The Chicken Satay Bowl brings all the bold flavors of your favorite Thai restaurant right to your dinner table in a simple, weeknight-friendly format. Instead of messing with threading meat onto individual bamboo skewers, this quick stir fry method cooks tender chicken breasts directly in a large skillet for an effortless meal. Served over a warm bed of rice with a crisp, refreshing cucumber salad, it is a beautifully balanced meal that makes an excellent addition to your weekly dinner rotation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredible Depth of Flavor: Recreating a traditional satay sauce with warm red curry powder notes, rich sesame oil, and creamy peanut butter makes the chicken the absolute star of the show. If you’re a fan of peanut sauce, also try our recipe for the best Thai peanut sauce or our peanut chicken stir fry with noodles.
- Fantastic for Meal Prep: These chicken satay rice bowls hold up beautifully in airtight containers, making them a delicious lunch option to look forward to the next day.
- A Refreshing Crunch: Pairing warm, savory chicken with a quick cucumber salad creates an amazing contrast of temperatures and textures that keeps every bite exciting.
- Easy to Adapt: Whether you prefer a base of rice noodles, cozy coconut rice, or want to keep it light with a mix of crunchy bean sprouts, this recipe acts as a flexible canvas.
Ingredient Notes
- Sliced Chicken Breasts: Thinly slicing boneless skinless chicken breast allows the peanut marinade to infuse the meat quickly. If you prefer juicier dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs work beautifully too!
- Natural Peanut Butter: Using a smooth peanut butter without added oils or sugars provides a rich, savory base for our satay sauce, blending smoothly with the liquid ingredients.
- Light Coconut Milk: A splash of coconut milk adds a subtle sweetness and creamy texture to the sauce without overriding the flavors of the red curry and lime. You can swap for full-fat coconut milk as well for a creamier finish.
- Fresh Veggies and Herbs: Crisp carrots and cool Persian cucumbers mimic the classic palate cleansers served alongside traditional chicken skewers. Fresh mint leaves add a gorgeous pop of brightness.
- Maple Syrup: A touch of pure maple syrup provides a gentle, natural sweetness to balance out the acidity of the rice vinegar and lime juice, replacing standard brown sugar or coconut sugar.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements for these chicken satay rice bowls.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Grain Alternatives: While rice noodles, jasmine rice, or a comforting coconut rice is our favorite base, you can easily serve this over a bed of fluffy brown rice or swap in cauliflower rice for a lighter vegetable-forward option.
- Extra Crunchy Toppings: If you want to give your chicken satay bowls some extra texture, scatter a handful of crushed crunchy peanuts, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, or toasted sesame seeds over the top of the bowl just before serving.
- Up the Veggies: Feel free to customize your satay chicken bowl recipe by tossing extra veggies into the large skillet during the last few minutes of cooking. Sliced bell peppers, snap peas, or a simple coleslaw mix are all fantastic additions.
- Gluten-Free Adjustments: To make this dish completely gluten-free, simply replace the standard soy sauce in the peanut sauce with an equal amount of certified gluten-free tamari or savory coconut aminos.
- Increase the Heat: Add red pepper flakes or some Sriracha hot sauce for an added kick.
How to Make Chicken Satay Bowls
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil on your stovetop for the rice noodles (or start your rice cooker/pot if using rice). While the water heats up, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, maple syrup, red curry paste, and sesame oil in a small bowl until completely smooth. Set the sauce aside.
Step 2: Next, marinate the chicken. Place the sliced chicken breast in a bowl or zip-top bag and pour in ⅓ cup of the peanut sauce, reserving the rest for serving. Toss to coat and let marinate for at least 15 minutes (or up to a few hours in the fridge).
Step 3: Whisk up a quick dressing of rice vinegar, lime, and maple syrup in a separate bowl, then toss with your sliced cucumbers, carrot ribbons, and fresh mint to build your simple cucumber salad.
Step 4: Cook the marinated chicken tenders or slices in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side until lightly browned and fully cooked through.
