A chicken satay salad is everything you love about a satay takeaway, in a bowl that is light, fresh and packed with protein. Chicken breast is marinated in soy, honey, lime and curry powder, griddled until charred, sliced and piled over a crunchy salad, then finished with a creamy peanut dressing. We use Chicken Breast 1kg, because whole fillets stay juicy on a hot griddle and slice neatly. Find every pack size in our chicken breast range.
Skip the middle man and skip the soggy meal-deal salad. Prep takes about 25 minutes and the chicken cooks in 10, so it is a proper midweek dinner that also packs well for lunch. It serves 4. Below you will find the ingredients, a numbered method, the satay dressing, tips for juicy chicken, a skewer version and a five-question FAQ.
Quick answer: chicken satay salad
- Prep: 25 minutes, plus 20 minutes to 2 hours marinating
- Cook: 8–10 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Meat: 4 chicken breast fillets, about 600g, sliced into thin escalopes
- Heat: griddle or frying pan, medium-high
- Done when: no pink in the middle, juices run clear, at least 75°C in the centre
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the chicken
- 4 chicken breast fillets, about 600g (from a pack of Chicken Breast 1kg)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the peanut satay dressing
- 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 4–6 tbsp coconut milk or warm water, to loosen
For the salad
- 2 Little Gem lettuces
- ½ cucumber
- 2 carrots
- 1 red pepper
- 4 spring onions
- 100g beansprouts or defrosted edamame beans
- A small handful each of coriander and mint leaves
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- Lime wedges, to serve
Method
- Slice the chicken. Lay each chicken breast flat on a board and, with your hand on top, slice it in half horizontally to make 2 thinner escalopes, about 1.5cm thick. Thin, even pieces cook quickly and stay juicy.
- Marinate. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, honey, curry powder, garlic, lime juice and oil. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and chill for at least 20 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
- Make the dressing. Whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, lime juice and ginger together. Add the coconut milk or warm water a tablespoon at a time until the dressing is smooth and pourable. Taste: it should be salty, sweet and sharp all at once.
- Prepare the salad. Separate the lettuce leaves. Cut the cucumber and red pepper into thin strips, peel the carrots into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and slice the spring onions. Keep everything cold until you are ready to serve.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a griddle or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and cook for 4–5 minutes per side until nicely charred and cooked through. The honey catches quickly, so turn the heat down a little if it starts to burn. Cut into the thickest piece to check: there should be no pink and the juices should run clear, or a probe should read at least 75°C.
- Rest and slice. Rest the chicken on a board for 3 minutes, then slice it into strips.
- Serve. Arrange the lettuce, cucumber, carrot, pepper, spring onion and beansprouts on plates or in bowls. Top with the warm chicken, spoon over the peanut dressing, then scatter with coriander, mint and chopped peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.
Butcher’s tips for juicy satay chicken
Chicken breast is lean, so the enemy is overcooking. Slicing each fillet into two thinner escalopes means it cooks evenly, with the outside charring before the middle has a chance to dry out. Do not marinate for more than a few hours, because the lime juice starts to change the texture of the meat. Always discard any leftover raw marinade rather than pouring it over the cooked chicken, and wash your board and knife after handling raw chicken.
For satay skewers, use Diced Chicken Breast 1kg in the same marinade, thread it onto skewers and grill for 10–12 minutes, turning often, until cooked through. Feeding a family or batch cooking for the week? The bigger packs in our chicken breast range keep the fridge and freezer stocked. For more ways with the cut, see How to Cook Chicken Breast in the Pan or our Chinese Chicken Breast Stir Fry.
Variations and meal prep
Swap the Little Gem for shredded white or red cabbage for extra crunch that lasts in a lunchbox. Add cooked rice noodles or a scoop of jasmine rice to make it a more filling dinner. If you like heat, add a finely chopped red chilli to the dressing. For meal prep, cook the chicken, cool it quickly and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days in sealed boxes, with the dressing in a separate pot so the salad stays crisp. Eat the chicken cold or reheat it until piping hot all the way through.
Why this chicken satay salad works
The marinade gives the chicken a salty, sticky char, the peanut dressing brings richness, and the raw vegetables and lime keep every mouthful fresh. It is quick enough for a weeknight, light enough for a summer lunch and filling enough for anyone counting their protein. Buy quality chicken breast from an online butcher, make a jar of dressing, and you have a high-protein dinner on the table in about half an hour.
FAQ
What is chicken satay?
Satay is marinated, grilled meat served with a peanut sauce, a street-food classic across Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. In this chicken satay salad the grilled chicken breast and peanut sauce are served over a crunchy, fresh salad instead of rice.
Can I use diced chicken breast for satay skewers?
Yes. Marinate diced chicken breast in the same way, thread it onto skewers (soak wooden ones in water for 20 minutes first) and grill or griddle for 10–12 minutes, turning often, until cooked through with no pink in the middle.
How do I know the chicken is cooked through?
Cut into the thickest piece: the meat should be white all the way through with no pink, and the juices should run clear. A probe thermometer should read at least 75°C in the centre.
Can I make chicken satay salad for meal prep?
Yes. Cook the chicken, cool it quickly and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Store the salad and the peanut dressing separately and dress just before eating so the leaves stay crisp.
Is there a nut-free version?
Peanut butter is the base of a satay dressing, so this recipe contains peanuts. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter and leave off the chopped peanuts, checking every label for allergen warnings.
