What to Serve with Chicken Satay? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Satay is Indonesia's national dish consisting of meat served with different seasonings and sauces, including peanut sauce.

It can be chicken, beef, fish, mutton, goat, tofu, and other meats.

Chicken satay is one of the variants with sweet, sour, and spicy flavors.

The dish has also found its way to other areas, so you'll probably come across it in unlikely places.

Chicken satay is yummy and versatile.

Hence, you have many choices if the question of what to serve with chicken satay comes to mind.

Grilled corn on the cob, Stir-fried sugar snap peas, shrimp chips, and Thai mango salad are some delicacies to enjoy with chicken satay.

10 Best Side Dishes for Chicken Satay

Apart from the four items mentioned above, you can also serve several other items - like beer-can chicken side list for casual cookouts - which we'll mention below.

1 - Spicy Peanut Noodles

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Since chicken satay is part of Asian cuisine, it's only fair if we start the list with a dish with Asian flavors - such as spicy shrimps side ideas for bold flavors.

Of course, it pairs well with the yummy meat dish.

Spicy peanut noodles may be an item you never tasted before, but it's a guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

The noodles are delicious, and the unique feature is the peanut sauce with sweet, creamy, sour, and spicy flavors.

You can use any noodles variety for the dish but follow the instructions carefully to have perfectly cooked noodles, or the dish will get ruined.

2 - Gado Gado

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Combining raw and steamed or blanched vegetables with tofu or tempeh makes an excellent side dish with chicken satay.

Gado gado is a popular salad and one of the five national dishes of Indonesia.

Tempeh or tofu, hard-boiled eggs, and peanut sauce are the main ingredients in various vegetables.

There aren't strict rules regarding vegetables, so you can add some of your favorites and omit others.

Eaten as a main dish, you can also serve gado gado as a side dish as it provides an element of freshness from the vegetables.

So, get ready for a lovely pairing.

3 - Shrimp Chips

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You can also use a crunchy aspect to enjoy with chicken satay.

Shrimp chips or prawn crackers are yummy and relatively easy to make.

They're also addictive, so make as many as possible.

There are wide varieties of shrimp chips in different colors and shapes.

You can get whichever you like after checking all the details.

While all have shrimp meat in the crackers, the flavor may slightly differ from one to the other.

Everybody loves shrimp chips, and they make a great pairing with chicken satay, so be generous with the portion - and consider garlic-butter shrimp side ideas for more shrimp-centric options.

Else, some of your guests will not get the chance to enjoy the crackers.

4 - Crunchy Asian Slaw

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Coleslaw is one of the most popular salads as it's delicious, fresh, crunchy, and versatile.

While Germany is said to have invented coleslaw, almost every region has a similar dish with cabbage as the base ingredient.

Mayo-based and vinaigrette dressings are the typical dressings used in coleslaw.

But you can give it a twist by using Asian flavors - similar to the combinations found in Asian salmon side ideas for balanced meals.

It will make the salad more flavorful and unique.

Any cabbage variety is suitable for making Asian slaw, but you can use red cabbage for a colorful appearance.

Red cabbage has a slightly peppery taste, but the lovely dressing will tone it down and balance the flavors.

Don't forget to sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds to add more crunch and flavor to the salad.

Besides cabbage, you can also use carrots and bell pepper for extra sweetness.

5 - Stir-Fried Sugar Snap Peas

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Stir-fries are popular in Asian cuisine, so adding a yummy stir-fry dish is only fair - for a different pea-based option see purple hull peas side ideas for rustic plates.

Sugar snap peas are easy to cook, and they make a good pairing with chicken satay.

Also called snap peas, the veggies are refreshing, and you don't need too many ingredients for the dish.

Olive oil, soy sauce, and garlic are the other ingredients required to make the dish.

Snap peas are freshest between April and June.

If you purchase them during this time, the veggies should be crisp and make an audible snap when you bend them.

Other times, you can find frozen varieties, and you can use these for the dish.

6 - Thai Mango Salad

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A fruit and veggie combo salad is also a suitable side dish to serve with chicken satay - echoing the bright contrasts found in Thai curry side pairings for bold meals.

Thai mango salad is fresh, sweet, sour, and slightly spicy, with a crunchy element from the nuts.

Ripe and unripe mangoes are both popular ingredients for the dish, so you can use whichever is available.

If you want a sweeter version, go with a ripe and unripe one if you prefer a tangier taste.

If you want to make a salad with ripe mangoes, choose wisely.

They should give in slightly to pressure but mustn't be too soft or mushy to let your finger sink through the skin.

7 - Grilled Corn on the Cob

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Corn can be an ideal side dish if you serve chicken satay at an outdoor event - it slots into menus like those suggested in grilled swordfish side pairings for cookouts.

Grilled corn on the cob has sweet, crunchy, and smoky flavors.

Corn tastes best during its season but don't buy packages of pre-shucked produce.

Choose those with green husks and pale silk.

Grilling corn is easy; you can do it with the husks on or removed.

Both methods provide lovely flavors, so you can do it either way.

You can add butter, salt, and pepper to increase the corn's flavor.

8 - Lemon Garlic Broccoli

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A dish with crisp-tender veggies is also suitable to serve with chicken satay.

Broccoli is healthy and delicious, but it's often overlooked.

But it's getting some recognition now.

Roasted broccoli with garlic and lemon is a delicious and fresh dish, and it doesn't take much time to cook - lemon-accented sides like lemon curd side ideas for bright finishes can mirror that citrus lift elsewhere on the menu.

Besides, the dish will need only salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and veggie florets.

Broccoli cooks fast, so you can make several portions quickly if you have many guests to serve.

As with any veggie, broccoli tastes best when fresh, so choose the best florets.

9 - Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup

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Chicken satay matches different kinds of food, so it's always nice to have variety.

Sweet potato coconut curry soup is sweet and creamy but filling.

It also has a crunchy element from the spicy baked chickpeas.

The soup is slightly spicy and balances the sweetness from the potato and coconut milk nicely.

You can add more or less cayenne pepper according to preference.

Everyone likes different levels of heat so keep it in between.

The soup doesn't contain any meat, it's hearty, and when combined with chicken satay, it can make you full and let you stay full for quite a while.

10 - Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

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It's the last dish on the list but certainly not the least in terms of taste.

Shrimp wrapped in lettuce wraps are yummy, and they make a lovely pairing with chicken satay.

The dish has raw and cooked ingredients and tastes sweet, sour, and slightly spicy.

It also has a crunchy element from the lettuce leaves.

Besides, the raw leaves also keep your palate fresh.

If you don't have much time to spare, buy peeled and deveined raw shrimp from a reliable vendor.

That way, you won't have to waste time prepping the seafood.

10 Choosing Sides to Complement Chicken Satay

With ten delicious side dishes to enjoy with chicken satay, you don't have to overthink anymore.

You can serve the meat dish any time, along with the yummy side dishes.

Mix and match and opt for variety so that no meal gets boring.

All the items taste good with chicken satay, so you'll have a successful menu every time.

Also, make it a point to select a different item every time to feel like having a new dish at each event.

For classic roasted poultry complements, see rotisserie chicken side pairings for hearty meals. For rice-forward chicken combos, review chicken fried rice side ideas for complete plates.