Ayam Geprek (Indonesian Smashed Fried Chicken)
This is one of those dishes that’s all about contrast – crispy, craggy fried chicken smashed just enough to open it up, then topped with a punchy, garlicky sambal. The chicken soaks it all in, softening slightly in places, while the edges stay nice and crunchy. It’s simple, bold, and best served with rice and cucumber to cut through the heat.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (skin-on if you can find them)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
For the sambal:
- 8 red chillies, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 small shallots, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 75ml vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- ½ lime, juiced
For frying:
- 200g plain flour
- 50g cornflour
- 1 tsp salt
- ice water
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
To serve:
- cooked rice
- cucumber slices
Instructions
- Place the chicken, salt, white pepper, coriander, turmeric and oil in a bowl and mix well to coat. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or a couple of hours in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, to make the sambal, add the chillies, garlic, shallots and salt to a pestle and mortar and pound into a rough paste. This will take a little while – consider it your arm workout for the day! If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, or just want to simplify things, you can use a food processor, though the flavour is better when everything is pounded by hand.
- Heat the oil until shimmering, then carefully pour it over the paste. Mix well, then add the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust – more sugar for sweetness, more lime for zing, more fish sauce or salt for savoury depth. Set aside.
- Fill a large, deep pan or Dutch oven halfway with oil and heat to 180°C. Set a wire rack over a tray – this is where the cooked chicken will rest, allowing air to circulate and keeping it crisp.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, cornflour and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, add cold water and a handful of ice.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, coat it in the flour mixture using your “dry” hand. Shape your hand into a claw and press the flour firmly into the chicken so it adheres and forms a textured surface. Shake off any excess, then use your “wet” hand to dip the chicken into the ice water, letting the excess drip off. Return the chicken to the flour mixture and repeat the claw motion to coat thoroughly. Take your time here – pressing in the flour creates those light, craggy edges that fry up beautifully. Set aside and let the coating hydrate slightly for 10 minutes.
- When the oil reaches 180°C, carefully lower the chicken pieces into the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Work in batches if necessary.
- Fry the chicken for 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to the rack to drain. If frying in batches, keep the cooked chicken warm in a low oven.
- Place the chicken on a board and lightly smash with a pestle, rolling pin or meat mallet. You want to crack the crust and expose the meat without completely flattening it.
- Spoon over the sambal – as much or as little as you like – and serve with rice and cucumber.