Easy Thai Chicken Satay (Air Fryer + Stovetop) (2024)

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by ChihYu
July 1, 2020 (updated 10/4/22)
72 comments »

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5 from 31 votes

This Thai Chicken Satay recipe made in an Air Fryer is off-the-charts DELICIOUS! Thanks to a no chopping satay marinade, the chicken is super flavorful and bubbly delicious out of the fryer. The smell is UBER DELICIOUS and you’ll be astonished how EASY it is!

With only 10 ingredients, this is a great Asian style chicken marinade for summer BBQ or meal prep. Stovetop instructions are also included!

Easy Thai Chicken Satay (Air Fryer + Stovetop) (2)

Thai Chicken Satay is one of my favorite dishes whenever we eat out. The chicken tastes earthy and little sweet, and with a light charcoal smoky flavor. Today’s recipe is a simplified version, made in an air fryer. It is my answer to those days when you want a Thai Satay Chicken, but –

Don’t have time to hunt down specialty ingredients,
No time to soak and thread the skewers, and
You just want something easy and it still tastes A-MAZING! This is for you. 🙂

The smell is SUPER GOOD when the chicken fries up in an air fryer or hits the stove, you’ll know they are going to taste amazing.

What Does Chicken Satay Taste Like?

This Thai-inspired Chicken Satay recipe with the marinade tastes earthy, savory, and with a kiss of sweetness. It’s far more complex than teriyaki chicken and is a popular street food in southeast Asia. I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs so that every bite is tender and flavorful.

This dish is usually served with a satay dipping sauce or a peanut sauce mixed with soy sauce. I’ve made this dish several times without dipping sauce and it’s tasty enough to eat on their own. If, however, you like to kick the flavor over the top, try my no peanut Thai “Peanut” Sauce to make it extra tasty!

Easy Thai Chicken Satay (Air Fryer + Stovetop) (3)

Easy Thai Chicken Satay (Air Fryer + Stovetop) (4)

Thai Chicken Satay Marinade

This dish tastes uber yummy that you might be surprised how few ingredients go in the dish! Here’s what you need –

Turmeric powder
Coriander powder
White pepper
Cumin powder
Dairy-free creamer, or melted coconut cream
Fish sauce
Coconut aminos
Ginger
Hot sauce

Easy Thai Chicken Satay (Air Fryer + Stovetop) (5)

How To Make Thai Chicken Satay

Marinate the chicken with turmeric, coriander, cumin, white pepper, dairy-free creamer, fish sauce, coconut aminos, grated ginger, and hot sauce for at least 30 minutes.
Lightly drip off the marinade and from here you can air fry, pan fry, or barbeque!

See easy? This Thai-inspired Chicken Satay recipe makes a great everyday as well as party food. Kids will love it!

Meal Prep Version

This dish is perfect for meal prep – just dump and store!

Add all the ingredients to a large freezer friendly ziplock bag.
Gently mix well with the seasonings.
Squeeze out the air and store the bag flat until it’s solid frozen.
Defrost a night before in the fridge with a tray underneath.

Easy Thai Chicken Satay (Air Fryer + Stovetop) (6)

What To Serve With Chicken Satay

Serve it with Thai Chicken Fried Rice (made with shirataki rice), Keto Fried Rice (with garlic chips!), or Broccoli Fried rice!

If you want to go all out with a homemade Thai banquet, serve this Thai Chicken Satay on the side with Thai basil chicken, Air fryer chicken wings, Green curry chicken, Crispy Thai chicken salad, Whole30 Pad Thai, Thai Chicken Curry Noodles – Khao Soi, Keto Pad Woon Sen, or Keto Pad See Ew!

More Paleo Thai Recipes

For A Fresh Side Salad

Try my Mandarin Orange Salad, Smoked Salmon Salad, Japanese Potato Salad, Broccoli Pesto Salad, Grilled Peach Salad, Thai beef salad, or Watermelon Fruit Salad.

More Paleo Salad Recipes

This Air Fryer Thai Chicken Satay is a new favorite in my household. Trust me, this dish smells so good the moment the chicken gets fried up, you’ll know immediately tonight’s dinner is gonna be GREAT! With only 10 ingredients and no chopping, this dish comes together in a snap. Pair it with fried rice and a big bowl of salad, you’ll love every single bite!

Easy Thai Chicken Satay (Air Fryer + Stovetop) (7)

5 from 31 votes

Thai Chicken Satay Recipe (Paleo, Keto, Whole30)

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Author: ChihYu Smith

Thai Chicken Satay air fryer recipe is SO GOOD and Paleo, Keto, Whole30. The chicken is drenched in satay marinade, you’ll be astonished how delicious it is!

