Satay chicken curry with sugar snap peas and peanut butter, a perfect quick & easy recipe that combines influences from Thailand & Malaysia.
When I say quick this dish should go from your fridge to your table in under 30 minutes, with a prep time of 10 minutes and a cook time of around 20 minutes.
Peanut Butter and Chicken Curry
Satay has a long association with "stuff on sticks", and that is the way I most commonly think of it too. I have recipes for pork satay skewers and some wonderful tofu satay kebabs.
However, it is not unusual to see other "satay" influenced dishes that are served very differently, for instance, I have a chicken satay stir fry as well as a vegan sweet potato satay curry.
My latest offering is a gloriously quick and easy satay chicken curry and I love this.
The base of the curry sauce is a massaman curry paste, which leans on the Malaysian origins of satay.
The curry paste gets a little lift of flavour thanks to some extra chilli, garlic, fish sauce and peanut butter.
It's finished off with some coconut milk, chicken stock, sugar snap peas and toasted peanuts.
It will take around 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients for this recipe, and cooking will take a shade less than 20 minutes.
This makes it a wonderfully simple and quick midweek curry dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken thighs rather than breasts?
Yes, that would be fine. I use breast here because I usually buy whole chickens and break them down to save money. As a result, I tend to have a surplus of chicken breasts. This is a wonderful way to use them.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this reheats quite well, although it is better to use chicken thighs if that is the plan.
It will be fine in the fridge for 2-3 days, and it will freeze for up to 3 months.
What massaman curry paste do you use?
I take great joy in making my own curry pastes, so of course I have my homemade massaman curry paste.
However, I am aware that I am a little odd! I ensure that I test my homemade Thai-influenced curries with store-bought pastes. I usually use either Maesri or Mae Ploy, Lobo is a favourite too, but that is more difficult to find in the UK.
Can I use different vegetables?
Yes, but with the caveat that this is a quick-cooking curry, so your vegetables should reflect that.
Broccoli, either tenderstem or florets, would work well as would cauliflower, asparagus or mangetout. You could even add some tinned potatoes and make it a complete one-pot meat and vegetable curry.
Can I use low-fat coconut milk?
I never use low-fat coconut milk; for me, it simply lacks flavour.
I have seen reports of it separating when cooked hard, but the relatively short cooking time in this recipe should prevent that from being an issue. It is still a product that I would avoid.
Serving Suggestions
I've served this satay chicken curry with some plain jasmine rice and added loads of coriander and a squeeze of lime juice.
Other rice options that would work equally well include classic coconut rice or this wonderful Thai-influenced pineapple fried rice.
If you are one of those people who have that soapy experience when you eat coriander, an alternative and super tasty garnish would be some crispy fried shallots!
I also mention adding a load more vegetables in my "Frequently Asked Questions" section, which would turn this into a great one-pot recipe.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Large wok.
- Stirring spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Citrus zester.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, cups and spoons.
- If you cannot buy toasted nuts, you can do it yourself in a small pan or even an air fryer or oven.
Quick and Easy Satay Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Small Chicken Breasts 300g or 10oz
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Red Thai Birds Eye Chilli
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 50 g Massaman Curry Paste 3 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoon Peanut Butter
- 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- ½ tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Lime
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 200 ml Tin Coconut Milk 7oz
- 125 ml Chicken Stock ½ Cup
- 100 g Sugar Snap Peas 1 Cup
- 3-4 tablespoon Toasted Unsalted Peanuts
- 1 Handful Fresh Coriander
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then slice it into half-moon shapes around 5mm (¼") thick.
- Peel the garlic cloves and dice them as small as you can.
- Cut the chilli into thin rounds.
- Cut the chicken into 25mm (1") chunks.
- Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat, and when it is hot, add the onions, then stir-fry them for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, sliced chilli and curry paste and stir for 1 minute, mashing the paste in the oil.
- Add the chicken and fry for 1 minute, stirring to coat in the curry paste.
- Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock, then stir to combine
- Add the peanut butter, turmeric, fish sauce and brown sugar and stir.
- Zest the lime into the curry sauce and squeeze in the juice of half of the lime, then stir and have a taste, and rebalance the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice to your taste.
- Cook for 7-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Cut the sugar snap peas in half at a 45° angle, add them to the curry and cook for a final minute or two.
- Serve sprinkled with toasted peanuts and lots of coriander.
