Sate lilit
Photo: Kresnanta · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Lilit means to wrap, and that is the method: spiced mince is wound round a lemongrass stalk or flat bamboo stick rather than threaded in cubes. Sate lilit began in Klungkung as food for religious ceremonies, made by men from pork and sea fish. Fish is still favoured in fishing villages such as Kusamba, and Denpasar's Muslim-run warungs grill halal versions of fish, chicken or beef. Its yellow colour comes from turmeric in the basa genep.

Common allergens: Fish

Make it at home

Yield Makes 12 sticksHands-on 30 minTotal 50 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g snapper or mackerel fillet, minced
  • 200g grated coconut, fresh or desiccated soaked in warm water
  • 12 lemongrass stalks, or flat bamboo sticks
  • 10 shallots and 5 garlic cloves
  • 3 red chillies
  • 2cm galangal and 2cm kencur
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 3 candlenuts, 1/2 tsp black pepper, a pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp palm sugar, 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced, and salt

Method

  1. Grind the shallots, garlic, chillies, galangal, kencur, turmeric, coriander, candlenuts, pepper and nutmeg to a paste.
  2. Fry the paste in the oil for about 5 minutes, then cool it.
  3. Mix the paste with the fish, coconut, palm sugar, lime leaf and salt until sticky. If the mix falls apart, add a spoon of coconut milk.
  4. With wet hands, press about 2 tablespoons of the mix around each lemongrass stalk.
  5. Grill over medium charcoal for 3 to 4 minutes a side, until golden and lightly charred.
  6. Serve with rice and sambal matah.

Tip from the editors. Wet your hands for every stick and keep the heat medium; burnt lemongrass turns the satay bitter.

Where to eat sate lilit

Sate lilit in Bali

Warung Ari ★ 4.2

$ Street foodDenpasar

Why locals goA marlin satay warung on Jalan Tukad Pakerisan in Panjer; its sate lilit is minced marlin without flour, and the warung closes at 15:00.

TipPrices start from about IDR 15,000 and the warung closes at 15:00; sate lilit and sate tusuk are both made from minced marlin without flour.

Directions

Warung Muslim Sate Lilit Pekambingan ★ 4.0

$ Street foodDenpasar

Warung Muslim Sate Lilit Pekambingan grills halal sate lilit on Jalan Pulau Buru in Denpasar, Bali, with skewers from about IDR 1,500, open until 15:00.

TrySate lilit of minced fish at about IDR 1,500 a skewer

TipGo before it closes at 15:00. Agenda Indonesia (2026) also lists tum ayam, pepes ikan and sate plecing ikan beside the sate lilit.

Directions

Warung Sari Alit ★ 4.0

$ Street foodDenpasar

Warung Sari Alit on Jalan WR Supratman in east Denpasar, Bali, grills sate lilit and sea-fish skewers and serves pepes ikan, open daily from 07:00 to 18:00.

TrySate lilit and sate tusuk of sea fish, with pepes ikan laut

TipParking is limited at this simple warung, which closes at 18:00. Skewers start from about IDR 1,000 each, according to Agenda Indonesia (2026).

Directions

Made's Warung (Seminyak) ★ 3.9

$$ IndonesianSeminyak

Made's Warung began in 1969 as a roadside stall in Kuta. Its Seminyak branch on Jalan Raya Seminyak, Bali, serves nasi campur and international dishes.

OrderOrder the nasi campur, about IDR 43,000 for the plain plate, and add sate lilit ikan.

TipCome before dark for an easier table and parking. Traditional Balinese dance or live music is sometimes staged in the evening.

Directions

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