal - Wanna turn this into a meal main? Good choice! Serve with some Brown Rice , Sweet Potato Mash, or Cauliflower Rice
- Drinks time - Mango Coconut Water Smoothie, Cinnamon Orange Cold Brew Tea
Notes and tips
- Make sure you are using skinless boneless chicken.
- You can use a broiler or and open flame grill to cook the chicken just make sure the internal temperate is 165F (75F) that's when it is cooked.
- Feel free to use crunchy almond butter instead of smooth.
- You can use wooden or metal skewers, if using wooden just be sure to soak them in advance.
- Cut the chicken into small pieces around 2 inches or a little under is fine.
- Use light coconut milk if you want to keep the fat content lower
Other appetizers to try
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Almond Butter Chicken Satay
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts cut into chunks, washed and dried
- ½ a cup of almond butter
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp. coconut palm sugar
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- ½ tsp. of red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp. of coconut aminos
- 1 ½ tsp. of himalayan pink salt
- 5 large wooden skewers presoaked
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a medium sized bowl then proceed to sprinkle in the pink salt and coat the chicken with it then set aside.
- Add the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend into a smooth consistency. The mixture should be a smooth (not runny paste) this will thicken with time.
- Divide the marinade evenly, pouring one half of the almond mixture over the chicken to act as a marinade. refrigerate the remainder to reserve for the sauce.
- Feed the chunks onto each skewer leaving a few centimetres at the bottom of each skewer free to hold and set aside.
- Allow the meat to infuse and marinate for up to 2 hours or overnight (if you prefer)
- Crack up the broiler/grill on high heat and grill the meat thoroughly on each side until both sides are golden brown.
- Serve accordingly with the sauce.
Notes
- Make sure you are using skinless boneless chicken.
- You can use a broiler or and open flame grill to cook the chicken just make sure the internal temperate is 165F (75F) that's when it is cooked.
- Feel free to use crunchy almond butter instead of smooth.
- You can use wooden or metal skewers, if using wooden just be sure to soak them in advance.
- Cut the chicken in small pieces around 2 inches or a little under is fine.
- Use light coconut milk if you want to keep the fat content lower
Nutrition
Kim Pendergast says
This looks amazing. I am going to triple the recipe for my 35th college sorority reunion this weekend. (38 sisters are coming from all over the country for this reunion!) So many of us are now GF and dairy free. Selfishly I offered to bring this so I could eat something that would fill me up for the night of laughter, probably tears and a few glasses of wine.
Charla says
Sounds wonderful! Save me some and I hope you have a great weekend.
may ann says
i will try this tonight ,,
and thank you for this charl???
Charla says
You are welcome and enjoy!!
Karly says
This looks so delicious! I can't wait to try!
Charla says
I promise you will enjoy it Karly, feedback has been positive thus far 😉
Chad says
I never leave comments, but this was the most delicious thing I ever made. I'm not particularly talented in the kitchen, so 100% of the credit goes to you and your recipe, which I followed to a T. It's testament to the fact that pallets of butter and barrels of sugar are no match for the right combination of bold flavors. That you made it paleo is even more impressive. Thank you for sharing your culinary genius.
Charla says
Aww thank you so much for your wonderful feedback Chad. I try to make my recipes as easy as possible to follow.
Ohmydish.com says
I would LOVE to have a whole bunch of these! Good stuff
Charla says
Awwwww thank you!
Immaculate says
Charla, immediately I saw your post I had to rush over to check it out. I love your healthy twist to this popular appetizer. Great recipe! By the way what is coconut aminos?
Charla says
Thank you, Coconut aminos is made from the sap of the palm tree with unrefined seas salt. It's healthier than soy sauce it is not processed and doesn't unstablise the hormones. It's a great choice for people who want to avoid soy.