Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce

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Nothing beats the classics, and this is one of the best out there. These beautiful Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce are a staple in Southeast Asian cuisine and simply taste amazing. A beautifully cooked piece of Steak that has been marinating in wonderful flavors. Seared to perfection, and then topped with the most decadent, creamy Peanut Sauce

This is a great dish to serve up as an appetizer or ramp up the volume and serve it alongside some fresh Jasmine rice and some Salad for a hearty dinner. However you want to eat it, we guarantee you’ll love the deep, rich sweet, sour, and salty flavors

You’ll be surprised how easy the Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce are to make

Like many things in life, the simplest things are often the best. That mantra is echoed 100% with this dish, as it is so easy to make. I think that is what we love so much about Asian cuisine. The flavors are so robust and powerful yet are typically very easy to make. Throw a bunch of the right ingredients together at the right quantities and all the hard work is done!

What makes this dish so flavorful is that wonderful, silky-smooth Peanut Sauce. Otherwise known as Satay Sauce, it is a Sauce that primarily consists of Peanut Butter, Coconut Milk, and Lime Juice. These three ingredients are complimented with the addition of Sugar and Fish Sauce to amplify the flavor up to 1000%!

All these ingredients are very powerful by themselves, yet the harmony that they create together in this sauce is amazing. The sweetness and sourness balance perfectly so one doesn’t overpower the other. Yet, both elements of sweet and sour are so clearly pronounced in the Sauce. It’s a magical combination of flavors that is quintessentially Southeast Asian in fragrance and flavor

Use Smooth Peanut Butter for a beautiful, silky textured sauce

We prefer to use Smooth Peanut Butter over crunchy stuff to create a lovely, velvety texture in the Peanut Sauce. Texture is added right before serving with the addition of some freshly chopped Peanuts, so there is no need for additional crunch in the sauce

Don’t shy away from the Fish Sauce or Limes, that is what makes this dish so special

This Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce recipe calls for quite a generous amount of Lime and Fish Sauce to be added. 3 Limes and 3 tbsp. of Fish Sauce to be precise. Now, this may seem like a lot but trust us on this – you need an ample amount of these ingredients

The Fish Sauce brings out that sweet and funky flavor that is synonymous with Asian Cooking. It may smell funky, but both the smell and flavor mellow out significantly when Fish Sauce is cooked. The Limes play a critical role in helping to bring balance and harmony to the Sauce. We add Limes right at the end of the dish, just before serving. Adding Limes this late to a dish means their flavor will be amplified to its peak, which is what you want

A good test is to try the sauce right before you add the Lime juice, then try it again straight after. What may surprise you is how much more balanced the sauce becomes. Each flavor in the sauce becomes more pronounced and not overwhelmed by the other. You can taste all the Sweet, Sour, Salty, and Funky elements individually, and they taste great!

We’ve opted to use NY Strip Steak for our Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce

You have many options of Steak to choose from with this recipe. They will all work quite well, and in many ways the Steak choice can come down to your personal preference and budget

NY Strip is a great cut of Beef, but it can get a little pricey. For cheaper cuts of meat Sirloin or Rump Steak are good choices. Like all meat, however, ensure it has spent ample time in the marinade and ample time resting before you cut into it. This will ensure you get the most Tender Beef possible

NY Strip is a good choice as it is a hearty cut of Steak. It holds up exceptionally well to the high sear and will maintain its shape on the skewers as they cook, and as they are being eaten. If you love Filet, then you can use that cut. It may however start to break apart as it’s being cooked. So, we recommend NY Strip, Sirloin, or Rump for the best texture

Invest in a Meat Thermometer – your Steaks will thank you for it

A little trick we’ve learnt over the years is to invest in a meat thermometer when cooking in the kitchen. It must be one of the most valuable pieces of equipment you can get your hands on. Primarily due to it’s ability to help you avoid messing up the cooking times on food! The last thing you want it to have spent good money on a lovely protein, only to overcook it

