Ayam Goreng
This Indonesian chicken builds chicken pieces, ground turmeric and ground coriander into a proper meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Pound or blend the garlic, shallots, ginger, turmeric and coriander with a pinch of salt into a coarse spice paste.
- Put the chicken in a wide pot with the spice paste, bruised lemongrass, lime leaves, bay leaves and coconut water, then simmer covered for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the pieces, until the chicken is cooked through to at least 74 C at the bone and the liquid has nearly evaporated into a clinging paste.
- Lift the chicken out, scrape off most of the wet aromatics, and let the pieces air-dry on a rack for 15 minutes so the surface fries up crisp.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 175 C, then fry the chicken in batches for 6 to 8 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp all over.
- Meanwhile fry the leftover spice paste scrapings in a little oil until they turn into crunchy savoury crumbs.
- Drain the chicken on paper, scatter the crispy aromatic crumbs over the top, and serve hot with steamed rice and sambal.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Large pot · Saucepan · Blender
Ingredient substitutions
- Shallots
- ½ small onion + a little garlic
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
- Lime
- lemon
What to serve with Ayam Goreng
- Bakso Beef
- Bubur Ayam Breakfast
- Dadar Gulung Dessert
- Gado-Gado Side
Tips & common questions
How long does Ayam Goreng take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of shallots?
Try ½ small onion + a little garlic. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Ayam Goreng is an original Indonesian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Ayam Goreng Lalapan.jpg by Supardisahabu, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.