Ayam penyet is a popular Indonesian dish made with chicken that is fried then smashed using a rolling pin and served with spicy and tangy sambal. This Smashed fried Indonesian chicken is seriously addictive, enjoy with rice, sambal, sliced cucumbers and fried tempeh.
Ayam Penyet
I found my recent favourite fried chicken recipe, This Ayam penyet is a must try dish. No words can explain how juicy and succulent the chicken turned out. I was pleasantly surprised by the end results and everyone in the family devoured it.
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The best part of this Indonesian fried chicken is the crispy topping and the spicy sambal dip. The crispy fried chicken is smothered in the spicy and tangy sambal which balances perfectly. Remember the Ayam goreng, we have been making that on repeat ever since. But now this one has become our favourite.
About Indonesian Fried Chicken
Ayam penyet is also known as Indonesian smashed fried chicken. The chicken is boiled in a flavourful fresh paste made with shallots, ginger, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, kaffir lime leaves and turmeric. The cooked chicken is then dipped in a batter made with the boiled chicken stock and rice flour. This chicken is fried till super crispy and tender.
To make a good ayam penyet, you have to make a flavourful paste. I used simple and fresh ingredients to make the paste. Bone-in chicken legs and thigh is cooked in this paste. I like to add some chicken bouillon powder to the broth to enhance the flavour of the broth because the chicken absorbs this flavour.
Make sure you strain the broth from the cooked chicken and cool it completely. Because we will be using the broth to make the batter. I use only rice flour, but some recipes use plain flour and cornstarch.
But for me rice flour works perfectly. It helps create super crunchy texture. I also add one egg to bind the batter. And baking powder to create crispy flaky texture.
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Make sure the batter is not super thick. Because we don’t want a thick bread like coating over the chicken. Instead we want a thin crispy layer. You should fry the chicken on high heat which sears the chicken almost instantly. Use the extra batter to sprinkle on the hot oil to create crispy texture. Honestly that is the best part.
Now coming to one of the most important component in ayam penyet is the sambal. Sambal is a chilli garlic paste that is cooked in oil. It is spicy, tangy and slightly sweet. It goes perfectly well with the fried chicken. check my nasi lemak.
Traditionally fresh red chillies are used. Since I couldn’t find that, I used dry red chillies. So I soaked them in hot water for 15 minutes. Also I like texture in the sambal, so I use a food processor to grind them coarse. This sambal is no skippable and it really makes this dish unique.
Ingredients
- Chicken – I used bone-in chicken thigh and drumstick which stays moist even after boiling and fried.
- For Flavour paste – made with shallots, ginger, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, and turmeric.
- For Broth – along with the freshly made paste, you need bay leaf, kaffir lime leaves, chicken bouillon powder, salt and pepper for the broth.
- Sambal – Use red chillies, garlic, shallots, salt, sugar and lemon juice to make a sambal paste.
- Batter – rice flour is used to make the crispy batter. I used egg, baking powder into the batter to make it crispy.
- Oil – I used peanut oil for frying.
Step by Step Pictures
Chilli Sambal
1)Start by making sambal. Take the soaked red chillies, garlic, shallots in a food processor.
2)Add in some water and make it into a coarse paste.
3)Now heat oil in a pan. Add in the ground paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
4)Now add in salt, sugar and mix well. Cook for another 2 minutes. If it is too thick, add some water as needed.
5)Once the sambal is cooked, turn off the heat. Add in lemon juice and mix well.
6)Sambal is ready.
Flavour Paste
7)Lets make the flavour paste for cooking chicken. Take all the ingredients mentioned below in a food processor.
- 10 Shallots
- 10 cloves Garlic
- 2 inch Ginger
- 2 inch Galangal
- 2 no Lemongrass
- 2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
8)Crush them till they are coarsely ground. Set this aside for a moment.
Pre Cooking Chicken
9)Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a deep pot. Add the ground paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Now add in bay leaf, kaffir lime leaves, chicken bouillon powder.
10)Add in chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, salt and pepper.
11)Toss well in the paste for 3 minutes.
12)Now pour water to cover the chicken. Mix it really well and allow it to come to a full boil. Boil this for 15 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked and the broth is reduced as well.
13)Now remove the chicken from the broth. Place it on a tray to cool.
Batter for Chicken
14)Now remove the bay leaf and Kaffir lime leaves from the broth. Transfer the broth to another bowl and place in the fridge to cool for 15 minutes.
15)Now let’s make the batter. Take rice flour, baking powder in a bowl.
16)Add in one egg.
17)Pour the broth which is cooled now into the rice flour.
18)Mix using a whisk to form into a slightly runny batter. If you need you may add some salt into the batter. Set this aside for a minute.
