Name: Ayam Goreng Singkawang
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 pcs chicken thigh fillet; 10 gr chicken powder; 5 gr salt; 2 gr sugar; 2 gr pepper; ½ tsp basic seasoning; 1 tsp fish sauce; 2 tsp sesame oil; ½ tsp oyster sauce; 3 red chilis; 5 padi chilis; 1 tomato; 1 tsp shrimp paste; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp mushroom powder

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Ayam Goreng Singkawang is a flavorful Indonesian fried chicken dish from Singkawang, West Kalimantan. The chicken is marinated well with spices, then deep-fried to golden perfection. Known for its fragrant, slightly spicy taste and crispy skin, it’s often served with sambal and steamed rice, making it a favorite for both everyday meals and special occasions.

a photo of ayam goreng singkawang with chili sauce, cucumber, and basil from above.

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Ayam Goreng Singkawang

In Indonesia, fried chicken comes in various styles, each rich in regional flavors. Ayam Goreng Kremes is crispy with crunchy “kremes” bits, while Ayam Goreng Kalasan is sweet and savory, marinated in coconut water. Ayam Penyet is tender, smashed, and served with sambal, and Ayam Goreng Sambal Matah from Bali adds a fresh, spicy kick with shallot and lemongrass sambal. Other varieties include Ayam Goreng Lengkuas, featuring crispy galangal. Ayam Goreng Balado with lots of chilis.

Indonesia has many kinds of ayam goreng or fried chicken. Here is one from West Kalimantan, called Ayam Goreng Singkawang. This fried chicken is simple to make, complete with its chili sauce. Singkawang is a small town in Kalimantan. It is famous for many delicious food.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Simple and quick – It is so easy to prepare this dish and requires only 15 minutes to let the seasonings go into the chicken.
Full of flavor – You can get a dish so flavorful with only a few basic seasonings.
Gluten-free – This recipe is gluten-free and therefore healthy.

Recipe Ingredients

a photo of ayam goreng singkawang ingredients.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken bouillon – Use this to enhance the flavor.

Oyster sauce – Oyster sauce will give a base flavor to the chicken.

Sesame oil – Sesame oil adds a wonderful fragrant to the dish.

Fish sauce – Fish sauce adds an umami flavor even though only a little is needed here.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below

Variations

To get the best result of a fried chicken, you need to deep-fry it. Deep-frying needs a lot of oil. I highly recommend you use coconut oil for its high saturation characteristic, and you get a better result, more dry than you use other oil.

Another option is to air-fry it. It is a healthy option as you require a little oil in the process. Even though the taste will be slightly different, it is really up to your preference.

How to Make

Basic Seasoning

Combine chicken powder, salt, sugar, and pepper in a small container. Stir evenly. (image 1) You may keep the basic seasoning in a closed container for future use.
The amount of seasoning for the chicken depends on the amount of chicken pieces you want to marinade. I am using 4 pieces of chicken thigh fillet here, so I will multiply the seasoning by 4.
Put basic seasoning, fish sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce in a bowl. Stir well. (image 2)
Transfer the chicken thigh fillet into the bowl. Massage the chicken with the seasoning thoroughly and evenly until all the pieces are well-coated. (image 3)
Cling wrap the bowl and keep in the fridge for at least 15 minutes or overnight. (image 4)
When you are ready to fry, take the chicken out of the chiller. Heat the cooking oil, the amount should be enough to soak the chicken.
Wait until it is hot enough. Test by dipping a bamboo stick or chopstick into the oil (image 5). When there is bubble and some faint smoke coming out, you can put in the chicken.

Put the chicken with the skin facing down (image 6). Be careful for oil splashing.
Fry for about 10 minutes on each side or until the color turns golden brown. (image 7)

Take out the chicken, set aside for a minute. Put it back again for the second time frying.
This time let it fry for one minute on each side. Take it out and drain the oil with a colander. Let the oil drain out. Cut the chicken to pieces. (image 8)
Heat some oil (2-3 tbsp oil). Put in the tomato pieces, chilis (cut), and shrimp paste. Stir-fry for a minute or two. (image 9)
Transfer to a food processor (image 10). Grind them coarsely or finely (up to your preference)
Pour back to the pan. Add salt, sugar, and mushroom powder (image 11). Let it simmer until oil comes out (image 12). Serve with the fried chicken!

Expert Tips

If you can’t stand spicy food, you can omit the seeds of the chili to make it less spicy. Be careful while doing that. Use plastic gloves, otherwise your hands will get hot even after washing them.
Shrimp paste smell is quite strong. Some people can’t stand it while some love it so much. If you don’t like it, you can omit the shrimp paste.
Deep-frying two times will make the outer part of the chicken crispier.

FAQs

Yes, this recipe is gluten-free. It doesn’t have any gluten in it, so it is safe for gluten-intolerant people.

You can keep the marinated chicken for up to two days in the chiller.

Yes, you can try turkey, pork, shrimp, or beef. They all work well with the seasonings.

a plate of ayam goreng singkawang with chili sauce.

Storage

Keep the marinated chicken in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you want to keep it longer, put it in the freezer. Leftover of the fried chicken can be kept in the chiller for up to two days. Reheat by frying or air-frying.

Keep the chili sauce separately in a closed container. It is best for up to 7 days.