Fried Turmeric Chicken, aka ayam goreng kunyit. A simple and delicious Malaysian dish, perfect when eaten with white rice.
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Fried Turmeric Chicken, known as Ayam Goreng Kunyit in Malay, is one of the most timeless dishes that I feel you can never go wrong with. It’s a simple dish that’s often paired up with white rice, making it one of the ultimate contenders for best duo ever in my opinion.
It’s a classic and staple cuisine that’s so popular in Malaysia, you could find it almost everywhere there! The goreng kunyit (frying with turmeric) style of cooking is so well-loved, that you can find tons of food trucks specialising only in this delicacy. Most of them offer chicken, beef, or squid as their options.
Turmeric is an aromatic and pungent spice, making the fried chicken so tasty and irresistible, and also helps turning it into a beautiful golden brown.

And as always with fried chicken, children absolutely love it! Whenever we make this ayam goreng kunyit, my nieces and nephews will pile them up high and wipe their plates clean.
This is a one-pot chicken dish that’s easy to prepare and perfect for all ages.
Ingredients You’ll Need
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
- Boneless chicken (cut into bite sized pieces)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrot
- Long/string beans
- Rurmeric powder
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Corn starch
- Neutral oil (for frying)
Spicy sauce (Optional)
- Sambal oelek
- Apple cider vinegar
- Sugar
how to make fried turmeric chicken (ayam goreng kunyit)
- Marinate chicken for at least 15 minutes with all the dry ingredients.
- Over medium heat, fry the chicken in neutral oil until golden brown.
- Once the chicken turns golden brown, add all the vegetables and fry for a few minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the spicy sauce.
- Drain and serve with white rice and spicy sauce.

More Chicken Recipes
- Garlic Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Bawang Putih)
- Easy 20-Minute Chicken Teriyaki (No Mirin or Sake)
- Soy Sauce Chicken (Ayam Masak Kicap)
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Malaysian Chicken Chop
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Fried Turmeric Chicken (Ayam Goreng Kunyit)
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb boneless chicken (cut into bite sized pieces)
- 1/2 onion (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1/2 carrot (julienned)
- 1 handful long/string beans (cut into same length as carrots)
- 3/4 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- neutral oil (for frying)
Spicy sauce (Optional)
- 2 tbsp sambal oelek
- 1/2-1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Marinate chicken for at least 15 minutes with all the dry ingredients.
- Over medium heat, fry the chicken in neutral oil until golden brown.
- Once the chicken turns golden brown, add all the vegetables and fry for a few minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the spicy sauce.
- Drain and serve with white rice and spicy sauce.
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