Pieces of chicken are cooked in sweet and savory kicap/kecap sauce. The recipe is a healthier version with less oil and doesn’t require deep-frying the chicken. They are easy to make and full of flavor.
Ayam masak kicap is one of my favorite Malay-style chicken dish cooked in sweet and spicy soy-sauce based gravy. They are full of flavor without a long list of spices and herbs used in the recipe. Traditionally, the chicken is deep-fried and then cooked in the sweet soy sauce gravy. I air fried the chicken instead. Ayam masak kicap is perfect for any day of the week.
The recipe rundown
Taste: Sweet, spicy, and savory
Texture: Tender pieces of chicken with some wedges of onion that are still slightly crunchy
Level: Easy
Pros: This recipe uses less oil and the chicken can be air-fried or broiled/baked instead of deep frying
How to cook ayam masak kicap
1. Marinate the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp oil (omit oil if you plan to deep fry the chicken) for 15 minutes. Air fry them at 400 F (200 C) for 15 minutes and then flip over and air fry another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. The chicken pieces don’t have to be cooked through at this point as we will be braising it later
2. Mix all ingredients for seasonings in the bowl and set aside. Preheat a large wok or skillet. Add the rest of the cooking oil. Saute shallots, garlic, ginger, and chili (if using) until aromatics, about 1 minute
3. Add the chicken pieces followed by the seasonings
4. Stir fry for another minute. Add the water and bring to a boil
5. Cover with the lid and lower the heat to let the chicken simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until cooked through
6. Uncover the lid and add the tomato wedges, onion wedges, and green onion stalks. Cook until the onion just turning soft. We still want a bit of “crunch”. Remove from the heat and serve immediately
Family’s feedbacks
They love the gravy. It’s sweet and lightly spicy. M husband wish I made it a bit spicier, but I didn’t because my kids would complaint about being too spicy. So I have to come to a middle ground here.
What if I don’t have kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) is availabe at Asian grocery store. You can also get it from Amazon (affiliate link). Alternatively, you can also use dark soy sauce with light or dark brown sugar. I prefer dark brown sugar. You can also use coconut sugar or gula Melaka.
Did you make this ayam masak kicap recipe?
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Easy Ayam Masak Kicap (Malay Soy Sauce Chicken)
Ingredients
- 900 gr chicken drumstick you can use wings, thighs, breast too
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil divided
- ¼ cup water or more as needed
- 1 large tomato cut into wedges
Aromatics:
- 4 shallots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 inch ginger minced
- 2 Bird's eye chili optional
- 1 large yellow onion cut into large wedges
- 2 stalks green part of green onion cut into 2-inch length
Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp kecap manis see notes
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey or more to taste
Instructions
Marinate the chicken:
- Marinate the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp oil (omit oil if you plan to deep fry the chicken) for 15 minutes
To cook the chicken with air fryer:
- Air fry them at 400 F (200 C) for 15 minutes and then flip over and air fry another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. The chicken pieces don't have to be cooked through at this point as we will be braising it later
To broil the chicken in the oven:
- Turn on the broiler on low. If you don't have the broiler function, preheat oven at 425 F (218 C) fan mode if there's one in your oven. Spray the baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with a non-stick spray or brush with some oil. Place the marinated chicken on the tray and let them broil until they are golden brown but not burnt or if you are baking, bake for about 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown. You can flip over half-way too so they brown more evenly. The chicken pieces don't have to be cooked through at this point as we will be braising it later
If you prefer to deep fry the chicken:
- Preheat about 3 inches of oil. Fry the chicken in batches until they are golden brown. The chicken won't be fully
Cooking the chicken with the kicap sauce:
- Mix all ingredients for seasonings in the bowl and set aside. Preheat a large wok or skillet. Add the rest of the cooking oil. Saute shallots, garlic, ginger, and chili (if using) until aromatics, about 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces followed by the seasonings and stir fry for another minute. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover with the lid and lower the heat to let the chicken simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until cooked through
- Uncover the lid and add the tomato wedges, onion wedges, and green onion stalks. Cook until the onion just turning soft. We still want a bit of "crunch". Remove from the heat and serve immediately
