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Satay Lilit is a traditional Balinese dish made with spiced ground meat wrapped around skewers. For added aroma, lemongrass stalks are often used as skewers. This flavorful satay is grilled and served with peanut sauce, making it a popular choice in Indonesian cuisine.

Serve satay lilit with steamed rice, peanut sauce, and vegetable sides. It’s common at family meals and celebrations.

Plate with homemade Satay next to lontong rice, cucumber, and peanut sauce. Text on image: Satay Lilit Balinese minced meat satay. Dish full of memories dot com.

The name “Satay Lilit” translates to “wrapped satay”, as the meat is wrapped around lemongrass stalks.

Satay Prentoel is similar to Satay Lilit in that both use spiced ground meat shaped around skewers. But Satay Prentoel is more typical of Javanese cuisine and does not include coconut. Instead, it focuses on a different spice blend, highlighting the robust and earthy flavors typical of Javanese cuisine.

Collage image of step by step photos how to make Balinese Satay Lilit.

How to Make Satay Lilit

Start by making a spice paste using onion, garlic, chili paste, and aromatic spices like galangal, coriander, tamarind, and turmeric. Mix the spice paste into ground beef with coconut to form a firm mixture. Shape the meat mixture into patties and wrap them around lemongrass stalks or skewers. Grill until cooked through.

Continue below for the full recipe with ingredients and step-by-step instructions.

Satay Lilit in blue dish on regular bamboo skewers instead of lemongrass stalks. — Regular skewers can be used instead of the traditional lemongrass stalks.

Customization Options

Use chicken, pork, or fish instead of beef for variations.
Adjust the amount of chili paste to control the spice level.
Substitute lemongrass stalks with bamboo or metal skewers if needed.

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 8 Satay Lilit Skewers

Ingredients

1 lb (500 g) ground beef
[1 oz (about 2 tbsp) creamed coconut (santen)]
[1 stalk lemongrasssereh, chopped]
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 garlic clovesminced
[1 tsp chili paste (sambal oelek)]
[1/2 tsp galangal (laos)]
[1 tsp ground coriander (ketumbar)]
[1/2 tsp cumin (jinten)]
[1/2 tsp turmeric (kunyit)]
[1/2 tsp ground ginger (jahe)]
[1 tsp tamarind paste (asam jawa)]
Salt and pepperto taste
[8 lemongrass stalks to use as skewers]

Instructions

Combine onion, garlic, chopped lemongrass stalk, chili paste, galangal, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, tamarind paste, salt, and pepper in a mortar and pestle, or blend with an immersion blender.
In a bowl, mix the spice paste with ground beef and creamed coconut. Combine until it forms a firm mixture.
Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Shape each portion into an oval patty and wrap it around a lemongrass stalk or satay skewer.
Cook on a grill pan or barbeque for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally until fully cooked.

Notes

Serve with satay peanut sauce and rice for a complete meal.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave or on a low-heat grill. For longer storage, freeze the cooked skewers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as needed.

Nutrition

Per serving (1)

Calories: 168 kcal
Carbs: 29 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 5 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 116 mg

Recipe by Deborah Green

Deborah Green

I'm Deborah Green, Dish Full of Memories is where I share my recipe collection, a blend of Asian-Indonesian family recipes, Dutch favorites, and a pinch of New York. Join me in cooking the dishes and the flavors that have shaped my life. When I'm not in the kitchen, I enjoy gardening and photography.