Chicken Satay pairs best with an off-dry Riesling, Riesling, Torrontés, Grenache Blanc, Est! Est!! Est!!! Di Montefiascone or a Rosé. If you are in the mood for red wine, Rioja Crianza pairs best with Chicken Satay. Learn why below!
Chicken Satay is grilled Chicken on a Skewer coated with peanut sauce and can be found on many menus, including Thai or Spanish-themed restaurants. You’ll also find Chicken Satay served as an hors d’oeuvre at banquets as it is a yummy finger food. The spicy peanut sauce makes wine pairing a touch challenging.
Best Wine With Chicken Satay
Off Dry Riesling & Chicken Satay Pairing
Chicken Satay has a spicy kick to it, so you want a wine with some residual sugar, but you don’t want a wine that is too sweet in that it overpowers the dish. An off-dry Riesling walks that fine line of dry and sweet in that the sweetness cools off the spicy, while the zesty citrus flavours elevate the chicken flavours. Bursting with acidity, Riesling can cut through the tongue-coating peanut sauce and deliver the goods for a delicious finish.
Another reason why Riesling is the best wine pairing with Chicken Satay is because Chicken Satay is often served with a variety of other finger foods. Very rarely will you sit down with a plate of Chicken Satay as your main course as one or two skewers is more than enough to enjoy. Being high in acidity, Riesling is an incredibly food-friendly white wine that will go with any other finger foods you toss at that include vegetables, fish, poultry or cheese.
Torrontés & Chicken Satay Pairing
Torrontés is an aromatic white wine from Argentina that features sweet floral aromas of rose, jasmine and herbs, along with flavours of peach, mango, oranges and lemon. The light and breezy flavours of Torrontés help cool the spicy notes found in the Chicken Satay.
Torrontés is commonly made in a dry style, meaning there is plenty of acidity to cope with the sticky peanut sauce. Furthermore, the intensity of Chicken Satay is not too overpowering, where it would overwhelm the delicate flavours and aromas of Torrontés.
Rosé & Chicken Satay Pairing
When it comes to challenging foods to pair, you can always count on Rosé to soldier up and fight the good fight. While the pink colour makes Rosé look like a sweet wine, Rosé is often dry and full of light red fruit flavours, notes of herbs, pepper and lime.
Rose goes well with Chicken Satay as the lighter berry flavours of the wine subdue the Chicken Satay’s spicy kick, while the acidity lifts up the natural chicken flavours. If you’re holding a bridal shower or wedding reception and have Chicken Satay on the hors d’oeuvre menu, Rosé is an excellent wine to match as it will pair up with just about anything else you are passing out. Plus, the pretty pink colour of Rosé makes it photogenic for images captured on camera.
Rioja Crianza & Chicken Satay Pairing
Rioja is classic Spanish red wine that is full of rich cherry, blackberry and black plum flavours that are a refreshing contrast to the earthy peanut sauce. You’ll also find tones of herbs, smoke, vanilla, chocolate, sage, and warm tannin that complement the grilled chicken flavours.
Chicken Satay is often served with a variety of foods, such as Tapas, or as an appetizer at a banquet. As Rioja is incredibly food-friendly due to its balance of tannin and acidity, you’ll have a delicious red wine to go well with nearly anything you throw at it.
Grenache Blanc & Chicken Satay Pairing
Grenache Blanc is a full-bodied white wine that, when aged in oak, delivers toasty, creamy and dill-like flavours along with green fruit notes such as apple, lime zest, honeydew, and pear. You also get spicy notes of cumin in Grenache Blanc, which complement the spicy notes found in Chicken Satay. In addition, the creamy texture of Grenache Blanc mirrors the richness of the Peanut Sauce.