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Ingredients

Thai chicken satay marinade:

▢ 1.5-2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
▢ 1 tsp turmeric powder
▢ 1 tsp coriander powder
▢ 0.5 tsp white pepper
▢ 0.5 tsp cumin powder
▢ 4 tbsp dairy-free coffee creamer, or melted coconut cream
▢ 1 tsp fish sauce
▢ 2 tbsp coconut aminos, or 1 tbsp low sodium/gluten-free tamari
▢ 2 tsp grated ginger
▢ 2 tbsp hot sauce, I use Frank’s original hot sauce
▢ Avocado oil cooking spray, for the air fryer basket

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, marinate the chicken thighs with ingredients from turmeric to hot sauce. Gently mix well and cover the bowl. Store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day before cooking.
To air fry, lightly spray the fryer basket with avocado oil. Slightly drip off the marinade and place the chicken thighs into the basket in one layer with some space between each piece. Please do not over crowd the basket. I cook mine in two batches.
Air fry at 370F (188C) for 15 minutes on the first side and 8-10 minutes the second side or until the chicken is cooked through. Please note that cook time varies, depending on the type of air fryer.
To pan fry (stovetop), add 1 tbsp avocado oil to a well-heated skillet. Pan fry 6 minutes the first side and 5-6 minutes the second side over medium heat or until the chicken is cooked through.
See Also
Keto Broccoli Salad (Low Carb, No Sugar)BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad - The Defined Dish - Recipes Mascarpone pannenkoeken - Con-serveert 30 Keto Desserts That'll Make Your Mouth Melt
Serve hot or at room temperature. The chicken is very tender and flavorful and you don’t need a dipping sauce however if you like to kick the flavor over the top, try my Paleo Thai “Peanut” sauce. Serve it over a big bowl of salad greens or Keto garlic fried rice!

Notes

Meal Prep Version
This dish is perfect for meal prep – just dump and store!

Add all the ingredients to a large freezer friendly ziplock bag.
Gently mix well with the seasonings.
Squeeze out the air and store the bag flat until it’s solid frozen.
Defrost a night before in the fridge with a tray underneath.

I have two air fryers. The pictured above is from Gourmia – a 5 quart air fryer – which is an older model that’s no longer available on the market. The second one I have is from (affiliate link) Cosori – a 6 quart air fryer – which has great reviews on Amazon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 225kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 162mg, Sodium: 577mg, Potassium: 439mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 41IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: Air Fryer Chicken Satay, Chicken Satay, Chicken Satay Recipe, Thai Chicken Satay, Thai Chicken Satay Recipe

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @iheartumami.ny on Instagram and hashtag it #iheartumami.

Easy Thai Chicken Satay (Air Fryer + Stovetop) (9)

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posted by ChihYu on July 1, 2020

72 Comments / Leave a Comment »

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72 comments on “Air Fryer Thai Chicken Satay”

Stephanie — January 9, 2024 @ 12:28 PM Reply

Easy and delicious… will definitely be making again
- ChihYu — January 9, 2024 @ 5:16 PM Reply
  
  Thanks so much!
Christina — December 7, 2023 @ 12:55 PM Reply

This chicken is AMAZING! So delicious, everyone in the family cleared their plates and it was definitely not too spicy for the kiddos. My only tip for others using their air fryers: 25 minutes (total) was WAY too long for my air fryer. Second batch was perfect at 15 minutes (7:30 minutes per side). So, I would strongly suggest checking your chicken at 10 minutes. The recipe clearly states to check your chicken because different air fryers cook at different speeds, and I’m just here to highlight that advice!! (But my husband and I still ate the overcooked chicken thighs. The flavor was still SO GOOD!) I served this with the air fryer baby bok choy, and it was all delicious! I have seriously never had a bad outcome with any of your recipes! Thank you!!!
- ChihYu — December 15, 2023 @ 12:23 PM Reply
  
  Thanks for sharing. Super helpful. Appreciate it. 🙂
Amanda — March 18, 2023 @ 10:17 PM Reply

I was thinking that was Bok Choy. Can you tell me what you have underneath the chicken in the picture? Some kind of rice perhaps?
- ChihYu — March 20, 2023 @ 12:51 PM Reply
  See Also
  Our Favorite Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
  
  Yes those are cauliflower blend rice with carrots and broccoli.
  - Amanda Marini — March 25, 2023 @ 5:46 PM
    
    Thanks!
Sallyjojo — December 5, 2022 @ 12:56 PM Reply

This was GREAT! Chicken Satay has always been a favorite and now to be able to make it in the air fryer! YAY1 I served it with a yummy Thai Peanut Salad
- ChihYu — December 6, 2022 @ 3:15 AM Reply
  
  Thank you so much. So happy to hear. This is an easy and great marinade for chicken lovers!
Ali — November 7, 2022 @ 6:08 PM Reply

This is a staple in our home now – so good and pretty darn easy.
- ChihYu — November 8, 2022 @ 5:35 AM Reply
  
  Thank you! So happy to hear!
Karli Matthison — February 1, 2022 @ 2:22 PM Reply

So easy! Soooo good!! New regular staple in our house!!
Catherine — January 11, 2022 @ 6:29 PM Reply

This was fantastic and fabulously easy to prepare after chauffeuring my kids around all day. Winner winner chicken dinner! This will be going in our regular rotation.
- ChihYu — January 12, 2022 @ 10:53 AM Reply
  
