Grilled Chicken Satay with Mango Salad

Grilled Chicken Satay with Mango Salad

By: Ashlyn Walters / Southern Hospitality Company

A warm evening. Something chilled in a glass. And a meal that tastes like a vacation you forgot to plan.

There are days for careful mise en place, for measured flour and silent kitchens. This is not that. This is chicken skewered on instinct and grilled until it’s smoky and blistered in the best way. It’s a dressing you make once and quietly file under “worth repeating,” and a mango salad that looks more complicated than it is… always a win.

I cooked this on a Tuesday with the last of the almond butter and no particular plan, which is exactly the energy it now requires. It’s generous food. Unfussy, but it knows what it’s doing.

The Marinade (and Also the Sauce)

The whole thing starts with a punchy, fragrant marinade that doubles as a dipping sauce… an efficient move that feels intentional. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or smashed
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (fresh if you have it, dried if you don’t)
• Zest and juice of half a lime
• 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon agave or honey
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter, though I used almond butter and didn’t regret it
• 2 tablespoons water to loosen it all up

Whisk it until it’s glossy and golden and you’d consider eating it straight off the spoon. Pour half over chopped chicken thighs and set aside to marinate (even twenty minutes will do something). The rest goes into a small saucepan with ½ cup coconut milk. The kind with the cream. Let it simmer on low heat until it thickens slightly and smells like you should be barefoot and somewhere tropical.

On the Grill

Thread the chicken onto skewers. Wooden ones need a quick soak unless you enjoy small fires and disappointment. Grill until the meat is cooked through and the edges are charred. Don’t overthink it. Chicken thighs are forgiving.

The Mango Ribbon Salad

A vegetable peeler is your best friend here. You’re aiming for long ribbons of:

• 1 ripe mango
• 1 carrot
• 1 cucumber

Toss with:

• 2 sliced spring onions
• Juice of half a lime
• A handful of fresh cilantro
• 1 Fresno chili, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, shaved into slivers
• Shelled edamame (a scoop)
• Crushed salted peanuts or cashews
• A drizzle of agave or honey
• A pinch of salt

The whole thing should look like a watercolor and taste like your palate suddenly has dimension.

To Drink

We poured something vaguely spa-like: lemon, ginger, cucumber, and mint blitzed in a blender with coconut water, then strained and topped with sparkling water. You don’t need a name for it. Just serve it cold.

To Serve

Lay the skewers on a platter, sauce on the side, salad gently tumbled next to it. Nothing should feel over-arranged. We ate this outdoors, feet up, plates balanced in laps. It was the kind of meal that made it feel like the day went better than it probably did.