This ayam geprek is officially our favourite chicken dish now.
What is ayam geprek?
According to the internets, ayam geprek is an Indonesian crispy battered fried chicken topped with hot and spicy sambal. Geprek is Javanese for “crushed” or “smashed”, thus ayam geprek means “crushed chicken”. It is quite similar to traditional East Javanese ayam penyet, as both are fried chicken smashed and mixed together with hot and spicy sambal chili paste.
The difference? For ayam penyet, the chicken is half-cooked in a bumbu kuning (yellow spice paste) and then deep fried in hot oil. Ayam geprek, however, is more akin to Western-style fried chicken, which is crispy fried chicken coated with batter.
One version of its history claims a Mrs. Ruminah (popularly known as Bu Rum) from Yogyakarta created ayam geprek. In 2003, Bu Rum’s customer requested her ayam goreng tepung to be smashed and topped with sambal chili paste. Subsequently this smashed spicy crispy fried chicken has gain wider popularity, as numbers of restaurants copied the recipe.
Another source argued, before the ayam geprek was as popular, local fast food chain Quick Chicken had made an identical dish named “American Penyet”. It blended Western style fried chicken served penyet-style with sambal bajak.
My recipe
Ok, back to the recipe. The base recipe is by well-known Malaysian chef Sherson Lian. I used a few hacks to simplify the original process and make it a wee bit healthier.
1) I air-fried the chicken
2) I used a blender to make the sambal, instead of using the traditional method of mortar and pestle.
The other difference is, I didn’t “smash” it because I didn’t want chicken bits flying all over the kitchen. I’m a home cook mah … try to minimise cleaning up! But didn’t make any difference to the taste.
So … how good was it?
I kept waiting for hubby to give feedback. Usually he will say something in a few minutes if it’s good.
But this time, he just kept quiet …and kept eating … and adding the sambal.
Finally, unable to control myself, I asked, “Nice or not?”
He looked at me and deadpanned, “Busy eating.”
Hahahahahah! That one’s a closet comedian.
And this recipe is definitely a keeper too :).
For more chicken recipes, click here
Healthier, Easier & Super Sedap Ayam Geprek
Equipment
- wok, stick blender, air fryer, thongs, knife
Ingredients
- 2 chicken legs, cut into 4 parts (drumstick + thigh)
- 2 tbsp wheat flour
- 1.5 tbsp rice flour (can adjust. More = crispier)
- 1 tbsp Hockey belacan powder
Sambal paste
- 3-4 red chillies, deseeded
- 3 bird's eye chillies
- 2 cm belacan (adjust according to your salt tolerance)
- 4 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves (this adds creaminess)
- 1 small tomato, deseeded
- 1-2 small limes (they're juicier than big ones)
Instructions
To make sambal paste
- Toast belacan on low heat. It's done when exterior turns whitish and crumbly.
- Cut up the aromatics: red chillies, bird's eye chillies, shallots, garlic cloves and deseeded tomato.
- Heat up oil and add in aromatics, with tomato coming in last, as it's watery and can splash oil. Fry no more than 20-30 seconds; you don't want to burn the aromatics.
- Take out the aromatics, put them in a blender, add belacan, and blitz very quickly, so you get a half creamy half roughly-chopped mixture.
- Top the sambal mix with spring onions
- Reheat the oil and pour it over the mixture - you should hear a sizzling sound.
- Adjust with some sugar and squeeze in lime juice - voila, sambal is done!
To make fried chicken
- Preheat the airfryer to 200 C.
- Mix together wheat flour, rice flour and belacan powder to create seasoned flour for frying chicken.
- Using knife, make slits in chicken. Now roll the chicken pieces in seasoned fried chicken flour.
- Dip the coated chicken in water briefly, remove and roll chicken in seasoned flour again.
- In now-hot airfryer, spritz the bottom layer with some oil (lightly but enough to coat the entire base), then lay chicken pieces, skin side up, on top. If the surface is hot enough, the contact with the chicken should create a sizzling sound.
- Now, drizzle oil over the chicken. This step is CRUCIAL to crisp up your chicken skin. Yes, I'm asking you to put oil, but hey, this method is still healthier than deep frying the chicken in a bucketful of oil!
- Cook at 200 C for 15 min, then using thongs, lift chicken and turn over for 7 min, and turn back skin side up and let cook for another 5 min or until crispy.
- Spread sambal paste on top and enjoy with rice.
Notes
Ayam Geprek - Quick FAQ
1. What is ayam geprek?Ayam geprek is an Indonesian dish of crispy battered fried chicken topped with spicy sambal. “Geprek” means crushed or smashed in Javanese. 2. What is the difference between ayam geprek and ayam penyet?
Ayam penyet uses chicken cooked in yellow spice paste before frying, while ayam geprek uses Western-style battered fried chicken. 3. Where did ayam geprek originate?
Ayam geprek is believed to have originated in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, popularised by Bu Rum in the early 2000s. 4. Does ayam geprek have to be smashed?
Traditionally yes, but smashing is optional. Pouring sambal over crispy chicken delivers the same flavour without the mess. 5. Can ayam geprek be made without deep frying?
Yes. You can air-fry the battered chicken for a lighter, less oily version without sacrificing crispiness. 6. What type of chicken works best for ayam geprek?
Chicken thigh works best because it stays juicy and flavourful after frying or air-frying. 7. What makes ayam geprek sambal so addictive?
The sambal combines fresh chillies, garlic, and seasoning for intense heat, aroma, and savoury depth. 8. Can I use a blender instead of mortar and pestle for the sambal?
Yes. Blending the sambal is faster and still produces excellent flavour for home cooking. 9. Is ayam geprek very spicy?
It can be. The heat level depends entirely on the number and type of chillies used in the sambal. 10. What should I serve with ayam geprek?
Steamed white rice is essential. It balances the heat and soaks up the sambal beautifully.