Easy chicken satay salad

A delicious and nutritious meal!

Satay – skewered meat which is marinated and grilled – is one of Indonesia’s most popular foods and it has found its way into many other Asian cuisines as well. Normally satay is served with peanut sauce for dipping, but for this salad, I chose to marinate the strips of chicken in the sauce before cooking, making for meat that is tender and super flavourful. You could swap in beef if you prefer (cooking time will be less) or even cubed firm tofu. Note that you can use cashew butter and chopped cashews if you prefer. Also, if you’re not familiar with coconut milk powder, I encourage you to look for it at your grocery store. It’s a great option instead of opening a whole can, for recipes that only require a little.

Ingredients

Chicken and marinade

• 1 large (6-8 oz / 170-227 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) very hot water
• 4 teaspoons (11 g) coconut milk powder (or 2 tablespoons coconut cream)
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) maple syrup
• Few dashes sriracha
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons (9 g) finely minced fresh gingerroot
• 1 tablespoon very finely minced cilantro leaves
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• Few pinches each salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) each vegetable and olive oil

Salad

• 5 cups (235 g) chopped lettuce (or lettuce and baby spinach mix)
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 3/4 cup (52 g) shredded red cabbage
• 1 small mango, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 small red pepper, julienned
• 2 tablespoons each chopped chives, basil, cilantro and mint
• 1/4 cup (40 g) chopped peanuts, to garnish

Method

• Prepare the chicken and marinade mixture 4-24 hours in advance. Slice the chicken breast into long strips about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick and place in a shallow non-reactive container (preferably one with a lid). In a heatproof vessel (I use a glass measuring cup), stir together peanut butter and hot water until smooth. Add all other ingredients and stir again until smooth. Pour marinade over chicken, turning pieces of meat to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate until cooking time.
• Next, prepare the dressing for the salad. In a jar with a tight lid, shake together the sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Add vegetable and olive oils and shake again. Refrigerate if not using within the hour; bring dressing back to room temperature before using.
• Shortly before serving time, cook the chicken. Preheat air fryer or oven to 400F. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off excess (but still leaving a coating) and place on parchment paper. Bake or air fry for 13-18 minutes until internal temperature in the thickest part is 165F.
• Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and let cool slightly, then cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
• While chicken is cooking, combine all salad ingredients except peanuts in a large bowl. Drizzle two thirds of the dressing over top and toss gently. Check the bottom of the bowl and if the dressing has not formed a puddle, you can add another few spoonfuls if you like your salad generously dressed; toss again.
• Divide salad among two broad serving bowls. Place chicken pieces on top of salad and scatter peanuts over top. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 large servings; recipe can easily be multiplied.