Authentic Indonesian Ayam Sambal Hijau (Chicken in Green Sambal)
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Ayam Sambal Hijau is exactly what you need if you’re craving succulent chicken with a refreshing, spicy kick. It’s the kind of dish you make when you want a big bowl of steamed white rice topped with something punchy and spicy but not complicated. It’s delicious, it’s easy, and it doesn’t take forever to cook. I’m sure you’ll love it.
Indonesian Ayam Sambal Hijau (Green Chili Chicken)
This chicken recipe is traditionally from West Sumatra, Indonesia—a place famous for its bold, spicy kitchen culture. While the region is known for its heat, don’t let that scare you off though.
If you aren’t sure you can handle the heat, use mild green peppers or mix in extra green tomatoes to balance the flavor. I love this meal because it’s a staple that uses just a few fresh ingredients to create a sharp, satisfying taste. I’d rate this as a beginner-level method, so everyone can try it without worry.
The Story Behind the Spice: What is Ayam Sambal Hijau?
Literally translated, the name means “chicken in green chili sambal.” There is a common misconception that red sambals are always the hottest, while green ones are the “safer” bet. In reality, both can be equally fiery—it all depends on the specific type of chilies you source. If you use a high concentration of green bird’s eye chilies (cabe rawit hijau), this dish can be as hot as any red curry, or even hotter.
The difference lies in the flavor profile. Because the green chilies are harvested before they turn red, they possess a slight, pleasant bitterness that is characteristic of their unripe state. This “green” flavor is more botanical and sharp, whereas red chilies tend to develop a deeper, almost fruity sweetness as they mature.
When you cook this sambal hijau sauce, you aim to highlight its zesty, bright edge. And the bitterness of the chili, the acidity of the green tomato, and the saltiness of the chicken create a perfect “flavor triangle” that keeps you coming back for another bite.
Why You Must Try This Ayam Balado Hijau
I’ve been making this so many times now, and here is why it always comes in my rotation from time to time:
- Adjust the Heat: It has a strong kick you can dial in based on your spice tolerance.
- Ready in No Time: Preparing this is straightforward and fast, especially if you opt for boneless cuts.
- Pairs with Everything: This dish pairs well with almost any traditional Indonesian side dish, making it a perfect main for a big family meal.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
I’ve found that fresh green tomatoes are the key to getting that authentic cabe ijo color. Here is exactly what we use:
- The Chicken: 1 whole chicken (about 1 kg), cut into pieces.
- The Aromatics: 1 stalk of lemongrass, 5 fresh kaffir lime leaves.
- The Green Spice Paste: 250g green chilies, 10 shallots, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 2 green tomatoes.
How to Make This Ayam Sambal Hijau
Originally, you deep-fry the chicken before mixing it into the sambal. However, in this recipe, I prefer to pre-boil the chicken for health reasons. If you want the deep-fry method, you can copy the way I do in Ayam Kecap Manis. Just follow the steps of preparing and deep-frying the chicken, then mix the cooked chicken in the sambal hijau from the
1. Blitz the Paste: Put your green chilies, shallots, salt, and chopped green tomatoes into a food processor. Blitz it until you have a smooth paste.
2. Boil the Chicken: Bring 1.5 liters (2.5 pints) of water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add the chicken and cook until the water returns to a boil. You can add a tablespoon of salt and an inch of fresh ginger to the water. When the chicken is just cooked, take it out of the water and set it aside.
3. Cook the Sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil and sauté the spice paste with the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. You’ll know the sambal hijau sauce is ready when the raw-chili smell turns into a savory aroma, it looks shiny, and the spices have slightly separated from the oil.
4. Combine: Toss the fried chicken into the pan. Stir it well until every piece is coated in the sauce.
5. Cook the chicken in the green sambal for about 10-15 minutes to make sure it absorbs the spice flavors.
Top Tips for the Best Results
Here are a few shortcuts and tricks I’ve learned from making this dish dozens of times:
- Prep the Chicken: Whichever method you choose to pre-cook the chicken (boiling or frying), I suggest piercing the poultry all over with a skewer or fork. This little trick makes a big difference in how the chicken’s flavor develops. Whenever I missed doing this, my boys noticed and always complained that the chicken was tasteless. So yeah, I try not to miss this step anymore.
- Healthier “Frying”: If you want the “frying” taste without much guilt of deep-frying in oil, you can use an air fryer or oven to “fry” the chicken. It still gets a great crunch on the outside of the poultry without the extra fat.
- Make it Mild: For a less spicy taste, remove the seeds from the chilies, use green bell peppers, or add more green tomatoes.
- Marinate Overnight: If you decide to “fry the chicken”, I highly recommend marinating it in the fridge overnight to get the most flavorful chicken. The tamarind makes a huge difference.
- The Pro Move: Cook the chicken and the sambal hijau sauce at the same time in separate pans to get dinner on the table even faster.
How to Store and Reheat
If you have leftovers, they actually taste even better the next day as the spices soak into the meat.
- Store: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: I like to reheat this in a pan over medium heat. If you use a microwave, cover it to keep the chicken moist.
Indonesian Ayam Sambal Hijau (Chicken in Green Sambal)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken approximately 1 kg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon tamarind
- 2 tablespoons water
- Vegetable oil
- 1 lemon grass
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 250 grams green chilies
- 10 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 green tomatoes
Instructions
- Use a food chopper to make spice paste. In the food chopper bowl, place 250 grams of green chilies, 10 shallots, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 chopped green tomatoes. Then blitz until you get a smooth spice paste.
- Boil about 2.5 pints (1.5 liters) of water in a large cooking pot. Once it reaches a boil, add the chicken and boil the poultry until the water reboils. You can put the lid on to speed up the process. Then take the chicken out of the water, drain it, and set them aside.
- Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and fry the spice paste, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves for a few minutes, until fragrant. You can see the spices are shiny, and they slightly separate from the oil.
- Add the chicken to the spice mixture and stir until the chicken is well coated. Leave it to cook over medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes to ensure the chicken absorbs the spices.
Notes
- The original recipe uses deep-fried method for the chicken. In this recipe, I use boiling method for healthier option. If you prefer the deep-frying method, you can follow the steps for preparing and frying the chicken in my Ayam Kecap Manis recipe before mixing the chicken with green sambal.
- Add more green tomatoes and less chilies if you prefer milder taste. You can also use green bell pepper instead of chilies if you want a non-spicy taste. And of course you can always add more green chilies if you like your dish to be more fiery and spicy.
Nutrition
Devy founded So Yummy Recipes and Drizzling Flavor to share her love of food after exploring various cultures and cuisines for more than two decades. Her mission is to help others easily recreate traditional and non-traditional food with readily available ingredients. Her works have been featured in Reader’s Digest, Al Jazeera, MSN, Yahoo, Bon Appétit, and more.
