Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Step 1

Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise, then cut each piece into 1-inch-wide strips about 6 inches long, holding your knife parallel to the cutting board.

Step 2

Thread each chicken strip onto a bamboo or metal skewer, weaving the skewer through the meat in an S-pattern so the chicken lies flat, about 2 pieces per skewer.

Step 3

Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about pencil-tip dot size.

Step 4

Mix 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and the minced garlic in a small bowl using a spoon until combined.

Step 5

Brush the marinade onto both sides of each chicken skewer using a pastry brush or your fingers, coating evenly.

Step 6

Let the skewers sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while you make the peanut sauce.

Step 7

Pour 0.5 cup peanut butter and 0.25 cup water into a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Step 8

Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice and cook, stirring every 10 seconds, until the sauce is smooth and pourable (thinner than peanut butter straight from the jar), about 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 9

Pour the peanut sauce into a small serving bowl and set it aside on a heatproof surface.

Step 10

Heat your grill to high heat (or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat) until it shimmers and small wisps of smoke appear, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 11

Lay each skewer across the grill grates or grill pan perpendicular to the grates, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Step 12

Cook without moving the skewers for 4 minutes until the surface turns golden-brown with dark charred edges.

Step 13

Flip each skewer over gently using tongs and cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through (the internal temperature should reach 165°F if you use a thermometer).

Step 14

Slide the skewers onto a serving platter using tongs.

Step 15

Drizzle a little peanut sauce over the skewers and place the remaining sauce in the serving bowl in the center of the platter for dipping.