Peanut Chicken Skewers

Name: Chicken with Peanut Butter Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1/3 cup olive oil; 6 tablespoons soy sauce (divided); 6 tablespoons whole milk (divided); 5 tablespoons rice vinegar (divided); 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces); 1/2 cup peanut butter; 1/4 cup sambal oelek; 18 grape tomatoes; 2 medium yellow squash (very thinly sliced); 2 medium zucchini (very thinly sliced); Black sesame seeds (for garnish (optional)); Chopped peanuts (for garnish (optional)); Lime wedges (for serving (optional))

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by Lori Yates June 6, 2016 2 comments

These Peanut Butter Chicken Skewers are a family-friendly favorite. Nobody can resist the combination of tender chicken and creamy peanut butter sauce.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Skewers - The whole family will love this easy grilled take on peanut chicken satay. Serve with veggie skewers for a complete meal! | foxeslovelemons.com

Mouthwatering Chicken with Peanut Butter Sauce

Grilled chicken and vegetables are a summer classic, but sometimes they can be, well, a bit boring.

Introducing my favorite way to jazz this classic combination up a little bit. I’ve been using the quick garlicky soy sauce marinade to tenderize chicken for years. It’s my go-to for grilling chicken thighs.

And we’re not just stopping at a marinade. Using many of the same ingredients (yay for smart ingredient choices!), we’re also making a savory, slightly spicy peanut butter finishing sauce to take the chicken to the next level.

But what’s REALLY my favorite thing about this recipe is that along with the peanut butter chicken skewers, we’re making our veggie side dish at the same time, by threading zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes onto skewers and grilling those, as well.

Everything comes together to make an easy summer meal that will be irresistible to the whole family.

Why you’ll love this Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe

It has all the warmth and satisfaction of comfort food, with a little bit of an international twist.
This dinner is a family-friendly favorite. Nobody can resist the combination of tender chicken and creamy peanut butter sauce. You can tone down the spice level for younger eaters, if needed.

Peanut Butter Chicken Ingredients

boneless, skinless chicken thighs – the protein for this recipe.
garlic – adds a robust flavor to the marinade.
olive oil – the base for the marinade; it coats the chicken so it doesn’t stick to the grill.
soy sauce – this seasons both the marinade and the sauce.
milk – acts as a tenderizer in the marinade, and helps thin the sauce.
rice vinegar – adds acidity and tanginess to both the marinade and the sauce.
peanut butter – the key ingredient in the sauce, adding a rich nutty flavor and creamy texture.
sambal oelek – this Asian chili paste is my first choice for adding heat to the sauce, but sriracha also works well here!
grape tomatoes – add a fresh, juicy burst of flavor.
yellow squash – a mild, slightly sweet vegetable that contrasts with the spicy chicken.
zucchini – another mild vegetable that works well here.
chopped peanuts – an optional garnish that enhances the peanut flavor and adds a crunchy texture.
sesame seeds – another optional garnish to add crunchy texture. Either black or white sesame seeds are great.
lime wedges – optional, for serving, to add a bright acidity to balance the richness of the dish.
bamboo skewers – not an ingredient, but you’ll need these to assemble the chicken and vegetables for grilling.

How to make Peanut Butter Chicken

1. MARINATE. Whisk together the garlic, oil, and some of the soy sauce, milk and vinegar. Place the chicken in a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Meanwhile, place the skewers in a large dish and cover with water.

2. SAUCE. Whisk together the peanut butter, sambal oelek, and remaining soy sauce, milk and vinegar.

3. SKEWER. Preheat your grill for medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread the chicken pieces on 6 skewers. Thread the tomatoes, squash and zucchini onto the remaining 6 skewers.

4. GRILL CHICKEN. Transfer the chicken skewers to the grill and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through, turning occasionally. During the last minute of cooking, brush the chicken with about half of the peanut butter sauce. Transfer to plate, cover with foil, and let rest 5 minutes

5. GRILL VEGGIES. While the chicken is resting, transfer the vegetable skewers to the grill and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the veggies are tender-crisp.

6. SERVE. To serve, sprinkle all of the skewers with sesame seeds and peanuts. Serve the skewers with the remaining peanut sauce and lime wedges.

How to assemble Peanut Butter Chicken Skewers

If using bamboo skewers, be sure they are soaked in water at least 15 minutes before using. Then, skewer the chunks of chicken onto the skewers. Leave a small amount of space between the chicken pieces so that they can cook evenly.