Ayam geprek, an Indonesian dish of smashed crispy fried chicken mixed with sambal (spicy sauce). Serve alongside white rice, cucumber and cabbage for a hearty and flavorful meal.
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Ayam geprek is a dish that originates from Indonesia, consisting of battered fried chicken served with sambal (spicy sauce). The term “ayam geprek” literally translates to “smashed chicken”, alluding to the state of the fried chicken after smashing it with the back of a knife or a pestle. However, take note not to confuse it with its sister dish, ayam penyet, which also means “smashed chicken”.
Crispy Fried Chicken
The difference between the two is the type of batter it is dredged in, with ayam geprek having a more crispy coating. It has a texture that’s pretty close to the Western style of fried chicken. I love it so much that I used the recipe to make the patty for my Spicy Crispy Chicken Burger.
Though for those who aren’t used to this dish, be warned. It can get really spicy. When I experienced eating this in ayam geprek-niche restaurants back in Malaysia, you would often be given the option on what level of spice you’d like to have it. And the “normal” option…can still be very spicy. So that’s the beauty of being able to make it home — being able to adjust the heat level to your preference.
Serve the ayam geprek with some hot white rice, cabbage, and cucumber for a hearty and delicious meal.
Notes for Ayam Geprek (Smashed Fried Chicken)
- Chicken thigh or breast – I like using chicken thigh. If you are using chicken breast, butterfly it and flatten it with the back of a knife/rolling pin to get an even thickness.
- Ice water bath – By dipping the chicken in the ice water bath between coats of batter, the chicken absorbs and grabs on to the flour better. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes after the final coating before frying. You will end up with a crunchy crust on your chicken.
- Sambal – This is my version/more Malaysian version of the sambal (spicy sauce).
- Heat preference – Adjust the amount of fresh chili/peppers used for the spicy sauce according to your heat preference. Feel free to use your choice of peppers.
- Dredging – Feel free to only do one round of the dredging. Typically, multiple dredging is done for a crispier and thicker crust for the ayam geprek.
Here are more chicken recipes for you to try:
- Fried Turmeric Chicken (Ayam Goreng Kunyit)
- Karaage Don
- Cheesy Korean Fried Chicken
- Malaysian Creamy Butter Chicken
RECIPE
Ayam Geprek (Smashed Fried Chicken)
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 pieces boneless chicken thighs or breast – see notes
Chicken Marinade
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp white pepper or black pepper
Seasoned Flour
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp sugar
Sambal (Spicy Sauce)
- 1 large onion cut into quarters
- 2 cloves garlic crushed with back of knife
- 1/2 tomato quartered
- 4 serrano peppers cut roughly into smaller – see notes
- 2 thai chili peppers cut roughly into smaller – see notes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Others
- white rice
- cabbage julienned
- cucumbers sliced
*Air Frying Option
- 2 cups panko crumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp white pepper or black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp sugar
Instructions
Marinating Chicken
- Marinate the chicken thigh with the marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Dry Mix
- Combine all the ingredients for the seasoned flour and set aside and prepare a bowl of cold water.
Dredging
- Take a piece of the chicken thigh and lightly dredge it in the dry mix. Making sure every inch is coated.
- Dip the chicken in cold water, careful not to rub off the flour coat.
- After lifting the chicken out of the water, wait for 10 seconds before putting it back into the dry mix so the water does not drip into the dry batter.
- Dredge the chicken again, making sure the every inch is coated.
- Optional step (see notes): Repeat the process until you've done it a total of 3-4 times. Best to use new cold water for every piece of chicken.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes before frying.
Frying the Chicken
- Fry the chicken over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Let the fried chicken rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes to drain the oil before serving.
Sambal (Spicy Sauce)
- Pour in as much cooking oil to cover the surface of a medium sized frying pan and heat it up over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot enough, add the onion, garlic, Serrano peppers and chili peppers.
- Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the tomato and cover for 1-2 minutes or until the tomato is soft.
- Sauté for another minute and turn off heat.
- Once it's cool enough, mash the sautéd mixture in a pestle and mortar or in a food processor.
- Transfer into a serving bowl and season with salt and sugar. Mix well.
Serving
- Smash the fried chicken with the back of a knife or a pestle.
- Serve the chicken with the spicy sauce on top or on the side with cabbage, cucumber and white rice. Enjoy!
Air Frying Option
- Mix all the ingredients together for the seaoned panko crumbs.
- Coat the marinated chicken with the seasoned panko crumbs.
- Spray a layer of cooking oil and air fry at 375 F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying a layer of cooking oil on the surface after flipping.
Delicious recipe! Ingredients left room to adjust to my taste. I used Corn starch instead of Baking Powder.. Super Crispy results. I used Maggi sweet chilli sauce instead for my spicy substitute.
Yay! Thanks for trying the recipe 🙂