  Thank you, Catherine! So happy to hear the kids love it! A father said to me the same thing, too!
Carla — January 8, 2022 @ 10:28 PM Reply

I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it as is, with chicken breast, and with tofu. All delicious! It’s so easy to put together. Definitely one to make every week.
- ChihYu — January 11, 2022 @ 3:54 PM Reply
  
  That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Judy — December 6, 2021 @ 1:00 PM Reply

I made this last night and it was delicious! I made the peanut sauce as well. For lunch today, we cut up the leftover chicken, tossed it with the cooked vegetables and drizzled more sauce over it. This is a keeper recipe for sure!
- ChihYu — December 10, 2021 @ 4:17 PM Reply
  
  Thanks so much for sharing, Judy! Love how you re-purpose the leftover. Great idea!
KNS — October 30, 2021 @ 12:34 AM Reply

This recipe blew me away!! I did the stovetop version and it was just as crispy and delightful. I only had time to let marinate for 20 min and it was STILL divine. I absolutely plan to make it again and again.
- ChihYu — November 2, 2021 @ 9:32 AM Reply
  
  Thanks for sharing! I’m so happy to hear. This is a great dish!
Hala Healu — June 11, 2021 @ 3:40 PM Reply

Any recommendations for alternatives to Frank’s hot sauce? I get bloated 🙁
- ChihYu — June 15, 2021 @ 11:25 AM Reply
  
  Any red pepper sauce should work. Keep it original (i.e. plain) with no other flavors added. 🙂 I used to use another brand called American A&B hot sauce. That’s pretty good, too! Sieta food also has quite a bit selection on hot sauce that are grain-free and gluten-free. 🙂
Rowena — February 9, 2021 @ 3:17 PM Reply

Can I use liquid amino or does it need to be coconut amino? Will it have a significant difference in taste?
- ChihYu — February 10, 2021 @ 12:32 PM Reply
  
  Hi Rowena, please don’t substitute my recipes with liquid aminos. I’ve never tasted liquid aminos and the ingredients aren’t as good for you. Based on reading the ingredient label and from people who used liquid amino for my recipe (even though my recipe instructions says coconut aminos), the result is NOT GOOD. I create recipes based on the taste and flavor of each ingredient so I cannot guarantee what your food will taste like if you use something else unless you are quite comfortable of trying and adjusting seasonings. For example: you can use gluten-free tamari (knowing that Tamari is more salty and less sweet so you can adjust the quantity to less and perhaps add a sugar sweetener to balance the dish). Hope this helps!
Alaina Ramsay — January 30, 2021 @ 8:16 PM Reply

DELISH. And looks delightful, too! THANK YOU for sharing!!!
I tried the satay sauce also, however, think i will use my existing recipe with unsalted natural peanut butter & white vinegar (couldn’t get past the ACV smell). So, we enjoyed the chicken plain, and it was delicious as-is and really doesn’t need the sauce (unless you want it!). 🙂 Looking forward to making this again.
Christine — January 3, 2021 @ 1:15 AM Reply

Sounds delicious! I’d like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the air fryer. Any idea what temp and cooking time? Thanks so much!
- ChihYu — January 4, 2021 @ 7:38 AM Reply
  
  Thanks, Christine. Sorry I haven’t tried it with chicken breasts….they tend to be drier than thighs under high heat cooking.
Rey — December 30, 2020 @ 8:14 AM Reply

Honestly such a delicious healthy recipe that I make 1x a week for my husband and I! I always have to make extra for him so that he can bring it into work over salad for lunch! Thank you so much for this recipe, it is SO EASY and tastes better than take out! LOTS OF FLAVOR which I love.
- ChihYu — January 4, 2021 @ 7:41 AM Reply
  
  Thank you for the review! Appreciate it, Rey!
Trina — December 17, 2020 @ 8:40 AM Reply

Hi, I so want to make this recipe, but i’m a bit confused on the dairy free coffee creamer. What brand did you use, flavor, and are we talking about the dry powder? Thanks, I want to make this tonight.
- ChihYu — January 4, 2021 @ 7:54 AM Reply
  
  HI Trina, I use califa coffee creamer – it’s dairy-fre and unsweetened. Note that there are two versions of Califa creamer – the larger bottle has thicker texture than the small jar and I use the large bottle version. 🙂
Linda — December 12, 2020 @ 11:38 AM Reply

Is that Napa cabbage? How is that made ? It looks so good.
- ChihYu — January 4, 2021 @ 8:03 AM Reply
  
  Hi Linda, the pairing vegetable I use in the photo is baby bok choy. That side dish is from this meal plan – https://iheartumami.com/easy-homemade-mini/
Jessica Louis — December 9, 2020 @ 10:21 PM Reply

I just discovered your page and this is the first recipe I’ve tried. Oh my goodness!!! It turned out absolutely perfect. My husband couldn’t stop talking about how good it was. I can’t wait to make more of your recipes!
- ChihYu — January 4, 2021 @ 8:05 AM Reply
  
  Thank you, Jessica!