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Overhead of Indonesian ayam bakar kecap, grilled chicken thighs glazed with sweet soy sauce on a ceramic plate with rice, sambal, chili and lime on dark slate

Ayam Bakar Kecap (Indonesian Sweet Soy Grilled Chicken)

Indonesian grilled chicken done the proper two-step way: boneless thighs simmer in a shallot, garlic and coriander paste until cooked through, then go under the broiler with a kecap manis glaze until charred and sticky. 43g of protein per serving, no grill needed.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 375
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs 900g, about 8 thighs, trimmed of any big pockets of fat
  • 5 shallots about 100g, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 3 candlenuts or raw macadamia nuts optional, see notes
  • 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and sliced
  • 1 inch fresh galangal sliced, or skip and use 1.5 inches of ginger total
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 2 stalks lemongrass bottom third only, bruised with the back of a knife
  • 3 bay leaves Indonesian salam leaves if you can find them
  • 1 cup water 240ml
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste or 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 5 tbsp kecap manis Indonesian sweet soy sauce, ABC or Bango brand, see notes for a substitute
  • 1 tbsp lime juice to finish
  • 2 red chilies thinly sliced, to serve
  • 2 tbsp fried shallots store bought, to serve

Method
 

  1. Blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, galangal, coriander, turmeric and salt with 2 tablespoons of water into a rough paste. A small blender or a mortar and pestle both work. It does not need to be perfectly smooth.
  2. Heat the oil in a wide pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the spice paste, lemongrass and bay leaves and fry, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until the raw shallot smell is gone and the paste has darkened slightly and started to stick.
  3. Add the chicken thighs and turn them in the paste until coated. Pour in the water and tamarind and add 2 tablespoons of the kecap manis. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, turning the thighs once halfway.
  4. Uncover and raise the heat. Let the liquid bubble down for 5 to 8 minutes, turning the chicken now and then, until only a few tablespoons of thick, dark sauce remain clinging to the meat. Fish out the lemongrass and bay leaves. The chicken is fully cooked at this point.
  5. Stir the remaining 3 tablespoons of kecap manis into whatever sauce is left in the pan to make the glaze. Set the broiler to high and put a rack about 5 inches from the element. Line a sheet pan with foil.
  6. Lay the thighs on the pan and brush with glaze. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges char and the sugar in the glaze starts to blister. Flip, brush with more glaze, and broil another 3 minutes. Watch it closely, kecap manis goes from caramelised to burnt in under a minute.
  7. Squeeze the lime juice over the chicken, then scatter the sliced chili and fried shallots on top. Serve with rice, sambal and cucumber slices.