Quick and Easy Satay Chicken Curry

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 coking 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 cook 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.