Is Satay Vegetarian? (Peanut Sauce Is, the Meat Isn’t)

Satay is grilled meat on a stick, served with a peanut sauce that is usually vegan. The confusion is understandable: the sauce is plant-based, but the skewer is not. Here is how to tell.

Key Takeaways

• Satay is not vegetarian: it is grilled skewers of chicken, beef or lamb.
• The peanut sauce is usually vegan, but it can contain shrimp paste or fish sauce.
• Tofu, tempeh and mushroom satay are the plant-based swaps.
• For vegan, confirm the peanut sauce has no shrimp paste or fish sauce.

TL;DR: Satay is not vegetarian: it’s grilled skewers of chicken, beef or lamb. The peanut sauce is usually vegan, but check it for shrimp paste or fish sauce. Vegetarian satay (tofu, tempeh or mushroom) is a common swap.

Meat skewers + usually-vegan sauce

• The skewer: marinated and grilled chicken, beef, lamb (or pork in some regions). Not vegetarian.
• The peanut sauce: peanuts, coconut milk, chili, tamarind, spices. Usually vegan, but some recipes add shrimp paste or fish sauce.
• Accompaniments: cucumber, onion, rice cakes (ketupat): vegetarian.

The vegetarian version

Tofu, tempeh or mushroom satay uses the same marinade and peanut sauce, minus the meat. If you’re vegan, just confirm the peanut sauce has no shrimp paste or fish sauce.

The bottom line

• Vegetarian? No for meat satay: order tofu/tempeh/mushroom satay.
• Vegan? Same, and check the sauce for shrimp paste/fish sauce.

See our Satay dish guide for the full breakdown.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.