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Ayam Bakar Semur - Broiled Chicken in Nutmeg and Sweet Soy Sauce

Name: Ayam Bakar Semur - Broiled Chicken in Nutmeg and Sweet Soy Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon oil; 2 Indonesian bay leaves (Indonesian: daun salam); 2 whole cloves (Indonesian: cengkeh); 1 cinnamon stick (Indonesian: kayu manis); 1/4 teaspoon cumin (Indonesian: jintan); 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (Indonesian: pala); 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper (Indonesian: merica); 10-12 pieces of chicken drumsticks and/or thighs; 1 tomato (60 gram / 2 oz), cut into wedges; 1 cup water; 1 1/2 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (Indonesian: kecap manis); 100 gram shallot (Indonesian: bawang merah); 4 cloves garlic (Indonesian: bawang putih); 1 inch ginger (Indonesian: jahe); 4 candlenuts

Last updated: Nov 9, 2020 — Published: May 23, 2016 — By: Anita — 11 comments

Summer is here! Hello, sunshine and charcoal BBQ! For your next cookout, serve your friends some tender juicy grilled semur ayam and be a super hostess!

Ayam Bakar Semur - Broiled Chicken in Nutmeg and Sweet Soy Sauce.

This is grilled/broiled version on the ever-popular ayam semur, ayam bakar semur.

The original version of ayam semur is full of sauce, but in this version, we cook until the sauce is almost gone and very thick, then transfer the chicken to be broiled, while basting it with the sauce.

If you have a charcoal grill, you can also grill the chicken instead of broiling, they are actually even better when prepared that way!

Ingredients for ayam bakar semur

1. Chicken

We will need one whole chicken, cut into 8-12 pieces. Or you can also use 4-6 chicken quarters, cut into chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks. I prefer to later approach since my family loves chicken quarters and I would be the only one left to eat the breasts.

2. Kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)

Anytime we make a semur dish, we will need to use kecap manis. You should be able to find kecap manis in your Asian market, or you can also place an online order from Amazon. I must say that online prices are more expensive, so be on the lookout when you visit your Asian market.

3. Aromatics, fresh vegetables, spices, and seasonings

For the aromatics and fresh vegetables, we will need tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and shallots.

For the spices and seasonings, we will need daun salam (Indonesian bay leaves), cinnamon, candlenuts (Indonesian: kemiri), cloves, cumin, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper.

(1) Sauté spice paste, daun salam, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. (2) Add chicken. (3) Add tomatoes. (4) Add salt, kecap manis, and water.

Step 1: Braise the chicken

First, grind shallot, garlic, ginger, and candlenuts into a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat and sauté spice paste, Indonesian bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, and white pepper until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken pieces and fry until no longer pink. Then, add tomatoes and stir until they start to wilt.

Stir in salt, Indonesian sweet soy sauce, and salt. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cook and tender, about 30 minutes.

TIPS: You get a standard version of ayam semur if you stop at this point. Step 2 and step 3 are the extra steps to turn a regular ayam semur into the broiled/grilled version.

Drain and arrange the chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Cook the sauce until it has the thickness of a barbecue/basting sauce, then strain into a bowl.

Step 2: Prepare basting sauce

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, remove the chicken from the wok and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.

Turn the heat to medium-high and continue cooking the sauce until it thickens into a basting sauce consistency. It should look like a barbeque sauce.

Turn off the heat, and strain to get a smooth sauce.

Preheat your oven broiler and brush the top of the chicken with basting sauce.

Step 3: Broil the chicken

Preheat the oven broiler.

Brush the chicken with basting sauce and broil until they are slightly charred. It should take about 4-5 minutes per side.

Serve the chicken immediately with steamed white rice and any remaining basting sauce.

Broil in the preheated broiler until the skin of the chicken is slightly charred.

Make ahead

I love serving this dish for a BBQ potluck even. Once I am done with step 1, I will store the chicken in an air-tight container. Then I reduce the sauce and store it in a separate container.

On the day that I will be serving this, I simply arrange the chicken on a baking sheet, brush with basting sauce, and broil.

If it is an outdoor event and we will be doing a backyard BBQ, I can use a charcoal grill for the final step. If you have this option, grilling with a charcoal grill is the best version for ayam bakar semur.