Chicken Satay Sandwich

This chicken satay sandwich with peanut sauce, cucumber, pickled vegetables, cilantro and peppers is a delicious play on how satay is typically served in Thailand.

When I was making chicken satay with peanut sauce most recently, it struck me that it would probably be really tasty served as a sandwich. Indeed, satay is typically served with pieces of toasted white bread on the side in Thailand, so serving it in a sandwich is a fun play on how it's usually served.

The pickled cucumber salad known as ajaad that also accompanies satay made me think of the pickled vegetables in Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches. And so it was decided. I was set on making a true fusion sandwich -- Chicken Satay Banh Mi.

My husband was initially a bit skeptical of this sandwich, but just one bite won him over. The crusty soft white bread, succulent bites of chicken, rich peanut sauce, pickled vegetables, and a bit of spice... This sandwich has all of the components that make chicken satay delicious, just reimagined in sandwich form.

Jump to:

• How Satay is Served in Thailand
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips for Making Chicken Satay Sandwich
• Storage
• Recipe

How Satay is Served in Thailand

In Thailand, satay is a common street food, and is also served as an appetizer at restaurants specializing in Khao Man Gai and Khao Soi. In these settings, the skewers are served with three accompaniments:

1. Peanut Sauce: Slightly spicy, but mostly rich and creamy with lots of peanut flavor.
2. Ajaad: Fresh cucumbers, shallots, and peppers bathed in a sweet pickling liquid.
3. White bread: Toasted or grilled soft white bread, usually halved or quartered.

All three of these components are included in this Satay Sandwich, in slightly different forms. The peanut sauce is used as a spread, the cucumbers and peppers are kept fresh, while adding in pickled shredded daikon and carrot, and the white bread has been transformed into the sandwich bun.

Ingredients

To make this fusion Chicken Satay Banh Mi sandwich, you'll need these ingredients:

• Crusty baguette: Any baguette with a crusty exterior and soft interior will work. If you are able to find or make baguette specifically for Banh Mi, by all means, use it!
• Chicken satay: This easy chicken satay recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make and turns out great every time. It's best when you grill it when you're ready to assemble the sandwich.
• Peanut sauce: Rich, creamy, and filled with peanut flavor, this peanut sauce is drizzled on the chicken pieces. It could also be spread along with the mayo on the bread, or used as a or dip for the sandwich, depending on how much peanut-y goodness you prefer.
• Mayo: Any type of mayonnaise works, but Kewpie tastes great on this sandwich!
• Cucumber: Sliced thinly and layered on the bread after the peanut sauce and mayo.
• Pickled daikon and carrot: Thinly sliced daikon and carrot pickled in a sweet, vinegar-y liquid. These should be prepared at least a day ahead of time for the vinegar to soften the vegetables slightly.
• Cilantro: A few fresh sprigs of cilantro add a lot to this sandwich.
• Red chili pepper: You can use any variety of pepper you like. I prefer a little spice, so I used a Fresno red chili pepper, which has a spice level close to jalapeno. You can use whatever chili you like, or omit chilis all together.

Instructions

1. Prepare the pickled vegetables: Cut the carrots and daikon into 3-4" long, thin strips. Make the pickling liquid by combining water, sugar, and white vinegar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Place the cut vegetables in the pickling liquid and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least a day.
2. Make the chicken satay: The chicken satay is best when made right before assembling the sandwich. You can cut the chicken, make the marinade, even skewer them in advance, then just put them on the grill when you're ready to make the sandwich.
3. Make the peanut sauce: The peanut sauce can be made ahead of time, but it also comes together pretty quickly and could be made while the satay is grilling. Simply add the ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat and stir until smooth.
4. Assemble the sandwich: Now comes the fun part! Start by cutting the bread, leaving a margin at the back so the bun stays together. Spread mayo on both sides, or mayo on one side and peanut sauce on the other. Add thinly sliced cucumber and plenty of pickled carrots and daikon. Push the chicken off the skewers gently, then drizzle with more peanut sauce. Add a few sprigs of cilantro and red chili peppers to top it off. And take a big bite!

Tips for Making Chicken Satay Sandwich

1. Prepare Everything in Advance: This satay sandwich comes together pretty quickly, as long as you prep beforehand. At least a day in advance, the carrots and daikon need to be sliced thinly and placed in the pickling liquid. The peanut sauce can also be prepared a day or more in advance and heated in the microwave before using. Then while the satay is grilling, you can quickly prep the other ingredients.
2. But Grill the Satay right before Serving: The satay is best when it's hot and fresh off the grill, so I'd encourage you to make it when you're ready to serve the sandwich. You can definitely cut and marinate the chicken, and even skewer it in advance. Then when you're ready, it's just a matter of sticking it on the grill.

Storage

In my humble opinion, banh mi isn't great the next day. The bread looses its crustiness on the outside and the mayo makes the bread soggy on the inside. This chicken satay banh mi in particular is best when the chicken satay is hot off the grill. So I'd encourage you to make it and eat it right away. You can certainly prep most of the ingredients ahead of time, and then assemble just when you're ready to eat.

Recipe