Grilled Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce
Grilled beef satay with peanut dipping sauce will make a perfect addition to you next barbecue menu. These simple skewers are marinated in a flavorful mix, grilled until tender then drizzled in a sweet and spicy peanut sauce. These skewers are a crowd-pleaser that will impress even the pickiest eaters.

Why you’ll love this grilled beef satay
- This dipping sauce is creamy, spicy and savory. It balances perfectly with the sweet and tangy flavors from the marinade.
- I like to make double or triple batches of it and freeze the extra for other recipes. It’s great on noodles or in stir fries, and it holds up really well in the freezer.
- Serve this with a coleslaw tossed in a maple miso vinaigrette and garnished with chopped cilantro. Toasted wonton strips and sesame seeds would be a great addition, too.

Ingredients & substitutions
- Steak – For this recipe, I used flank steak, but last time I made this I used sirloin steak. Flank steak is my normal choice if I’m marinating, but both work really well for this recipe.
- Peanut butter – Creamy peanut butter will result in a smoother, more velvety peanut sauce.
- Coconut milk – This adds a subtle and sweet nuttiness that balances perfectly with the slightly spicy peanut sauce. You want unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut milk for this.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

How to make this beef satay marinade
Marinate the steak. Whisk together marinade ingredients. Add sliced steak and marinade to a zip top bag or air tight container. Allow steak to marinade for 30 minutes to an hour.
Make the peanut sauce. Whisk together sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. This is best served at room temperature, so if you are refrigerating allow sauce to come to room temperature before serving.
Grill steak. Preheat grill to medium (about 350-400˚F). Remove marinated steak from container and thread onto skewers. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side.
Serve. Remove skewers from grill and garnish with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro. Serve with peanut dipping sauce or drizzle over skewers.

Everything you need to know about grilled beef satay
We have used a sirloin steak and a flank steak for this recipe. Flank steak is a lean coarse cut of steak,it’s coarse texture makes it perfect for marinating. This cut absorbs flavors well and results in tender and juicy steak when grilled.
This is just a matter of the dish versus the utensil. Satay is a specific type of dish, served on skewers. Skewers are the wooden or metal stick used to grill satay or various other dishes.
Soak your wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes in water before using them on a grill. This is done to prevent the skewers from catching on fire. You can soak the skewers overnight the day before to save time the day of grilling. Don’t skip this step.

More great grilling recipes you will love
- Grilled kofta recipe with cucumber sauce
- Grilled barbeque meatloaf
- Grilled pineapple
- Grilled chicken tenders
More dairy free appetizers you should try
- Fried pickle dip
- Grilled salmon kabobs
- Smoked deviled eggs
- Bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates
- Baked chicken kabobs

Grilled Beef Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Grilled beef satay with peanut dipping sauce will make a perfect addition to you next barbecue menu. These simple skewers are marinated in a flavorful mix, grilled until tender then drizzled in a sweet and spicy peanut sauce. These skewers are a crowd-pleaser that will impress even the pickiest eaters.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 1/2 pounds flank or sirloin steak, sliced into 1/4” thin long strips
- 1/4 cup lime juice or rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
For the dipping sauce:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
For grilling:
- Wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
- Fresh cilantro, for topping
- Chopped peanuts, for topping
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Place the steak into a large zip top bag. Add marinade and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. If preparing the day before, remove from fridge at least 1 hour before serving to allow sauce to come to room temperature.
- Preheat grill to medium. Thread beef onto pre-soaked skewers. Grilled 3 – 4 minutes per side. Remove from grill and garnish with cilantro and peanuts before serving with peanut dipping sauce.
Notes
To make peanut butter easier to whisk into sauce, heat in microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 288
- Sugar: 5.2 g
- Sodium: 468 mg
- Fat: 17.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 23.9 g
- Cholesterol: 50.3 mg
Keywords: beef satay, satay beef, beef satay recipe, satay beef recipe, recipe for satay beef, grilled steak kabobs, beef satay sauce, beef with satay sauce, peanut sauce, dairy free peanut sauce, peanut dipping sauce
Published: July 3, 2017. Updated: September 6, 2023.
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