I love a chicken dinner, and also love spicy food! When I’m stressed from work and don’t really care for eating, I always choose something spicy.

I’m so happy I experimented with this Ayam Penyet recipe at home, because I now need it every week. I also included all the other components which makes this dish “Ayam Penyet’ – Shortcut sambal, air fried crispy tau kwa & crispy bits(kremes)!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Shortcut to the traditional recipe for busy people
No deep frying at all (Making the crispy bits is optional)
Minimal clean up
Only cooking you’ll do is making the sambal (also optional)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 bone-in and skin-on whole chicken legs (250g each)

Marinade:

(Generous sprinkle all over chicken)

Coriander powder
Salt

(Lightly and evenly cover chicken)

Sugar
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Turmeric powder (optional, I did not add as my husband doesn’t like turmeric)

Air fryer cooking:

Light and even sprinkle of baking powder all over chicken
Neutral oil to glaze chicken

Sambal:

You can skip enhancing it and just serve it in its pre-made state

Blachan chilli - 1 heaping tbsp

Enhancers, highly recommend!:

1/3 diced onion (white or red doesn’t matter)
Big red chillies, chopped
Sugar to taste
Juice of 1 calamansi (not to be confused with large limes)

Sides:

Rice (remember to cook it!)
Deep fried tau kwa - Link
Banana leaf - Link (optional)

Crispy bits (kremes), optional:

4 tbsp rice flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt (optional)

Method

Prep the chicken for marinade:
Pat dry the chicken legs. Season with coriander powder, salt, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to overnight (will give best results)
Air fry the chicken:
Sprinkle with baking powder lightly and rub into skin of the chicken. Place chicken skin-side up and air fry at 190ºC for 30 - 35 mins until cooked through and golden. I like air frying without oil for a few minutes before glazing it with oil so I don’t rub off the marinade. I flip them periodically after the 15-min mark, focusing more time on crisping the top layer so it plates beautifully.
→ My air fryer: This fits 2 legs perfectly
If making crispy bits, if not skip to next step:
Mix all ingredients until a smooth batter. Then in a small pot, fill about half of the pot with neutral oil on medium heat. With a whisk or slotted spoon, drizzle the liquid batter into the hot oil. Deep fry till golden brown and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Let it cool on a paper towel and break it up into tiny bits if they were stuck together during the cooking process.
Make the sambal:
While chicken is cooking, chop & dice big red chillies and onions.
→ Tool I use: Rubber cutting board & stainless steel knife
Cook the sambal:
Heat 1 - 2 tbsp oil in a pan (or the same pot you used for the crispy bits) over medium heat. Sauté the chillies & onions paste until fragrant and soft. Add blachan chilli and mix in well. Lower the heat for more control, then add sugar and lime juice to taste. Adjust as needed and leave aside to cool.
→ Pan I use: Link
Air fry tau kwa:
Air fry at 200ºC for 12 - 15 minutes, don’t need to flip if your air fryer basket has good air flow. (You can add this into the air fryer cooking your chicken just before the 12th-15th minute mark.)
Assemble:
Plate the chicken, then penyet it (Hit it with a pestle or rolling pin). Add rice and spoon sambal. Serve with crispy tau kwa and crispy bits. Enjoy!~

Product(s) Highlight

Storage & FAQ

Q1 How spicy is this sambal? The ready-made blacan chilli is sufficiently spicy for us, so we only added big chillies for texture & extra flavour. If you don’t find it spicy, you can add some chilli padi.

Q2 Can I use chicken breast/thigh? If these parts are bone-in and skin-on, you can. But a whole chicken leg gives the best results and enjoyment when eating! Do know that cooking times will vary if using different cuts.

Q3 How do I store leftovers/Can I make ahead? Store sambal separately in an airtight container (up to 5 days in the fridge). Reheat chicken in the air fryer at 180°C for 5–8 mins, or until sufficiently hot in the middle.

Q4 Where can I find coriander powder? It’s actually pretty easy to find in physical supermarkets (Sheng Siong or Giant would be good places to start) or buy them online.