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Ayam Dabu-Dabu - Pan-Fried Chicken with Spicy Tomato Salsa

Try this yummy, fresh, and spicy tomato salsa with shallots, bird-eye chilies, and lime from Manado. Pair with golden crispy pan-fried chicken, or grilled seafood.
Ayam dabu-dabu is one of Manado's specialty dish, golden pan-fried chicken, served with a spicy tomato salsa.
Ayam dabu-dabu is one of Manado's specialty dish, golden pan-fried chicken, served with a spicy tomato salsa.

Dabu-dabu, or sambal dabu-dabu, is a fresh and fiery chili sauce from Manado, the provincial capital of North Sulawesi. Made from tomatoes, chilies, shallots, and lime juice, this chili sauce is sure to whet up the appetite.

The ingredient lists sound a lot like those for salsa, no? I always wonder if there is any connection between Indonesian dabu-dabu and the Spanish salsa.

The Manado people serve this with grilled seafood, especially grilled fish, but it certainly works just as well with some pan-fried chicken breasts.

Ingredients for ayam dabu-dabu (pan-fried chicken with spicy tomato salsa): chicken breast, tomatoes, shallots, red chilies, lime, and cilantro (not shown).
Ingredients for ayam dabu-dabu (pan-fried chicken with spicy tomato salsa): chicken breast, tomatoes, shallots, red chilies, lime, and cilantro (not shown).

Ingredients for ayam dabu-dabu

1. Pan-fried chicken breast

To prepare pan-fried chicken breast, we will need skinless-boneless chicken breasts, salt, pepper, all-purpose flour, and olive oil.

TIPS: for a quick and easy meal, you can buy a rotisserie chicken and cut it into bite-size pieces.

2. Spicy tomato salsa (dabu-dabu)

For the salsa, we will need tomatoes, shallots, bird-eye chilies, lime, salt, sugar, and cilantro.

Calamansi (Indonesian: lemon cui, or jeruk kesturi) is a more common choice, but it is hard to get fresh calamansi in the US. You may spot frozen calamansi juice in your Asian grocery, but I think lime or lemon is an easier alternative.

Choose tomato varieties that are good for salsa. You want tomatoes with a firm flesh with little seeds. Roma tomatoes are widely available is one of the best choices for salsa. Feel free to add some cherry tomatoes or green tomatoes for a more colorful presentation.

Cilantro is not common in dabu-dabu, but I love them, and adding even just a couple of tablespoons of chopped cilantro makes the salsa more flavorful.

Golden brown pan-fried chicken breasts, served with spicy tomato salsa using tomatoes, shallots, chilies, lime, and cilantro.
Golden brown pan-fried chicken breasts, served with spicy tomato salsa using tomatoes, shallots, chilies, lime, and cilantro.

Step 1: Prepare dabu-dabu

Dabu-dabu is best when it is chilled. I always prepare the salsa first and let it chill in the fridge before frying chicken breasts.

Wash and dry tomatoes and lime, peel shallots and remove stems from bird-eye chilies. Cut tomatoes and shallots into dices, and cut chilies into thin slices.

Place tomatoes, shallots, and chilies in a mixing bowl, along with the lime zest, lime juice, and salt. Stir to mix, cover the bowl, and chill in the fridge.

If you are going to add cilantro to your salsa, add them right before serving so the leaves stay as fresh as possible and won’t wilt too much.

Prepare the spicy tomato salsa in advance and chill in the fridge. Fry chicken breasts and cut into thin slices, then serve with the salsa.
Prepare the spicy tomato salsa in advance and chill in the fridge. Fry chicken breasts and cut into thin slices, then serve with the salsa.

Step 2: Pan-fry chicken breasts

Sprinkle each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Lightly dust the chicken with all-purpose flour, and shake off excess all-purpose flour to get a crispy crust.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts to the hot pan. Cook each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken breasts to a plate.

Rest pan-fried chicken breasts for 10 minutes, then cut into thin strips. Arrange chicken strips on a serving platter and serve with chilled dabu-dabu (spicy tomato salsa).