Step 5: At the same time as cooking the chicken, drop your rice noodles into the boiling water. Cook the noodles for 4–5 minutes (or according to package instructions) until tender, then drain.
Step 6: Lastly, assemble the bowls. Divide the rice noodles or rice between bowls. Top with the sliced chicken and cucumber carrot salad, then drizzle with the remaining peanut sauce.
Enjoyed This Recipe? Try These Flavorful Bowls Next!
If you love a vibrant, satisfying dinner bowl filled with extra protein and fresh elements, you will absolutely love our crisp and colorful Thai crunch quinoa salad for a quick lunch. For another seafood-inspired favorite, try adding our savory teriyaki salmon bowls into your regular weeknight dinner rotation!
Chicken Satay Bowls FAQs
To keep the ingredients at their absolute best, store the cooked chicken and rice or rice noodles in individual airtight containers separately from the cold cucumber salad. Reheat the chicken and bed of rice/noodles in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm, then pile the fresh cucumber salad and your remaining room-temperature peanut sauce over the top just before eating!
You can use a bottled sauce in a pinch if you are short on time, but making your own creamy peanut sauce from scratch using simple pantry staples takes less than three minutes and gives you a much fresher, brighter flavor.
Any leftover satay sauce can be kept in a sealed container or small jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. Because natural peanut butter contains healthy fats, the sauce may firm up slightly when cold. Simply stir in a tiny splash of water or warm chicken broth and give it a quick whisk to loosen it back up before serving next time.
Making carrot ribbons is incredibly easy and requires no special kitchen tools! All you need is a standard Y-peeler or swivel vegetable peeler.
First, peel off and discard the tough outer skin of your carrots. Then, lay the carrot flat on a cutting board. Holding the carrot by the stem end, press your vegetable peeler firmly against the carrot and pull it lengthwise from the top all the way down to the tip to create a long, thin ribbon. Repeat this motion, rotating the carrot slightly every few strokes, until you reach the center core.
This chicken satay bowl recipe is dairy-free. To make this dish completely gluten-free, simply replace the standard soy sauce in the peanut sauce with an equal amount of certified gluten-free tamari or savory coconut aminos.
Other Easy Weeknight Dinners
If you make this chicken satay bowls recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Chicken Satay Bowls
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup light coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
For the cucumber carrot salad:
- 4-5 small Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled into ribbons (see FAQs)
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Fresh mint or cilantro, optional
For serving:
- Rice noodles or rice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil on your stovetop for the rice noodles (or start your rice cooker/pot if using rice). While the water heats up, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, maple syrup, red curry paste, and sesame oil in a small bowl until completely smooth. Set the sauce aside.
- Next, marinate the chicken. Place the sliced chicken breast in a bowl or zip-top bag and pour in ⅓ cup of the peanut sauce, reserving the rest for serving. Toss to coat and let marinate for at least 15 minutes (or up to a few hours in the fridge).
- While the chicken is marinating, make the cucumber carrot salad: Thinly slice the Persian cucumbers and place them in a medium bowl with the carrot ribbons. Add the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and salt to the bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated. Tear or chop fresh mint and stir it in.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until cooked through and lightly browned.
- At the same time as cooking the chicken, drop your rice noodles into the boiling water. Cook the noodles for 4–5 minutes (or according to package instructions) until tender, then drain.
- Lastly, assemble the bowls. Divide the rice noodles or rice between bowls. Top with the sliced chicken and cucumber carrot salad, then drizzle with the remaining peanut sauce.
Notes
- Save time/prep ahead: You can slice your chicken breasts and whisk the creamy peanut sauce together up to 24 hours in advance. Store the chicken in its marinade in a sealed container in the fridge so dinner comes together quickly.
- Dietary variations: This recipe is naturally dairy-free. To make these chicken satay bowls 100% gluten-free, ensure you swap the standard soy sauce for certified gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos, and double-check your red curry paste label at the grocery store.
- The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Chicken Satay Bowl." The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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