Home » Pork Recipes » Grilled Pork Satay Skewers

Grilled Pork Satay Skewers

Simple Grilled Pork Satay Skewers are cooked within minutes and no marinating needed. These moist grilled pork tenderloin smothered in a rich and flavorful homemade satay sauce are sure to be a hit this summer.

Close up of grilled pork satay on skewersIt’s fun to try out new recipes and cuisines. Satay is a Southeast Asian dish that consists of skewered meat with a spiced sauce that usually includes peanuts. Sweet, tangy, salty, slightly spicy…all the good flavors are here.

These Pork Tenderloin Satay Skewers are an authentic-style recipe made with a simple homemade sauce that’s great on the grill.

Isn’t satay normally made with chicken?

Satay refers to the sauce, so any meat such as pork tenderloin can be used. It’s a tender, juicy, lean cut of pork that’s packed with flavorful protein. Pork tenderloin can be sliced, diced, or cubed to speed up grilling time.

Grilled Pork Satay Skewers on a sheet of parchment paper

Satay Sauce Ingredients

  • Sweet and sour sauce
  • Coconut milk
  • Minced garlic
  • Peanut butter
  • Fresh basil
  • Five-spice powder 

This combination of flavors creates a rich and authentic satay sauce the makes meat taste amazing. It also has an ideal consistency that coats the meat with a lovely layer of flavor.

Ingredients for Pork Satay prepared on a counter

Do you need to marinate the pork?

No need to marinate, so it’s quick and easy. That’s what makes this recipe so great. Simply toss strips of pork tenderloin in the sauce until well coated.

As you can see in the photo below, the sauce coats well and sticks to the pork, making these Pork Satay Skewers ready in a flash.

Pro tip: Cutting the pork tenderloin into thin strips before grilling creates more surface area for the sauce and allows for faster cooking on the grill.

Process shot of stirring pork in satay sauce to coat before grilling

How to Make Pork Satay on the Grill

  1. Start by slicing the pork tenderloin in half-inch strips.
  2. Stir pork into the prepared homemade satay sauce until well coated. 
  3. Thread the meat onto wood or metal skewers accordion style. Reserve any remaining sauce.
  4. Preheat grill to medium heat. Add pork skewers, close lid, and cook 5-7 minutes until bottoms are seared.
  5. Rotate and coat tops with the remaining sauce. Close lid and cook 5 minutes more, or until internal temp reaches at least 145-150° F. 

Tips for grilling pork skewers

Marinating the meat isn’t required: To save time, you can simply coat the strips of pork in the satay sauce and grill. However, if you let it sit in the sauce for 1 to 2 hours in the fridge it will help infuse extra flavor.

Bring the meat to room temp: Let the pork sit at room temp for 20–30 minutes. This helps to evenly cook the meat on the grill. If grilled cold, the outside may burn before the centers are cooked to a safe temp.

Soak wooden skewers: Soak skewers in water for about 30 minutes to help prevent burning the wood. Alternately you can use metal skewers.

Grill over medium heat: This is the ideal heat to create nice sear marks while cooking the meat to the ideal doneness. A higher heat may burn the meat before it’s cooked.

What temp to grill pork satay

Grill pork skewers over medium heat on the grill, or about 400 degrees F. Cook until seared, and the internal temp of the pork reaches 145-160° F for medium to medium-rare.

How long to grill pork skewers

Grill 5–7 minutes over medium heat with the lid closed. Rotate the skewers and grill 5 minutes more.

How to Make Pork Satay in the Oven

Don’t have access to a grill or it’s too cold outside? No problem, you can also make pork satay in the oven.

Place prepared pork skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the middle of the oven and broil on high for 5 minutes. Rotate and broil about 5 minutes more until the internal temp reaches 145-160° F

Grilled Pork Satay Skewers garnished with fresh basil

 

More grilled pork recipes you may like:

More recipes with pork:

View all pork recipes on Plating Pixels.

Leave a comment below and star rating if you made this recipe or want to share your thoughts.

 

Are you following me on Pinterest, InstagramFacebook, and Twitter? Also, sign up for our newsletter to get all our recipes and cooking tips.

Grilled Pork Satay Skewers

Grilled Pork Satay Skewers made with a rich and flavorful homemade satay sauce. 
Course Asian
Cuisine Asian
Keyword easy satay pork recipe, grilled pork skewers, satay pork
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Calories 215kcal
Servings 8 skewers
Author: Matt Ivan
Did you know? Servings and ingredient amounts can be adjusted on all my recipes. Click the green number above to change.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork tenderloin
  • cup sweet and sour sauce
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus extra
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • cup chopped peanuts

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix together sweet and sour sauce, coconut milk, garlic, peanut butter, basil and five-spice powder. Set aside.
  • Cut pork tenderloin into ½-inch square strips lengthwise and toss with satay mixture until well coated.
  • Let the meat sit at room temp 15-30 minutes before grilling, or cover and chill 1-2 hours to allow flavors to soak in even more, then bring to room temp.
  • If using wooden skewers soak in water for 15 minutes to prevent burning. Thread pork tenderloin strips on skewers accordion style, reserving remaining satay sauce.
  • Preheat grill to medium heat. Add pork skewers, close lid and cook 5-7 minutes, until bottoms have sear marks.
  • Rotate the skewers and coat tops with remaining sauce. Close lid and cook 5 minutes more, or until internal temp reaches at least 145-150° F.
  • Sprinkle with chopped basil and peanuts as garnishes and serve immediately.

Notes

Don't have access to a grill or it's too cold outside? No problem, you can make these in the oven: Place prepared pork skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the middle of the oven and broil on high for 5 minutes. Rotate and broil about 5 minutes more.
Bringing the meat to room temp helps to evenly cook the meat on the grill. If grilled cold, the outside my burn before the centers are cooked to the right temp.
Nutrition Facts
Grilled Pork Satay Skewers
Amount Per Serving (0 g)
Calories 215 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 73mg24%
Sodium 86mg4%
Potassium 559mg16%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 0g0%
Sugar 0g0%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 5IU0%
Vitamin C 0.6mg1%
Calcium 39mg4%
Iron 2.8mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Like this recipe?Visit @platingpixels on Pinterest to discover more. Pin it with button below to save recipe for later.
Don't forget to leave a comment below and rate this recipe if you like it →
Grilled Pork Satay SkewersGrilled Pork Satay Skewers
Appetizer Recipes | Gas Grilled Recipes | Gluten-Free Recipes | Pork Recipes | Recipes

Similar Posts

10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These look absolutely incredible. I don’t have pork satay that often but its so good!

  2. Pork tenderloin is something I always wish I had more recipes for. These satay look devine, can’t wait to try them!

    1. A agree Colleen. It a great tasting and lean meat, but seems like chicken is way more common. Hopefully recipes like that help provide tasty alternatives.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating