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Opor Ayam
Opor ayam (chicken cooked in coconut milk) is one of the easiest Indonesian recipes you can try at home, and very delicious. Unlike many other Indonesian dishes, opor ayam is mild and chili free, making this dish a perfect introduction to Indonesian dishes.
Opor ayam (chicken cooked in coconut milk) is one of many Indonesian dishes from Central Java. Most families serve opor ayam and ketupat (rice cake in woven palm leaf pouch) to celebrate Lebaran (Idul Fitri, or Eid).
For more everyday occasions, you can spot opor ayam in a nasi gudeg meal set where the chicken is served with steamed white rice, gudeg (young jackfruit sweet stew), and sambal goreng krecek (crispy beef skin and chili stew).
Opor ayam is a child-friendly dish
Opor ayam is very mild compared to many Indonesian dishes. It has no chilies, making this dish very children friendly. I myself remember how this is one of my favorite dishes when I was a child myself.
Although many Indonesian serve opor ayam as part of a set rice meal, it is by no mean a must. It is perfectly acceptable to serve opor ayam with nothing else but a bowl of steamed white rice.
A side of sambal bajak or sambal terasi is, of course, a welcome addition to those who do love a bit of chili kick.
The long list of ingredients
Unfortunately, there is no avoiding the long list of ingredients in many Indonesian recipes. Luckily, if you are a fan of Indonesian dishes and plan to prepare Indonesian dishes often, the list of ingredients that you see in this recipe will appear again and again in many other Indonesian recipes.
Aside from daun salam (Indonesian bay leaves) and kemiri (candlenut), other ingredients appear regularly in many other Southeast Asian recipes, so they should be quite easy to find.
Make a proper Indonesian feast
If you are planning to serve opor ayam as part of a feast, you may want to prepare the followings too:
Opor Ayam
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, cut into 4-8 pieces (or use 8 chicken drumsticks)
- 1 lemongrass (Indonesian: sereh), cut and bruised
- 2 Indonesian bay leaves (Indonesian: daun salam)
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (Indonesian: daun jeruk)
- 500 ml water
- 200 ml coconut milk (Indonesian: santan)
- fried shallots (Indonesian: bawang merah goreng), for garnish (optional)
- Grind the following into spice paste
- 100 gram shallot (Indonesian: bawang merah)
- 4 cloves garlic (Indonesian: bawang putih)
- 5 candlenut (Indonesian: kemiri) (or 8-10 macadamia nuts)
- 1 inch galangal (Indonesian: lengkuas)
- 2 teaspoon coriander seeds (Indonesian: biji ketumbar)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (Indonesian: biji jinten)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pot and stir fry the spice paste until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add lemon grass, bay leaf, and kaffir lime leaf and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
- Add water and coconut milk and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced, about 20 minutes. Add salt and/or sugar as needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with fried shallots.
Comments
this is my favorite food...:-)
Hi Anita, I just tried your recipe. Followed to the exact details, perhaps is my taste, find it a bit on the salty side. Otherwise it take great. Thanks Simon
Thanks for the feedback Simon. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe :)
Hi Anita. I like your recipe. Simple, easy to find the ingredients in the US, and tasty! I have tried some of your recipes... Enak banget! Terimakasih. Salam, Eka
Thanks for the compliment Eka :) Salam juga :)
Hi Anita This opor Ayam recipe is a keeper. It is simple to cook with those readily available ingredients. It turned out fabulous and rich with flavour! Thank you for sharing ! I don't have to wait to go back hometown to enjoy this when I crave for opor ayam.
I am so happy to hear that Chris :)
Hi Anita! Your blog is officially my bible now :))). Love it so much! Thank you very sharing. Ini enak bingid :)))
Haha, thanks for the compliment, Lala. I'm so happy you find my recipes delicious. ;)
This looks better than anything I have had in a restaurant. I love the easy step by step directions.
Thanks for the high praise, Sandi. I am glad the instructions are clear.
I’m going to surprise my husband by making this for him! We both love coconut curry, and love Indonesian food! How delicious!
Sounds like we can be good friends when it comes to food, Katie! I hope you and your husband will love this opor ayam recipe.
I'm intrigued by the combination of chicken and coconut milk! This looks so delicious and comforting.
Such beautiful flavors in this! Lemongrass is one of my favorite ingredients to use. And that chicken looks so perfectly cooked. YUM!
Such an interesting combo. And I love all those spices.
Saya coba dan terima kasih banyak untuk inspirasinya.... meski beberapa bumbu saya modifikasi dalam hal jumlah krna saya sesuaikan dengan selera saya :)) tp petunjuknya benar2 membantu.... saya sangat berterima kasih dan ingin mencoba di menu yang lainnya....Terima kasih juga sudah tulis dalam bahasa inggris jadi saya gampang cari bahannya disini....Suami saya juga seneng banget sampai lahap. Tuhan berkati selalu....You are the best !!!!
Sama-sama mba Dessyre, semoga resep-resep yang lain dicoba juga yah kalau sempat. :)
Thanks for sharing the recipe Anita. Appreciated. 🙏 Btw 100 gram of shallot equal to how many pieces ? Why not using pieces io gram for easier measurement ?☺️
Hi Maria, if you are using Asian/Chinese shallots, they are usually around 15 gram per shallot, so you will need about 6-7 shallots for 100 gram. On the other hand, if you are using French shallots which are more common outside Asia, the weight is usually around 45 gram per shallot, so you will only need around 2 for 100 gram. Because of this, I'm giving the measurement in weight. :)
I've never heard of opor-ayam but it looks amazing. I can't wait to try it!
Oh my, this is fantastic. So rich and decadent. Huge hit with my husband. Going to save this recipe.
I love the combination of flavors and herbs, can't wait to try this!
Great recipe with such simple instructions! Love this, thank you!
This recipe looks so flavorful and perfect as an easy meal for the entire family! YUM!
Hi Anita, I'd like to try your Opor recipe today. I wonder if you can let me know in teaspoon for 1 inch galangal please? Also, would you be kind to let me know which brand for a good fried shallots to buy in asian shop? Thanks and hope to hear from you soon. Debbie
Hi Debbie, 1 inch galangal is about 1 tablespoon grated/ground galangal. For fried shallots, I usually buy the ones in a plastic jar since they are more likely to be intact compared to the ones that come in a plastic bag. The latest one I bought was Jans brand from Vietnam, the one from Maesri is also very good.
Thank you so much. I grew up with Opor Ayam and this tastes exactly like the one from my childhood. Thank you so much, I will definitely be making this again!!
You forgot to add turmeric
Hi Dolly, there shouldn't be any turmeric in opor ayam. Perhaps you were trying to leave a comment for another recipe?
This is such a great recipe, such a great spice paste. I made the vegetarian version too with tempe and tofu, looks like lodeh a lot. ;) My 3 yo daughter finished the whole plate, a compliment for you, she’s such a picky eater.
I'm so desperate to make opor ayam, but I can't find galangal. Is there a way to make it without?
Unfortunately, there really is no good substitute for galangal. It is best to omit galangal from the recipe altogether.
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