Many times, this isn’t even the fault of the cook. If you’re reading a recipe and it says, ‘fry for 4 minutes on high heat on each side’, naturally you’re going to do what the recipe says. However, all kitchens are different. Stoves emit heat differently, and frying pans conduct heat differently. So, an 8-minute fry may overcook or undercook protein, depending on so many factors

A meat thermometer eliminates this variable and ensures that you as the cook are in control of the protein you are cooking. The one challenge we have found with meat thermometers, however, is to learn exactly what is the right temperature to take the Protein off the heat

Take the Steak off the heat at around 110F. As it rests it’ll heat up to a perfect medium rare cook

Resting the Steak before you eat it is incredibly important. What resting does is allow the fibers in the Steak to relax, and for the Juices to stay retained in the meat. If you cut into a Steak as soon as you’ve taken it off the heat, those juices will run everywhere. The Steak also hasn’t had a chance to relax, so it will ultimately be tough

For a perfect Medium Rare temperature, the internal temperature of the Steak should ready 120F – 125F. A common mistake people make is they cook the Steak until it reaches that temperature, and then let it rest. When the Steak rests it will continue to cook. Therefore, by the time it has appropriately rested, the temperature will increase to 130F – 135F, or medium

The best trick is to take the Steak off the heat just before it hits the temperature you want. For our Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce recipe, we suggest eating the Steak medium rare. Therefore, take the Steak off the heat once its internal temperature is 110F – 115F. Once it rests, it will be a perfect medium rare temperature for you to eat!

Finish the Steak off with some authentic Thai flavors for color and flavor

An optional final step in the preparation of these amazing Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce is the garnish. We love adding freshly sliced Chilis, Chopped Peanuts, and a little bit of Cilantro to the skewers right before serving. They add some beautiful colors which makes the recipe truly pop on the plate

They also bring in more authentic flavors of Southeast Asia. You’ll struggle to find any dishes in that part of the world that aren’t served with Peanuts, Cilantro and Chili! With the Chili, we would recommend removing the seeds before slicing as they are incredibly hot. Crushed Peanuts are a great addition as they add some much-needed texture to the dish

Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 16 oz. New York Strip Steak
• 200ml Coconut Milk
• 2 tbsp. Smooth Peanut Butter
• ¼ cup Peanuts, roughly chopped
• Juice of 3 Limes
• 1 Red Chili, deseeded and diced
• 3 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp. Honey
• 2 tbsp. Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar
• 3 tbsp. Fish Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• Salt
  
  

Equipment needed: Skewers for the Beef

Instructions

1. Begin by making a marinade for the steak by combining the Soy Sauce, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Honey, and 1 tsp. of Salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine
2. Cut the steak into strips then place into a Ziploc bag. Add the marinade, mix well to cover then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight
3. To make the Peanut / Satay Sauce combine the Peanut Butter, Coconut Milk, Fish Sauce, Palm Sugar, and 1 tsp. of Salt in a saucepan. Heat over a medium / low heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the Sauce over low heat to stay warm as you prepare the Steak
4. Cook the Steak cold, straight out of the refrigerator. This will ensure a great sear, while the inside will be medium rare. Skewer each piece of meat on their own individual skewers
5. Add Vegetable Oil to a large frying pan over high heat. Once smoking hot, add the Beef Skewers and fry for 1 minute on each side until the internal temperature reads 110 degrees. Remove and set aside to rest
6. Remove the Peanut Sauce from the heat and add the Lime Juice. Mix well then check for seasoning
7. To serve, Place the Beef Skewers on a serving plate and generously drizzle with Peanut Sauce. Alternatively, you can serve the Sauce in separate individual bowls. Finish by sprinkling over the crushed Peanuts and Chili and serve immediately
   
   

These Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce are a delicious and fun appetizer. You can also eat this dish as a main course, simply double the amount of Steak you’re cooking and serve with some beautiful Jasmine Rice

Check out this page here for more yummy Meat Appetizers such as this one. If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few of our favorite appetizer recipes we’d love you to try:

• Meat Hand Pies
• Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Scallions
• Cubano Sandwich
• Peanut Sauce Chicken
• Pulled Chicken Sliders
• Homemade Garlic Knots
  
  

Happy Cooking!