Indonesian & Malaysian Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Ayam Masak Merah
Fried chicken simmered in a vivid tomato and chili sauce until glossy and fiery-sweet — a Malaysian festive favorite that always draws a crowd.
No common allergens detected
Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Season the chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and pan-fry in the oil over medium-high heat until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes per side; remove and set aside.
- 2
In the same pan, saute the onion, garlic, and ginger until softened and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the blended chili paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the raw chili smell fades and the oil starts to separate.
- 4
Add the tomato puree and ketchup, then return the chicken to the pan, turning to coat.
- 5
Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 20 to 25 minutes.
- 6
Season with salt and a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity, then serve hot with rice.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
65/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving370
Calories
43 g
Protein
2 g
Carbs
22 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Ayam Masak Merah — 'red cooked chicken' — is a Malaysian Malay celebration dish, appearing at weddings, Eid feasts, and kenduri (community dinners) across the peninsula. Its vivid red color comes from a combination of blended dried chilies and tomatoes cooked down into a thick, clinging sauce, and its flavor sits at the intersection of Malay and Indian culinary influence — spiced with star anise and cardamom but built on the chili-tomato base that is characteristically Malay. It is distinct from both a curry and a sambal: the sauce coats the chicken without being a brothy liquid, and the chicken is first fried before being simmered in the sauce.
Listahan note
This version fries the chicken first for a firmer texture that holds up in the thick sauce, and builds the red paste from dried chilies and tomatoes to replicate the characteristic vivid color.
Technique cues
- Fry the chicken pieces until the skin is golden before adding the sauce — the exterior needs to be set so it absorbs the red sauce without softening into mush during the simmer.
- Cook the spice paste in oil until the oil separates clearly from the paste — this pecah minyak (oil breaking) is the signal that the raw spice taste has been cooked out and the sauce is ready for liquid.
- The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon at the end; if it is too loose, remove the chicken, reduce the sauce on its own for 5 minutes, then return the chicken.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Blend the spice paste while the oil heats for frying the chicken; once the chicken is fried and resting, the paste goes straight into the same pan.
- Make-ahead
- Ayam Masak Merah improves overnight and is a classic wedding-prep dish made the day before; refrigerate and the sauce thickens into an even better coating.
- Leftover move
- Pull leftover chicken off the bone and stir into rice with a spoonful of the sauce for a quick meal; the red sauce works as a pasta sauce in a pinch.
- Cleanup rhythm
- The red chili paste will stain light-colored equipment; use a dark or stainless pan and blend in a dark bowl, and wipe surfaces with a baking-soda paste if stained.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
chicken pieces
main protein
Purpose: Bone-in pieces — thighs and drumsticks — stay moist through both the frying and the sauce simmer and pick up the red sauce more evenly than boneless pieces.
Handling: Score the thighs deeply, rub with salt and turmeric, and pat dry before frying.
Adaptation: Boneless thighs work with a shorter fry time; breast meat is prone to drying out but can be used if added to the sauce earlier.
dried red chilies
sauce base and color
Purpose: The vivid red color of Ayam Masak Merah comes specifically from dried chilies blended with tomatoes — using only fresh chilies or chili powder produces a paler, less dramatic sauce.
Handling: Soak in hot water for 15 minutes, drain, and blend with tomatoes and onion into a smooth paste.
Adaptation: Kashmiri chili powder at 3 tablespoons blended into the tomato base provides color with less heat than regular dried chilies.
tomatoes
acidity and body in the sauce
Purpose: Tomatoes balance the richness of the fried chicken and give the sauce enough liquid body to simmer without burning.
Handling: Quarter and blend with the dried chilies for a unified red paste base.
Adaptation: Three tablespoons of tomato paste plus 2 tablespoons of water substitutes for fresh tomatoes in the blended paste.
star anise
warm whole spice
Purpose: Star anise is the distinctly Malay-Indian spice note in Ayam Masak Merah that sets it apart from a simple tomato-chili chicken.
Handling: Add 2-3 whole pods to the oil before frying the paste; remove before serving.
Adaptation: Two cardamom pods and a small piece of cinnamon approximate the warm-spice complexity.
onion
paste sweetener and thickener
Purpose: Blended onion adds body to the sauce and sweetness that balances the chili's heat when it caramelizes during the cook-down.
Handling: Roughly chop and add to the blender with the chili-tomato paste.
Adaptation: Shallots at double the quantity produce a slightly sweeter, more complex result.
Technique notes
- Frying the chicken in the same pan that will be used for the sauce is intentional: the chicken fond on the bottom dissolves into the sauce and adds a roasted depth that a clean pan cannot provide.
- Add half a can of coconut milk in the last 10 minutes of simmering if you prefer a creamier, less intensely red sauce — this variation is common in the Peranakan style.
- Rest the finished dish covered off the heat for 10 minutes before serving; the chicken continues to absorb the sauce during this time and the flavors knit together.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- The recipe is naturally gluten-free as written; verify any kecap manis used for serving is tamari-based.
- Lower-heat direction
- Reduce dried chilies by half and increase tomatoes; the sauce remains red and flavorful but loses the heat that makes it a celebration-table dish.
- Weeknight shortcut
- Skip the frying step and add raw chicken directly to the cooked paste; simmer covered for 30 minutes — the texture is softer but the flavor is nearly identical.
Serve alongside
- Nasi lemak or plain steamed rice
- Acar rampai (mixed pickled vegetables)
- Sayur lodeh (vegetable coconut curry)
- Rose syrup milk drink (sirap susu)
- Iced jasmine tea
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; the red sauce thickens further and the flavor deepens considerably by day two.
- Freeze for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding 2 tablespoons of water if the sauce is too thick.
Equipment
- Wide, heavy skillet or wok for both frying and simmering
- Blender for the chili-tomato paste
- Splatter screen for the frying stage — the red sauce spatters considerably
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