Ayam Penyet (Javanese Smashed Fried Chicken with Sambal)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Ayam penyet first cooks chicken legs in water with garlic and ginger, dries them thoroughly, fries them, and tops them with sambal made from red chili and lime juice.
Read more
Once the thickest part is cooked, drain the chicken for 5 minutes and dry the skin and folds with paper towels to reduce oil splatter. Fry at 180C for 4 to 6 minutes, until the skin blisters, darkens, and becomes crisp. Pound the cooked garlic with red chili, salt, and lime juice into a coarse sambal. Press the fried chicken once in the mortar to crack the skin without shredding the meat, then add the sambal.
Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Rinse 2 chicken legs under running water and pat them dry.
Put the chicken in a pot with 4 garlic cloves, 15g sliced ginger, and 1 tsp salt so the seasoning starts in the cooking liquid.
- 2Control
Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Once boiling, lower to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the thickest part is cooked through.
- 3Step
Lift out the chicken and let it drain on a rack or sieve for 5 minutes.
Pat the skin and folded areas thoroughly with paper towels, because trapped moisture will splatter in hot oil.
- 4Heat
Pour 800ml frying oil into a deep pan and heat it to 180°C.
Lower in the chicken carefully and fry for 4 to 6 minutes, until the skin blisters, darkens, and feels crisp.
- 5Season
Put 4 red chilies, the cooked garlic, a little salt, and 1 tbsp lime juice in a mortar.
Pound to a coarse paste, leaving small pieces for texture and stopping before it turns watery.
- 6Finish
Place the fried chicken in the mortar and press once firmly to crack the skin without shredding the meat.
Spoon the coarse sambal over the surface and serve.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Ayam Penyet is Javanese fried chicken smashed with a pestle and served with spicy sambal.
- Finish cue
- Once boiling, lower to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the thickest part is cooked through.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 7 ingredients
Category median
48min, 8 ingredients
Based on 247 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Ayam Bakar (Indonesian Grilled Chicken in Sweet Soy Marinade)
ginger, lime juice
Ayam Goreng (Indonesian Spiced Fried Chicken Without Coating)
chicken legs, ginger
Laing (Filipino Bicol Dried Taro Leaf Coconut Milk Stew)
ginger, red chili