Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Indonesian Ayam Geprek Chicken
印尼參巴碎雞
Recipe overview
Chicken thigh cutlets are double-coated, fried in measured oil to 74°C, then pressed once into a coarse fresh chilli, garlic and hot-oil sambal.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g boneless chicken thigh
- 150 g plain flour
- 50 g rice flour
- 1 egg
- 4 red chilli
- 15 g garlic
Coating and sambal seasoning
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Frying and sambal oil
- 750 ml neutral oil, divided between frying and sambal
02
Tools
- Chef’s knife and two chopping boards
- Two shallow trays and mixing bowl
- Deep frying pan and oil thermometer
- Draining rack and heatproof tongs
- Stone mortar and pestle
- Probe thermometer
- Clean deep serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Cut and dry four chicken cutlets
Slice boneless chicken thigh into four even cutlets and pat every surface dry.
Step 2
Mix the seasoned flour coating
Mix 150 g plain flour, 50 g rice flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper in a shallow tray.
Step 3
Beat the egg wash
Beat 1 egg with 1 tbsp water in a separate bowl; keep one hand dry and one hand wet.
Step 4
Double-coat each cutlet
Coat one cutlet in flour, egg, then flour again, pressing the final coat lightly.
Step 5
Reserve sambal oil and heat frying oil
Reserve 2 tbsp from the 750 ml oil for the sambal, then heat the remainder about 4 cm deep in a pan to 170°C.
Step 6
Fry the first sides in two batches
Fry two cutlets at a time for 5 minutes, keeping space so oil temperature does not fall sharply.
Step 7
Turn and fry until deep gold
Turn and fry 3–4 minutes until deeply golden; drain each batch on a rack, not paper.
Step 8
Probe every batch to 74°C
Probe the thickest cutlet; chicken must reach 74°C with no pink centre.
Step 9
Pound the coarse fresh sambal
Pound fresh red chillies, garlic, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar to a coarse sambal.
Step 10
Bloom sambal with reserved hot oil
Heat the reserved 2 tbsp clean oil until shimmering, then pour it carefully over the sambal.
Step 11
Press chicken once into sambal
Place one fried cutlet over sambal and press it once or twice with the pestle without shredding it.
Step 12
Serve each portion immediately
Serve hot chicken with its sambal; repeat pressing only immediately before serving each portion.
Common mistakes
- Wet chicken makes flour coating slide off.
- Overcrowding cools the oil and makes coating greasy.
- Pressing chicken repeatedly turns it into crumbs.
- Serving chicken below 74°C is unsafe.
Tips
Keep chicken batches small so the coating stays crisp.
Use a stone mortar with fresh chillies; do not blend sambal smooth.
Pour hot oil into sambal cautiously and stand back from splatter.
