Ayam Masak Merah (Malaysian inspired tomato chicken) is savoury, sweet, spicy & flavourful. Chicken in red sauce has never tasted better!
Kuala Lumpur, a foodie’s heaven
I’ve visited Kuala Lumpur (KL) Malaysia twice and I would go again and again just for the food! My husband, Tomi and I are obsessed with Malaysian food. My first visit was in 2011 with a friend, then with Tomi in 2014. On both visits, we only stayed a couple of days, but oh boy, did we eat up a storm!
Besides KL being foodies’ heaven, my favourite memory is gazing up at the Petronas Towers at night. Their towers look like huge sparkling diamonds, so stunning and glamorous. They’re the Eiffel Tower of Malaysia.
This is so random, but my friend and I had the best red sangria when we were in KL at the Park Royal hotel. Definitely not authentic, but OMG it was to die for! They made their sangrias with preserved fruits. To this day, I still dream of sipping on that amazing glass of sangria. I took Tomi there 3 years later, but sadly, they changed their recipe.
Sorry, I always get carried away with travel memories! Anyway… let me introduce you to Ayam Masak Merah, one of our favourite dishes we discovered in KL. After the first bite, we instantly were hooked. We ordered this dish several times in our brief stay in KL and once you’ve tasted this, you’ll know exactly why!
This version is made with skinless and boneless chicken thighs that are first browned, and then cooked in a rich tomato and coconut cream sauce with loads of aromatic ingredients. Prepared to get hooked!
Ayam Masak Merah
I’ve cooked plenty of Asian dishes in my lifetime, however, I rarely cook Malaysian in the past. Malaysian cuisine seemed so complicated to replicate at home. Facing a long list of exotic ingredients and a lengthy cooking process is intimidating!
Fortunately, for me, cooking is my passion and if I love a dish enough, I eventually give it a go in my kitchen. That’s if time allows me to these days! My kitchen time is limited these days thanks to a 3-year-old toddler by the name of Kai whose primary goal in life right now is to destroy our house.
Before my Kai days, weekends were all about researching and experimenting with recipes. I did exactly this when Tomi and I got back from KL because I was determined to make my own Ayam Masak Merah at home.
The ingredients and methods for making Ayam Masak Merah varied in the recipes I found. I had to go through a few recipes and adjust the dish to my liking.
My aim was to simplify the recipe without compromising on the taste and authenticity of the dish. After a few trials, I’m proud to say I’ve done it! This version tastes just as good as how we remembered it in Malaysia. A big statement I know, but I stand confident in saying so! Tomi will back me up on this!
The secret ingredient is…… ketchup! When I discovered this, it made me smile because I love cooking with ketchup. There’s also coconut cream, tomato puree, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, chillies, cinnamon and star anise. Yes, this sauce is an absolute winner!
Here are some more flavourful Asian dishes to try:
Chinese steamed fish
Steamed Chicken (Ginger & Shallots)
Easy Butter Chicken
Easy Salted Egg Prawn
Ingredients for Ayam Masak Merah
FOR THE SPICE PASTE
Eschalots – I’ve seen shallots called ‘eschalots’ or ‘French shallots’ here. Shallots look like small brown onions but are skinny and oval-shaped, and when cut open they look like red onions. They’re difficult to peel and are more expensive than other types of onions. Shallots are mild in flavour compared to onions, but you could use brown (yellow) onions as a substitute.
Lemongrass – Cut 2cm off from the base (or the root) of the lemongrass and keep 10-15cm of the stalk from the base. Discard the remaining leafy part or save them for making stock. Peel off 2 to 3 layers to expose the pale part of the stalk, then chop them into thin rings.
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Chicken thighs – The Ayam Masak Merah we had in Malaysia had chicken pieces with skin and bone-in. For convenience, I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs because it’s faster to cook. If you wish to use bone-in chicken pieces, allow extra cooking time.
Passata (pureed tomatoes) – Passata is pureed tomatoes that have been strained for a smooth consistency. Supermarkets usually stock passata near canned tomatoes and pasta sauces. Crushed tomatoes would also work.
Star anise is a beautiful looking spice, shaped like a flower. It’s quite strong with liquorice flavour. You would usually find star anise stocked in the herbs and spice section of the supermarket.
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How to make Ayam Masak Merah
Step-by-step guide with photos
In a large bowl, rub the turmeric and 1 tsp of salt onto the chicken. Set aside for 10 minutes, in the meantime, work on the spice paste.
For the spice paste – Place all the spice paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
Browning chicken – Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Working 3 or 4 chicken pieces at a time, brown them for 2 minutes on each side (they don’t need to be cooked completely at this stage). Transfer the chicken onto a large plate and set aside for later.
We’ll be using the same pan, so if there’s too much oil remaining after browning the chicken, remove some of it using paper towels and tongs. A thin layer of oil left on the base of the pan is good. Otherwise, the sauce will end up being too oily.
Heat the frying pan over medium-high heat, then place in the spice paste along with the cinnamon, bay leaf and star anise. Stir regularly for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant, then add in the coconut cream. Stir regularly until the oil separates (you’ll see oil form around the spice mixture)
Once the oil separates, add the passata, ketchup, water, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Allow the sauce to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. The sauce should have reduced and thickened nicely. Serve Ayam Masak Merah with steamed rice and enjoy!
Leftovers – Allow the dish to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer them into a sealed container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Ayam Masak Merah (Malaysian tomato chicken)
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1 kg chicken thigh fillets (skinless and boneless) (NOTE 1)
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
FOR THE SPICE PASTE
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 garlic cloves
- 25 gm ginger (peeled and chopped roughly)
- 3 small eschalots (roughly chopped) (NOTE 2)
- 2 lemongrass stalks (white part only, thinly sliced) (NOTE 3)
- 3 large red chillies (roughly chopped)
- ½ tsp chilli powder (more or less to taste)
FOR THE PAN
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise (NOTE 4)
- ½ cup coconut cream (regular, not light)
- ½ cup passata (or tomato puree) (NOTE 5)
- 2 tbsp ketchup (or tomato sauce)
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tbsp brown sugar (firmly packed)
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, rub the turmeric and 1 tsp of salt onto the chicken. Set aside for 10 minutes. In the meantime, work on the spice paste.
- For the spice paste – Place all the spice paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
- Browning chicken – Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Working 3 or 4 chicken pieces at a time, brown them for 2 minutes on each side (they don't need to be cooked completely at this stage). Transfer the chicken onto a large plate and set aside for later.
- We'll be using the same pan, so if there's too much oil remaining after browning the chicken, remove some of it using paper towels and tongs. A thin layer of oil left on the base of the pan is good. Otherwise, the sauce will end up being too oily. Heat the frying pan over medium-high heat, then place in the spice paste along with the cinnamon, bay leaf and star anise. Stir regularly for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant, then add in the coconut cream. Stir regularly until the oil separates (you'll see oil form around the spice mixture)
- Once the oil separates, add the passata, ketchup, water, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Allow the sauce to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. The sauce should have reduced and thickened nicely. Serve Ayam Masak Merah with steamed rice and enjoy!