Ayam Dabu-Dabu - Pan-Fried Chicken with Spicy Tomato Salsa

5.0 from 16 reviews

Author: Anita Jacobson

Categories:  

Cuisines: 

Ingredients:  

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • Dabu-Dabu Sauce
  • 3 Roma tomatoes (Note 1)
  • 100 gram shallots
  • 8-10 bird-eye chilies
  • 1 lime (Note 2)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
  • Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts
  • a pair of chicken breasts, cut each into two halves
  • salt
  • pepper
  • all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  • Dabu-Dabu Sauce
    1. Wash and dry tomatoes and lime, peel shallots and remove stems from bird-eye chilies. Cut tomatoes and shallots into dices, and cut chilies into thin slices..
    2. Place tomatoes, shallots, and chilies in a mixing bowl, along with the lime zest, lime juice, and salt. Stir to mix, cover the bowl, and chill in the fridge.
    3. If you are going to add cilantro to your salsa, add them right before serving so the leaves stay as fresh as possible and won’t wilt too much.
  • Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts
    1. Sprinkle each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Lightly dust the chicken with all-purpose flour, and shake off excess all-purpose flour to get a crispy crust.
    2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts to the hot pan. Cook each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken breasts to a plate.
    3. Rest pan-fried chicken breasts for 10 minutes, then cut into thin strips.
  • To serve
    1. Arrange chicken strips on a serving platter and serve with chilled dabu-dabu sauce.

Notes

  • (1) You can also use other tomatoes with firm flesh and little seeds. Feel free to add some cherry tomatoes or green tomatoes for a more colorful presentation.
  • (2) Calamansi (Indonesian: lemon cui, or jeruk kesturi) is a more common choice, but lime or lemon is an easier alternative in the US.
Indonesian Pantry
Indonesian Kitchen

Comments

  • Dedy@Dentist Chef Dedy@Dentist Chef says:

    wowo, it looks healty and refreshing dish ! actually i would love it even more with finer chopped dabu2 salsa.....

    • Anita Anita says:

      Totally agree with you Dedy, I do need to cut my tomatoes into thinner slices :D

  • PJ PJ says:

    I'm part Javanese, Chinese and Manadonese. You're right Anita, the dabu dabu is definitely reminiscent of salsa. Much of Manadonese food, culture and local language was heavily influenced by the Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish who came for (and stayed, and traded) the plethora of spices of Minahasa. Other local fare favourites that came during same time include the panada (spin-off version of the Portuguese empanada), klappertart (coconut tart, the recipe was created by Dutch housewives who lived in Manado) and oliebolen (Dutch donuts) - to name just a few.

  • Jen Jen says:

    I love all the fresh ingredients in this meal! Definitely added great flavor when paired with the chicken. We love cilantro so that was a must add!

  • Sarah Sarah says:

    Wow, what a great recipe! My husband loves it, we’ll be making it again soon.

  • Amy D Amy D says:

    I love fresh chicken with tomato and think this recipe would be perfect for the weekend! I have ripe tomatoes that would add so much flavor to this!

  • veenaazmanov veenaazmanov says:

    Love the name of your dish as well as the flavors infused to it. Looks colorful and the chicken look yum. Pan fried chicken goes well with the amazing spicy Tomato Salsa too.

  • Emily Emily says:

    This chicken is so flavorful and really delicious! I especially love the fresh salsa that pairs so nicely!

  • Biana Biana says:

    This looks so flavorful, love the combination of pan fried chicken and veggies!

  • Rhonda Albom Rhonda Albom says:

    I love the lime flavour on the chicken and the birds eye chilies give it that extra zing. This was quick to make as well.

  • Nart at Cooking with Nart Nart at Cooking with Nart says:

    This is one delicious and healthy recipe. I love it!

  • Irina Irina says:

    I love this colorful chicken meal! It sounds delicious, but I think I would decrease the amount of chilies. I am going to make it tomorrow, for sure!

  • Emmeline Kemperyd Emmeline Kemperyd says:

    Love this healthy dish loaded with flavor! Pair anything with a tomato salsa and I am in ;)

  • Amanda Wren-Grimwood Amanda Wren-Grimwood says:

    I think this fresh salsa is so colourful and crunchy. This will be delicious with fish on the barbecue too.

  • Charla Charla says:

    Wow! So beautifully presented and the recipe sounds so fresh and delicious, I'm trying this chicken dinner!

  • savita savita says:

    The recipe sounds incredible and delicious, can't wait to try it out.

  • april april says:

    What a wonderfully fresh dish. An easy addition to our family dinners.

  • Natalie Natalie says:

    This is such a light and healthy dinner idea. Perfectly easy to make and I bet my boys will love it. I'll give it a try for sure.

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