Ayam Percik

Name: Ayam Percik
Prep time: 17 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 49 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 6 Chicken Thighs; 16 Challots; 1 1/2 Ginger; 6 Garlic Clove; 8 Cayenne Pepper; 2 tbs Turmeric; 1 1/2 Cumin; 1 1/2 Coriander; 1 1/2 Fennel; 2 tbs Tamarind Paste; 1 can Coconut Milk; 1 tsp Sugar; 1 cup Water

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Chicken recipe with Malaysian flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 58 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 49 min total

6 Chicken Thighs
16 Challots
1 1/2 Ginger
6 Garlic Clove
8 Cayenne Pepper
2 tbs Turmeric
1 1/2 Cumin
1 1/2 Coriander
1 1/2 Fennel
2 tbs Tamarind Paste
1 can Coconut Milk
1 tsp Sugar
1 cup Water

Step-by-step instructions

In a blender, add the ingredients for the spice paste and blend until smooth.
Over medium heat, pour the spice paste in a skillet or pan and fry for 10 minutes until fragrant. Add water or oil 1 tablespoon at a time if the paste becomes too dry. Don't burn the paste. Lower the fire slightly if needed.
Add the cloves, cardamom, tamarind pulp, coconut milk, water, sugar and salt. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to boil. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. It will reduce slightly. This is the marinade/sauce, so taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Don't worry if it's slightly bitter. It will go away when roasting.
When the marinade/sauce has cooled, pour everything over the chicken and marinate overnight to two days.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Spoon the marinade onto a greased (or aluminum lined) baking sheet. Lay the chicken on top of the sauce (make sure the chicken covers the sauce and the sauce isn't exposed or it'll burn) and spread the remaining marinade on the chicken. Roast for 35-45 minutes or until internal temp of the thickest part of chicken is at least 175 F.
Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Brush the chicken with some of the oil. Serve chicken with the sauce over steamed rice (or coconut rice).

Why this works on a weeknight

Ayam Percik lands at about 49 minutes total — a little longer than our 30-minute target, but most of that time is hands-off simmering, which is why it earned a spot in our Sheet-Pan Dinners collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Ayam Percik actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🍳 Sheet-Pan Dinners Chicken Malaysian