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The flavor-packed chicken paired with those addictive, crispy kremes bits makes it impossible to resist. It’s the kind of dish that brings people together—whether it’s a regular family meal or something special for guests. Once you try it, you’ll understand why it’s always a hit in our home.
What is ayam goreng kremes?
Ayam goreng kremes is one of those dishes that brings instant comfort—and serious crunch. The chicken is twice-cooked and is juicy and full of flavor, thanks to a traditional ungkep method where it’s simmered in aromatic spices and herbs before getting a quick fry. And the best part? The kremes—crispy, golden, spiced crunchy bits sprinkled generously on top. It’s honestly the best part of the dish
What’s so special about this ayam goreng ?
Unlike Western-style fried chicken that’s marinated and dredged in flour, Indonesian fried chicken is typically precooked first in a spice paste (we call it ungkep), and then lightly fried to crisp up the outside while keeping the inside tender and juicy. This is how we grew up eating fried chicken—super flavorful all the way to the bone
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
1. No need for batter coating – The skin gets crispy from frying as-is, and the kremes give it all the texture and crunch you crave.
2. Deeply flavorful chicken – Every bite is infused with Indonesian spices like coriander, lemongrass, turmeric, and bay leaves.
3. Tender and juicy – Precooking (ungkep) ensures the meat stays moist, even after frying.
4. Crispy magic topping – The kremes are light, crunchy, and impossible to stop eating.
5. Authentic Indonesian style – This is how fried chicken is often prepared across the country, from family kitchens to roadside warungs.
Ingredients and Substitutions
1. Chicken – Use skin-on, bone-in drumsticks, thighs, or wings. Bone-in gives more flavor.
2. Coriander powder – A must for that classic Indonesian base flavor.
3. Ground fennel seeds – Adds a subtle sweetness and aroma.
4. Bay leaves – Use Indonesian daun salam if you have it; otherwise, regular bay leaves work too.
5. Turmeric powder – For color and earthy aroma.
6. Salt + chicken bouillon powder – You can also use crushed bouillon cubes.
7. Lemongrass – Bruised to release the fragrance
8. Water – Enough to braise/simmer the chicken (see method below).
9. Oil for deep frying – Any neutral oil with high smoke point.
10. Red onion – Or use shallots.
11. Garlic – Use fresh garlic and not the pre-minced garlic preserved in citric acid, giving them that sour taste that I really don’t like
12. Candlenuts – Sub with macadamia nuts if unavailable. Adds richness to the spice paste.
13. Rice flour – The base of the crunch.
14. Baking powder – Helps create that light, lacy texture.
15. Chicken stock – Use the flavorful liquid leftover from cooking the chicken!
Tips for Success
1. Don’t skip the ungkep step – This is what makes the chicken flavorful and juicy inside.
2. Use medium-high oil temperature – Too low and the chicken absorbs oil; too high and the kremes burns.
3. Kremes batter should be thin – That’s what creates the signature lacy texture when fried.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! You can ungkep the chicken a day ahead and refrigerate. Just fry when ready to serve. You can also make the kremes in advance and keep them in an airtight container for a day or two. I keep them in the fridge to keep them crunchy
2. Why isn’t my kremes crispy?
Make sure your oil is hot enough and the batter is thin. If the batter is too thick, it won’t fry up into delicate, crunchy bits.
3. Can I use chicken breast?
You can, but bone-in, skin-on dark meat (thighs, drumsticks) is much more flavorful and stays juicy. If you must use breast, don’t overcook it during the ungkep stage.
4. Is candlenut necessary?
Candlenuts add richness and are common in Indonesian cooking. If you can’t find them, macadamia nuts are a great sub.
5. What do I serve this with?
Steamed jasmine rice, nasi kuning, nasi uduk, nasi pandan, sambal balado, sambal ijo, sliced cucumber, and fried shallots (bawang goreng) are classic sides.
Ayam Goreng Ungkep Kremes
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 kg chicken drumsticks skin on, bone-in
- 2 Tbsp Oil for deep frying
- 2 stalks lemongrass Bruise with heavy object to release flavor
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
- 3 bay leaves use 6 if dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tsp chicken powder such as bouillon cube or powder
- water depending on which method you use, see instruction below
Ingredients to grind into paste:
- 1 large red onion peeled
- 1 bulb garlic peeled
- 5 candlenuts or substitute with macademia nuts if you must
Spiced crunch:
- 4 Tbsp rice flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 Tbsp chicken stock from cooking the chicken
Instructions
Cooking the chicken on the stove:
- Preheat a heavy-bottom pot with 2 Tbsp of oil. Add the ground onion garlic, and candlenuts and stir fry for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the lemongrass stalks. Add the chicken pieces followed by the bay leaves, coriander powder, ground fennel seeds, salt, chicken powder, ground white pepper, and turmeric powder, and 4 cups or water
- Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer and close the lid to let the chicken cook for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Proceed to the "remove the chicken from the pot" step below
Cooking the chicken with Instant pot pressure cooker:
- Press saute on the Instant Pot. When it's hot, add 2 Tbsp of oil. Add the ground onion garlic, and candlenuts and stir fry for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the lemongrass stalks.
- Add the chicken pieces followed by the coriander powder, ground fennel seeds, salt, chicken powder, ground white pepper, and turmeric powder, and 3 cups or water
- Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on high pressure. The steam release valve to "sealing" and set the timer to 10 minutes.
- When the timer is up, carefully release the pressure and open the lid once the pressure valve has collapsed. Proceed to the "remove the chicken from the pot" step below
Remove the chicken from the pot:
- Carefully remove the chicken from pot. Save the cooking liquid. Lightly pat the chicken dry with absorbent paper towel let them cool down for about 30 minutes before frying
- You can even prepare ahead up to this point. Once the chicken has cooled down, you can cover and keep them in the fridge and fry in the next day or two
Frying the chicken (stove top):
- Preheat oil enough to deep fry the chicken. Deep fry until they are deep golden brown. Flip them over to the other side to fry. Remove into an absorbent paper towel and transfer to serving platter. Repeat until you are done with the chicken. Remove the small bits in the oil and reheat the oil back up to fry the crunchy bits
Frying using air-fryer:
- Brush oil all over the chicken pieces and set the temperature at 400 F and air fried for about 5 minutes or until deep golden brown
Making the Kremes (Crunchy bits):
- Mix rice flour, baking powder, salt and chicken stock Stir to mix. The mixture is kinda watery mixture. Add this mixture a bit by bit (about 1-2 Tbsp at a time) into the hot oil by circling around with a spoon instead of pouring all at one spot.
- Let it fry until golden brown and crunchy. Remember to stir the mixture each time before you add them to the hot oil.
- Place on absorbent paper towel to soak up excess oil
To serve:
- Serve the ayam goreng along with the kremes mixture with some rice and sambal. See my post for what to serve ayam goreng kremes with
5 comments
I recently had this dish at an Indonesian restaurant and wanted to try it at home. Directions were easy to understand and follow. My only suggestion is that it needs more flavor. Maybe marinating the chicken overnight would help. I did whip up a quick dipping sauce mixing sweet chili sauce and teriyaki sauce which added to the dish’s flavor. I’ll definitely make this again looking to infuse more flavor into the chicken.
Hello Mark, yes, you can definitely let them marinate overnight in the fridge for stronger flavor.
Will you be able to eat the bones with this recipe?
Hi Joe, I didn’t pressure cook the chicken to the point where the bones can be easily munched on 🙂 I probably should try it in the future
It seems kind of tricky to prepare, but I guess it’d be a nice weekend challenge! Thank you for the recipe!