Slow Cooker Satay Chicken

overhead shot of satay chicken in large white bowl with long grain rice

Print Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

Tender chicken bathed in a rich, creamy and nutty satay sauce - all made with ease in the slow cooker.

Prep Time30

Cook Time3 30

Total Time4

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: - 5

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £4 / $5

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Medium Sized Mixing Bowl & Tongs (for seasoning the chicken)
Large Pan & Wooden Spoon (for frying the chicken)
Slow Cooker
Jug (for stock)
Whisk
Serving Spoon

Ingredients

Chicken

600g / 1.3lb boneless skinless Chicken Thighs, diced into large bite-sized pieces (see notes)
2 tsp Mild Curry Powder
1 tsp EACH: Cumin, Ground Coriander, Turmeric
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Paprika
drizzle of Oil

Satay Sauce

1 large White Onion, finely diced
3 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Ginger
1x 400ml / 14oz can of Full-Fat Coconut Milk
160g / 5.6oz Smooth Peanut Butter
120ml / 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
3 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1-2 tbsp Sriracha (see notes)
1 1/2 tbsp Mild Curry Powder
1 Lime, juice only

To Serve

1 Red Pepper, diced into chunks
1 can of Sliced Water Chestnuts (net weight 225g/8oz, drained weight 140g/5oz)
handful of Green Beans, trimmed and diced into chunks (~100g/3.5oz - work to preference)
handful of Crushed Peanuts (optional)
Rice and/or Flatbreads (or even noodles)

Instructions

In the slow cooker, whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, chicken stock, honey, soy sauce, sriracha, curry powder and lime juice until well-blended.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, coat the diced chicken in the seasoning. Add a drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium-high heat and once hot, space out the chicken. Fry for a few minutes on each side to build up a nice crust (important to lock in the seasoning and develop flavour). Place in the slow cooker, leaving any excess oil/fat behind (chicken doesn't need to be cooked through at this point).
Top the pan up with oil if needed, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Sweat it all down until soft and golden, then scrape into the slow cooker (be careful the garlic/ginger doesn't burn).
Give everything a mix, then pop on the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours. Mix in the green beans, red pepper and water chestnuts, then cook for a further 30 minutes for HIGH or 1 hour for LOW, or until the veg has softened. The consistency should be perfect at this point, but if it's looking a little watery, just leave the lid off the reduce. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt or soy sauce if you think it needs it.
Serve with rice and/or flatbreads with crushed peanuts on top (optional).

Video

Notes

a) Chicken - Chicken thigh is much more robust than chicken and is much more difficult to overcook. It's also much more flavoursome, which is why I recommend using it for this recipe.

b) Sriracha - This adds a bit of heat, but also adds some more complexity to the flavour. I typically do 2 tbsp, but you can reduce to 1 tbsp if you're not good with heat (it's relatively mild in all cases).

c) Consistency - The sauce might be a touch thick after the initial cook, but the veg releases water as it cooks and thins it out. If it's looking too thick as it cooks, firstly give it a mix, which usually at least prevents it drying out around the outside, but you can add a dash of boiling water if you need to. You really shouldn't need to do this if everything is measured correctly, but just in case to avoid a disaster. If on the contrary it's a little watery after everything has cooked, just leave the lid off to let the steam escape and allow the sauce to reduce.

d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 (big portions!)

Nutrition