Chicken satay is one of those things that I just HAVE TO get every time I order Asian takeaway. No matter how hungry I am or sometimes not even that hungry at all I ALWAYS have to order it. To me, it's the mark of a good takeaway - if you can do satay right! So I thought, why not make a chicken satay sandwich? Recently I went out and had an amazing chicken burger down in Burleigh Heads, QLD. It seriously inspired me to put my satay recipe to good use and make this KICKASS sandwich/burger!! Can't believe I never thought of it before #rookie
The "bosses" Birthday!
To give you an idea of how much this sandwich is loved in our house it was my wife's birthday just the other day. She had a long day in work that day so a) dinner needed to be quick and b) it needed to be good. Especially considering we had a bottle of Piper Heidsieck Blanc de Blanc champagne to drink alongside it too! BTW they pair great together if you are curious. So, at her request (bearing in mind I offered to cook her ANYTHING) was my chicken satay sandwich. Aside from making me an even happier man as I was gonna be munching on satay it inspired me to take some photos I have been meaning to do for ages! The wife got what she want, I got satay and you guys got to read my delightful ramblings one more time!
Satay Sauce
There are a couple ways of making satay sauce. One can go the traditional way and grind up peanuts to make it from scratch. Or then there is the cheat's method using peanut butter. Both recipes are easy to make but sometimes a little laziness takes over in the kitchen (especially after a full day toddlering). So my version is the peanut butter one - hey, I just don't want to have to clean the food processor. Sorry, not sorry!
It really is magnificent. You get the creaminess from coconut milk ( I use coconut cream cause I am a fatty!), spice from the chili, saltiness from the soy, sweet from the palm sugar and kecap manis. If you haven't used it before then you can thank me later. And finally the texture and nuttiness from the peanuts. It's an all-rounder. Plus you can eat it hot/cold. Goes great with chicken, pork, beef, grilled vegetables, and even as a dressing for Asian salad or slaw. Seriously - what's not to love!
Toppings
The key to any great burger/sandwich often lies in the meat but to me, it's all about the toppings. There is no point in getting some amazing dry-aged beef, frying up some crispy chicken or in this case making a delicious and simple chicken satay sandwich and adding just a piece of limp lettuce!
Take pride in what goes in the burger/sandwich. I chose to use a slaw of carrots and beetroot. Julienne them added both texture and freshness to the sandwich. Thing banh mi! The addition of the pickled cucumber - recipe HERE adds that little zing and kick to the sandwich. Finally, then my fav herb - coriander. It's a love or hate thing but both my wife & I love it and it helps bring this chicken satay sandwich to the next level. Don't skimp on the bread either - after all what's a burger without bread. Just some kinda weird salad thingy!
Wine Pairing
If you haven't got a beer in your hand or more of a wine fan like myself then it's gotta be white with this bad boy. A lot going on in the sandwich so let's choose something that doesn't wanna be the staring role but will leave you talking about the role it played for a long time afterward! Today, that comes in the form of the beautiful Riposte 'The Stiletto' Pinot Gris from winedirect.com.au . I love the 'stiletto' term used for this wine because it does EXACTLY what a stiletto does with the chicken satay sandwich as it does for many a leg!! It's gonna lift it, elevate it and leave you wanting more 😉
The wine is one that's made to be drunk young so for this 2019 I would be drinking them over by 2021 - but that's a personal preference so you can decide to store some away and enjoy. Pinot gris to me is the more mature, more rounded cousin of Pinot grigio. It's got a good bit of body and lingering flavours that you don't feel like you are sculling alcoholic water! The Riposte gives me plenty of crisp minerality, beautiful pear notes on both nose and palate, and some delicious lemon flavours too. The acidity really helps to balance the wine and satay sandwich together and I was left struggling with one in each hand as I wanted to put neither down!
Inspiration
Looking for more burger/sandwich inspiration? Check out these guys below!
- Chicken Caesar Sandwich
- Lamb Burger, Harissa & Goats Curd
- Caramelized Onion, Roasted Tomato & Brie Burger
- Crispy Fish Sandwich, Pickled Jalapeno Aioli
If this isn't enough to whet your appetite then hit me up on instagram to see what's cooking
Happy Cooking and Happy Eating Friends!
Ingredients
Sandwich
- 2 chicken breast cut in half - butterflied
- 1 carrot peeled & julienned
- 1 beetroot peeled & julienned
- pickled cucumber
- 1 handful coriander
- 4 brioche burger buns
- kewpie mayo
Chicken Marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp kecap manis
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 thumbsized piece ginger grated
Satay Sauce
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 150 ml coconut milk
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp kecap manis
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp asian chili with garlic sauce
- 30 g peanuts chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- To make the sauce mix all the ingredients together (except the lime & chopped peanuts in a sauce pan and cook on a medium heat until thickened. Add lime & chopped peanuts at the end.
- Mix the marinade ingredients together and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.
- Grill the chicken on bbq on a medium/high heat for 2-3 mins per side.
- To assemble the sandwich put a spoon of kewpie mayo on the base of the brioche bun, add carrots, beetroot to the base and top with the grilled chicken.
- Top chicken with a spoon of satay sauce, coriander and pickled cucumbers.
- Pop the lid on top and DEMOLISH!
Notes
Essential Tools
- bbq or grill pan
- chopping board
- sharp knives
- measuring spoons/jug
- mixing bowl
- saucepan
Tips/Tricks
- make sure to wear a glove when working with beetroot or else have red hands!
- if you don't have time marinate the chicken you can skip this part but it is 100% better with the marinade on it!
- you can use chopped garlic & chili in the satay sauce if you don't have the asian chili with garlic sauce available
- chicken thighs work great too with this recipe
Nutrition
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