A delicious Pork Satay recipe made with pork tenderloin marinated in a flavorful mixture. Try cooking these Thai pork skewers in the oven or on the grill! Don’t skip the delicious “Peanut” dipping sauce — with a nut allergy friendly twist!
If you love satay, also try this Thai Chicken Satay or Beef Satay recipe!
*This post is sponsored by SunButter, a sunflower seed spread perfect for allergy-safe baking and cooking! Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Sunkissed Kitchen running.
Contents
A Delicious Pork Tenderloin Recipe!
Satay is a very popular dish throughout SE Asia, for good reason! It’s standard fare in Indonesia, but also made throughout Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, each country bringing its own twist on the marinade’s aromatics.
Meat is marinated until tender, and infused with flavors of garlic, chilies, and herbs. Then it’s threaded on skewers and served with a sweet-spicy-salty peanut dipping sauce.
I love grilled meats because they are easy to make, everyone loves them, and are a healthy option!
Usually served as an appetizer, pork satay also makes a delicious main course when served with a simple cucumber salad and either steamed rice or cauliflower rice.
This recipe simplifies the process by using a marinade that doubles as seasoning for the dipping sauce.
Many satay recipes call for brown sugar. If you like the sweet flavor, add 2-3 tablespoons of coconut sugar into your marinade.
However, this sugar free version makes a clean, Whole30 approved recipe. I find coconut aminos to be sweet enough as a marinade that sugar is not needed!
What You’ll Need
- Pork Tenderloin
- Coconut Aminos (A soy-free alternative to soy sauce. Tamari works as another gluten free option.)
- Sesame Oil
- Sriracha
- Garlic
- Shallots
- Cilantro
- Sea Salt
- SunButter No Sugar Added
- Coconut Milk (for the best taste, buy Thai coconut milk in a paper carton – the canned stuff does not taste fresh)
- Lime Juice
I love making Asian sauces and dressings with SunButter. Peanuts are a common allergen, and a lot of us are choosing to leave them out of our cooking.
SunButter adds a delicious creamy and nutty flavor. I always have the No Sugar Added variety on hand for sauces and baking, the Crunchy for snacking, and the Chocolate SunButter for drizzling on yogurt or fruit.
Hop on over to the SunButter website to see where it’s carried near you!
How to Make Pork Satay
Step 1: Thinly slice the pork tenderloins across the grain. Add the meat into a sealable container.
Step 2: In a small bowl, add the coconut aminos, sesame oil, sriracha, garlic, shallots, cilantro and salt. Whisk to combine, and then reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade to use in the dipping sauce.
Step 3: Pour the remaining marinade on the sliced pork. Marinate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. The longer, the more flavorful and tender your pork satay will be!
Step 4: Into a blender, add the reserved 1/4 cup of marinade, along with SunButter, coconut milk, and lime juice. Process until smooth and creamy. Thin the sauce with water, and season it with more sriracha or salt if necessary.
Step 5: Thread the marinated pork on skewers. Add the pork skewers to a lined baking tray. If grilling the satay, heat the BBQ to high heat. If Broiling, preheat the oven to Broil on high.
Step 6: To grill, place the skewers on the preheated grill, and grill about 3-4 minutes per side, until charred on the edges and cooked through. If broiling in the oven, add the baking pan on the top rack of the oven, and broil for about 5-6 minutes on the first side, until the edges begin to char. Flip the satay and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes.
Variations for Pork Satay
Grill on a BBQ: Pork Satay is traditionally cooked over hot coats in SE Asia, which is similar to cooking on a BBQ. A charcoal grill will give these the best flavor, but I have a gas grill at home for convenience and love the taste of these grilled on there also!
Preheat your grill to high heat. The pork is thinly sliced, so these will only need to cook for about 3-4 minutes per side. Watch for the meat to look charred around the edges, and flip it to cook the other side. The marinade keeps the pork tender, even if the meat is slightly overcooked, so this is a fool proof recipe!
Make an Authentic Peanut Sauce: Traditionally, satay is served with a peanut sauce, made from whole peanuts. If this is what you’re after, try this Peanut Satay Sauce recipe.
Other Pork Tenderloin Recipes
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Pork Satay with “Peanut” Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
- 3/4 cup coconut aminos or sub 1/3 cup tamari + 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup sriracha
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar (optional – omit for Whole30)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons shallots finely minced
- 2 tablespoons garlic finely minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup reserved marinade
- 1/3 cup SunButter
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Thinly slice pork against the grain, and add to a large containter with a lid.
- In a medium sized bowl, add the rest of the marinade ingredients, and whisk to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade to use for the dipping sauce.
- Pour the rest of the marinade over the pork, and marinate at least 2 hours, but overnight is best.
- Preheat oven to Broil, or grill over medium high heat.
- Thread meat on skewers. I use 8 inch skewers. Add to a lined baking pan, if broiling.
- Broil the skewers for about 6 minutes, until the edges begin to char, and then flip them and continue to broil another 3-4 minutes, until the meat is cooked through.
- If grilling these skewers, place them on a very hot grill for about 4 minutes, flip them, and continue to grill for another 3 minutes on the other side.
- Serve with the "Peanut" Dipping Sauce.
Dipping Sauce
- Add the reserved marinade, coconut milk, lime juice, and SunButter to a blender, and process until smooth.
- Adjust to taste by adding more lime juice, sriracha, or salt, as necessary.
These were SO light, flavorful and DELISH!! The whole family loved the dipping sauce! I am going to have hubs grill them next time!!
YUM! Thanks for the tip on using Thai coconut milk in a paper carton rather than canned – I never knew!
It’s a game changer! Makes curries so much sweeter and more authentic tasting!
This looks absolutely delicious! I love that this recipe is sugar-free and peanut-free! Definitely going to have to try this one!
This looks to me like a perfect meal for early summer evenings with friends. Can’t wait to try it!
Love using pork tenderloin this way. It’s such a versatile and easy to cook protein. And, the dipping sauce is so good!