Deep Frying Chicken
19)Heat oil for deep frying. Now take the cooked chicken one by one. Dip it into the batter and coat on both sides.
20)Drop the chicken directly into the hot oil.
21)Now take your fingers and dip into the batter and drizzle it over the chicken and oil to form small droplets which will then fry till crispy.
22)Let the chicken fry for 3 to 4 minute on one side, flip over and cook on other side for another 3 minutes.
23)You may remove the fried bits from the oil if it gets too dark. Place the fried bits on some paper towel to strain the excess oil.
24)Once the chicken is fried and golden. Strain from the oil and place onto some paper towel to remove excess oil.
Smashing Fried Chicken
25)Now comes the smashing part. Take the fried chicken and use a rolling pin or mortar and pestle to smash it gently to crush slightly.
26)Like this.
27)Now take a plate, spoon some cooked jasmine rice, sliced cucumber, sambal, the smashed chicken and enjoy hot.
Expert Tips
- You have to use bone-in, skin-on chicken for juicy and moist texture.
- I like to grind the flavour paste coarse because I like the texture it creates when frying.
- Always taste the batter and adjust with salt.
- Make sure to form the batter slightly thin so you get thin and crispy exterior.
- For frying, use flavourless oil like sunflower oil or peanut oil.
- If you have fresh chillies, use that in sambal. Since I used dried chillies, I soaked them in hot water before grinding.
Storage and Serving
This dish is great for meal prep. You can cook the chicken a day in advance and store in fridge. The next day make the batter and fry the chicken. Ayam penyet taste best when served fresh out of the fryer.
Ayam penyet taste best when served hot with steamed rice, sliced cucumbers, freshly made sambal.
FAQ
Q: Can I use boneless chicken breast for making ayam penyet?
No, it is best to use bone-in chicken thigh and drumstick. Since it stays moist and tender. Boneless chicken tends to get dry.
Q: What is the difference between ayam penyet and ayam gepuk?
Both ayam penyet and ayam gepuk is similar but it has slight variations. “Penyet” means pressed or smashed while“Gepuk” means pounded or beaten. Penyet is marinated, boiled with spices, then deep-fried until crispy while gepuk is marinated and fried.
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Ayam Penyet Recipe (Indonesian Smashed Fried Chicken)
Ayam penyet is a popular Indonesian dish made with chicken that is fried then smashed using a rolling pin and served with spicy and tangy sambal. This Smashed fried Indonesian chicken is seriously addictive, enjoy with rice, sambal, sliced cucumbers and fried tempeh.
Equipment
Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
For Grinding (Flavour paste)
For Batter (To fry Chicken)
Instructions
Start by making sambal. Take the soaked red chillies, garlic, shallots in a food processor. Add in some water and make it into a coarse paste.
Now heat oil in a pan. Add in the ground paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add in salt, sugar and mix well. Cook for another 2 minutes. If it is too thick, add some water as needed. Once the sambal is cooked, turn off the heat. Add in lemon juice and mix well. Sambal is ready.
Lets make the flavour paste for cooking chicken. Take all the ingredients mentioned for grinding in a food processor and crush them till they are coarsely ground. Set this aside for a moment.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a deep pot. Add the ground paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Now add in bay leaf, kaffir lime leaves, chicken bouillon powder, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, salt and pepper. Toss well in the paste for 3 minutes.
Now pour water to cover the chicken. Mix it really well and allow it to come to a full boil. Boil this for 15 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked and the broth is reduced as well.
Now remove the chicken from the broth. Place it on a tray to cool. Now remove the bay leaf and Kaffir lime leaves from the broth. Transfer the broth to another bowl and place in the fridge to cool for 15 minutes.
Now let’s make the batter. Take rice flour, egg, baking powder in a bowl. Pour the broth which is cooled now. Mix using a whisk to form into a slightly runny batter. If you need you may add some salt into the batter. Set this aside for a minute.
Heat oil for deep frying. Now take the cooked chicken one by one. Dip it into the batter and coat on both sides. Drop the chicken directly into the hot oil.
Now take your fingers and dip into the batter and drizzle it over the chicken and oil to form small droplets which will then fry till crispy. Let the chicken fry for 3 to 4 minute on one side, flip over and cook on other side for another 3 minutes.
You may remove the fried bits from the oil if it gets too dark. Place the fried bits on some paper towel to strain the excess oil.
Once the chicken is fried and golden. Strain from the oil and place onto some paper towel to remove excess oil.
Now comes the smashing part. Take the fried chicken and use a rolling pin or mortar and pestle to smash it gently to crush slightly.
Now take a plate, spoon some cooked jasmine rice, sliced cucumber, sambal, the smashed chicken and enjoy hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Ayam Penyet Recipe (Indonesian Smashed Fried Chicken)
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
