Learn how to make a perfect semur ayam kentang kecap on the stove or with Instant Pot pressure cooker. This one-pot recipe is easy and tasty.
Semur Ayam Kentang Kecap (Chicken Potatoes Smoor)
DUTCH-INDONESIAN BRAISED CHICKEN (SMOOR AJAM)
Making semur ayam reminds me of my grandma. I’ve mentioned before in my other post that my grandma cooked lots of Dutch-Indonesian food. Semur ayam kecap was one of the dishes she made so often. It’s easy, it’s tasty, and it’s pretty economical. Semur or known as smoor in Dutch is basically a cooking technique of braising/simmering meats (semur daging – usually beef) with onions, spices, tomatoes over a long period of time. Smoor has then been adapted and blended with local Indonesian spices and seasoning like kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) and developed into the semur the way it is now. Semur is not limited to only beef and has been used with chicken, mutton, tongue, eggs, eggplants, tofu, tempeh, vegetables, etc. Semur is definitely a popular dish among the home cooks in Indonesia.
SIMPLIFIED SEMUR RECIPE
There are many slight variations in terms of spices and herbs used in making semur. My grandma semur recipe has bay leaves, ginger, nutmeg, candlenuts (kemiri), coriander seeds (ketumbar), cloves, cinnamon. Kecap manis is always used in semur kecap.
In my simplified semur recipe I use bay leaves, nutmeg powder, coriander powder (ketumbar), ginger, purple onion (shallots), garlic, and kecap manis. I use powder spices for convenience and that’s what I had in stock and the semur still turns out really tasty.
The family loves this semur ayam kecap and I love to make it too because I can make it in big batch and feed the family for 2 days!
CUT OF CHICKEN TO USE
I use drumsticks in this recipe. You can use chicken thighs or drumettes. I don’t recommend using chicken breast, but it’s just a personal preference you can certainly use it if you want.
HOW TO MAKE SEMUR AYAM FROM SCRATCH (STOVE TOP OR PRESSURE COOKER)
GRIND AROMATICS
1. Place purple onions (or shallots), ginger, and garlic in food processor
2. Grind into fine pieces
COOKING (ON THE STOVE OR INSTANT POT)
1. Preheat cooking oil in a pot (or inner pot of Instant Pot)
2. Add the ground aromatics and stir fry until really fragrant, about 3 minutes
3. Add the chicken pieces
4. Add spices and herb (coriander powder, nutmeg powder, bay leaves)
5. Add seasonings (kecap manis, coconut sugar, salt)
6. Add liquid
For pressure cooker, I only add 1/4 cup of water. The chicken will let out lots of liquid too later. If you are cooking on the stove add about 4 cups of water
7. Pressure cook on high for 18 minutes (for large drumsticks) and then release pressure immediately after. For stove-top, bring to a boil and then lower the heat to let chicken simmer until cooked through, 20-30 minutes (depending on what cut of chicken you use)
8. 10 minutes before the end of cooking time on the stove, add in potato pieces. For pressure cooker, once you have release pressure, remove the chicken pieces to a serving platter, but keep the juices in the pot. Turn on saute mode and add potato pieces in and cook for another 10 minutes until potatoes are soft but not mushy
Semur ayam kentang kecap is ready to be served!
HOW LONG TO PRESSURE COOK CHICKEN
Pressure cooking time is for fresh chicken. If you are using frozen, add 5 minutes to the cooking time
BONE-IN SKIN ON OR SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS: 10 minutes
BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS: 6 minutes
BONE-IN DRUMSTICKS: 18 minutes
DRUMETTES: 6 minutes
BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST: 8 minutes
Semur Ayam Kentang Kecap (Chicken Potatoes Smoor)
Ingredients
- 1 kg bone-in drumsticks You can use other cut of chicken
- 600 gr potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- Water see instruction below for the amount
Grind ingredients:
- 1 small purple onion or 8 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 inch fresh ginger
Spices:
- ½ tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
Herb:
- 3 bay leaves (daun salam)
Seasonings:
- 4 Tbsp kecap manis
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar or use brown sugar
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
Garnish:
- Fried crispy shallots (bawang goreng)
Instructions
Grind aromatics:
- Place purple onions (or shallots), ginger, and garlic in food processor
- Grind into fine pieces
Cooking (on stove-top of pressure cooker):
- Preheat cooking oil in a pot or inner pot of instant pot. Press saute on instant pot to preheat oil
- Add the ground aromatics and stir fry until really fragrant, about 3 minutes
- Add the chicken pieces
- Add spices and herb (coriander powder, nutmeg powder, bay leaves)
- Add seasonings (kecap manis, light soy sauce, coconut sugar, salt)
- For pressure cooker, I only add 1/4 cup of water. The chicken will let out lots of liquid too later. If you are cooking on the stove add about 4 cups of water. Turn off saute mode on Instant Pot
- Pressure cook on high for 18 minutes (for large drumsticks) and then release pressure immediately after. For stove-top, bring to a boil and then lower the heat to let chicken simmer until cooked through, 20-30 minutes (depending on what cut of chicken you use)
- 10 minutes before the end of cooking time on the stove, add in potato pieces. For pressure cooker, once you have release pressure, remove the chicken pieces to a serving platter, but keep the juices in the pot. Turn on saute mode and add potato pieces in and cook for another 10 minutes until potatoes are soft but not mushy
- Have a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The final taste should be more on the sweet side. Add more kecap manis and/or salt if needed. Transfer to a large serving bowl
- Garnish with bawang goreng if you want to
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5 comments
Absolutely delicious! It’s rare to hear my kid said to cook more of the same thing again next time. Seems ike I will be trying a lot of your recipes. I need more instapot recipes and found yummy ones here! Thank you Marvellina.
Hi Liany, wow..I’m so happy that even you kid gave approval 🙂 I hear you though, when my kids ask me to cook the same thing again, I know it is a keeper! I love my instant pot and try to use it as much as I can 🙂 Thank you for trying and for letting me know! Cheers
Absolutely delicious! It’s rare to hear my kid said to cook more of the same thing again next time. Seems ike I will be trying a lot of your recipes. Thank you Marvellina.
A delicious recipe, something that especially my children would love, chicken and potatoes are always a winner. And although such a familiar dish, so different with all the spices. I would love to try it!
I agree with you Adina. It’s such a familiar dish, chicken and potatoes, yet every country or region seems to have its own spices and concoction to make it special