Our air fryer chicken satay lettuce wraps make an easy weeknight dinner with tons of flavor.
Making a dinner that satisfies both adults and kids is always a challenge. For us, chicken satay makes the list. We love to grill chicken satay but when firing up the bbq seems like a hassle, the air fryer is our go to. Satay, or sate in Indonesian and Malaysian, is a popular Southeast Asian street food consisting of marinated meat skewered on a stick then grilled and enjoyed with a simple sauce. With countless variations of satay, I’m excited to share our version of air fryer chicken satay lettuce wraps. Tender chicken, tangy pickled radish and shallot, and refreshing cucumber are wrapped in butter lettuce with creamy peanut sauce bringing everything together for a delicious crowd pleaser.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: when it comes to chicken satay, use either breast, tender, or thigh. I like the thigh for grilling since the fat keeps the meat from drying out. The air fryer does a wonderful job of cooking tenders and keeping them moist. With the chicken tenders I don’t have to cut them into smaller pieces which saves me time.
- Coriander: coriander is a spice produced from the coriander plant also known as cilantro. Coriander seeds have a lemony flavor and floral aroma. Toast them lightly to bring out the aroma then crush them with a mortar and pestle.
- Cumin: cumin is a spice produced from the plant Cuminum cyminum, a member of the parsley family. Cumin has an earthy flavor and aroma. Toast them lightly to bring out the aroma then crush them with a mortar and pestle.
- Turmeric: turmeric is a spice commonly found in Southeast Asian and South Asian cooking. Turmeric lends the chicken their brilliant yellow color. Turmeric has an earthy aroma and pungent, slightly bitter flavor with a hint of mustard. A little bit goes a long way. Adding too much will lend a bitter taste once cooked.
- Coconut cream: coconut cream is used in the marinade to keep the chicken moist and tender. My favorite brands are Savoy and Aroy-d.
Tips for Making Chicken Satay in the Air Fryer
- For the best flavor, marinate the chicken overnight or a minimum of 4 hours.
- Bring the meat to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Depending on what air fryer you own, you’ll need to follow the instructions and preheat it. Preheating the air fryer will help crisp up the edges of the chicken.
- Spray the air fryer basket to prevent food from getting stuck to it.
- Make sure the chicken tenders are similar in size. Using the same size ensures that the chicken will cook evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. Overcrowding the basket can result in undercooking some of the food and burning the other half. The food needs room on all sides to have the circulating air cook it.
How to Make the Peanut Sauce
Similar to the countless variations with satay, everyone has their own sauce. My satay sauce is made with coconut cream, peanut butter, Hoisin sauce, and a little bit of sugar. Put everything in a small saucepan and whisk everything until bubbling and well combined. I have made different versions and my kids like this one the most. It’s creamy and peanut buttery with just the right amount of saltiness.
What to Serve Chicken Satay With
Our family loves lettuce wraps. It’s a fun way to eat, especially for the kids. The lettuce makes a great vessel to pile everything in. My husband and I love pickled radishes and shallots. The boys love sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, and plenty of chopped peanuts. Feel free to customize the toppings to your liking. Add some fresh herbs. We used cilantro but mint, Thai basil, or scallion would be great here. If lettuce wrap isn’t your thing, enjoy the chicken satay with Jasmine rice. Don’t forget the peanut sauce though!
Our air fryer chicken satay lettuce wraps make a great weeknight dinner. It’s packed with tons of flavor from the tender chicken, tangy pickled radish and shallot, refreshing cucumber, crunchy carrot, and a rich, creamy peanut sauce to bring everything together. Fresh and delicious, this assemble yourself dish makes a fun meal that everyone will enjoy!
For more air fryer recipe inspiration, you might like these recipes: air fryer salmon with ginger and scallion and air fryer crab rangoon.
Air Fryer Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps
Equipment
- Instant Pot Duo Crisp
- wooden skewers for chicken
- mortar and pestle or spice grinder
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken tenders
- ¾ cup coconut cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pickled Radish
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Pickled Radish
- 2-3 small radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Peanut Sauce
- ¾ cup coconut cream
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup Hoisin sauce
- ½ tablespoon sugar
For serving
- 1 head butter lettuce, washed and leaves separated
- 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, julienned into 2-3 inches in length
- ¼ cup cilantro for serving
- ½ cup toasted peanuts, crushed
- freshly ground pepper for serving
- lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer them to a mortar and use a pestle to grind the spices. You can also use a spice grinder if you have one.
- In a large bowl, whisk together coconut cream, fish sauce, salt, sugar, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic, and vegetable oil.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat completely. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Pickled Shallot
- Thinly slice shallots using a sharp knife.
- To make the pickle juice, whisk together vinegar, water, and sugar.
- Place sliced onion and pickle juice in a glass jar or stainless steel bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Pickled Radish
- Thinly slice watermelon radishes using a sharp knife or mandoline.
- To make the pickle juice, whisk together vinegar, water, and sugar.
- Place sliced onion and pickle juice in a glass jar or stainless steel bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Peanut Sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine coconut cream, peanut butter, Hoisin sauce, and sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Whisk everything until combined.
- Taste the peanut sauce and add a tablespoon of water if the consistency is too thick for you. Remove from heat and set aside.
Air Frying the Chicken
- Bring the chicken to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
- Thread the chicken with soaked wooden skewers if you want.
- Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with the olive oil spray.
- Add the chicken tenders to the air fryer basket in a single layer leaving some room in between them.
- Attach the air fryer lid.
- Press the Air Fry button and set the temperature for 375 degrees F for 6 minutes then press Start. Flip the chicken halfway through and cook for another 6 minutes.
- If the chicken is not cooked through, cook for another 2 minutes.
- Cook the chicken in batches until you're done.
Lettuce Wrap Assembly
- Cut the chicken in bite size pieces if you have young chicken.
- Top the lettuce wrap with chicken. Top with pickled radish, pickled shallot, shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, and cilantro.
- Garnish with crushed peanuts and peanut sauce. Squeeze a bit of lime juice if desire.
Notes
- For the best flavor, marinate the chicken overnight or a minimum of 4 hours.
- Depending on what air fryer you own, you’ll need to follow the instructions and preheat it. Preheating the air fryer will help crisp up the edges of the chicken.
- Make sure the chicken tenders are similar in size. Using the same size ensures that the chicken will cook evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. Overcrowding the basket can result in undercooking some of the food and burning the other half. The food needs room on all sides to have the circulating air cook it.
- Save any leftover chicken satay for 48 hours for salad or enjoy with rice.
- Rewarm the sauce and add water or coconut milk to thin it out.
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