Indonesian Pork Satay (Sate Babi)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read the disclosure policies for details.
Sate Babi is a popular Indonesian pork satay made with marinated pork skewers grilled until lightly charred and caramelized. The meat is coated in a sweet and savory blend of spices, sweet soy sauce, and tamarind, giving it a rich flavor with just a hint of tang. It’s simple to prepare and easy to grill at your next barbecue.
Serve the satay hot from the grill with steamed rice or nasi goreng. It also pairs well with peanut sauce, acar (pickled vegetables), and a simple cucumber salad.
For another classic option, try my Indonesian Chicken Satay for a similar dish with chicken instead of pork.
How to Make Indonesian Pork Satay
The pork is cut into cubes and mixed with ground spices, garlic, onion, sweet soy sauce, tamarind, sugar, and oil. After marinating for several hours, the meat is threaded onto skewers and grilled over high heat until cooked through and slightly charred.
You can adjust the sweetness by reducing or increasing the palm sugar. For more heat, add a small amount of sambal or chili powder to the marinade.
You can learn more about spices like kecap manis, tamarind, and galangal in my guide to Indonesian ingredients.
How to Cut and Prepare Pork for Satay
Cut the pork against the grain into small cubes, about 1 to 1 ½ inch in size. Smaller pieces make more skewers and cook faster.
Gently press or flatten thicker pieces with a knife or meat mallet to help the marinade soak in. This helps keep lean pork tender when grilled.
Thread 3 to 4 pieces of pork onto each skewer. Leave small spaces between pieces so heat can circulate while grilling.
Continue below for the full recipe with ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
If you don’t have an outdoor grill, a cast-iron grill pan or contact grill works well for cooking the satay indoors.
Indonesian Pork Satay
Skewered pork marinated in sweet soy and warm spices, deep flavor without complicated steps. Grilled until caramelized and served with rice or peanut sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes (or pork loin)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ground coriander (ketoembar)
- 1½ tsp ground cumin (djinten)
- 1½ tsp ground ginger (djahe)
- 1½ tsp ground galangal (laos)
- 2 tsp palm sugar (gula jawa) or dark brown sugar
- 1-1½ tsp tamarind paste (or 1 tbsp lemon juice)
- 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
- 2½ tbsp neutral oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the wooden satay sticks in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning during grilling.Â
- Place pork in a bowl.
- Add garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, ginger, galangal, sugar, tamarind, kecap manis, oil, and salt.
- Mix until evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Thread the marinated pork cubes onto the soaked wooden skewers without packing too tightly. Leave a small gap between each piece to ensure even cooking.Â
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F).
- Grill 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through and lightly charred.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Refrigerate cooked satay in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze cooked skewers for up to 2 months.
Reheat in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes or in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 2–3 skewersAmount Per Serving: Calories: 619Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 569mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 5gSugar: 15gProtein: 63g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated. These figures should be considered estimates.
Satay is one of the 5 national dishes of Indonesia. See my full list of Indonesian national dishes for more traditional recipes.
