Braised Sambal Ayam (No-Oil, Diet-Friendly, Spicy Chicken)

Who says diet-friendly food needs to be boring?

This Healthy No-Oil Braised Sambal Ayam / Braised Sambal Chicken is a spicy, saucy braised chicken dish.

The best part? There is no added oil.

Instead of frying the sambal in oil, we dry-toast the blended aromatics first to cook off their excess moisture and concentrate their flavour.

Then, the sambal becomes the braising sauce for the chicken, reducing into a thick, spicy sauce that clings to every piece.

You still get plenty of flavour from the aromatics themselves. And because I love anything spicy, the chilli heat makes eating a healthier meal feel a little more exciting.

It’s high in protein, packed with aromatics and big on flavour, making it an easy weeknight chicken dinner when you want something a little more exciting than plain grilled chicken.

It’s also a great example of how you don’t always need loads of seasoning to make a dish taste good. Fresh aromatics do a lot of the heavy lifting here.

What is Sambal Ayam?

Sambal ayam literally means chicken with sambal.

This version is essentially a spicy braised chicken dish cooked in a fresh chilli sambal. This is slightly different from many Malaysian-style sambals, which often use dried chillies. Dried chillies generally benefit from being fried in oil to properly cook and bloom their flavours. Fresh chillies, on the other hand, are much more forgiving.

This version is all about the sambal. Fresh red chillies and bird’s eye chillies are blended with onion, garlic and lemongrass, then cooked down before being turned into a braising sauce for the chicken.

And yes, this is a no-oil sambal.

Traditional sambal recipes often use oil to fry the blended aromatics. Here, we’re skipping that step entirely. The sambal is cooked in a dry non-stick pan first, which helps remove excess moisture and takes away the raw edge from the aromatics before the braising liquid is added.

First, the blended fresh chilli sambal is dry-sautéed in a non-stick pan. This cooks off the excess moisture, releases the initial flavours of the aromatics and, as a bonus, gives the sambal a subtle roasted flavour.

Then, instead of continuing to fry the sambal in oil, we add water and seasonings and let everything braise together. The chicken cooks in the sambal while the liquid slowly works its way into the aromatics, further cooking and softening them.

Yes, this can take a little longer than the traditional oil-fried method. But since we’re already braising the chicken to cook it, it simply makes sense to let the sambal cook alongside it.

By the end, you have juicy chicken coated in a thick, spicy sambal sauce… without needing to add any oil!

It’s a slightly different technique, but it works surprisingly well.

Key Ingredients

For the Chicken

• Chicken: I use a mix of chicken parts for this recipe, including bone-in pieces. Chicken thighs are particularly forgiving and stay juicy when braised, but you can use other chicken cuts too. Even if you use a leaner cut that ends up a little drier, it isn’t a huge problem here because there’s plenty of sambal sauce to carry the dish.

• Turmeric powder: A little turmeric seasons the chicken and helps get rid of any strong chicken smell. And of course, we love the extra antioxidants!

• Salt: Just enough to season the chicken before it goes into the sambal.

For the No-Oil Sambal

• Red chillies: These form the main body of the sambal, giving it its vibrant colour and fresh chilli flavour.

• Bird’s eye chillies: This is where you get that proper chilli kick! Adjust the amount according to your spice tolerance.

• Onion: Adds natural sweetness and body to the sambal.

• Garlic: An essential savoury aromatic that adds depth to the chilli mixture.

• Lemongrass: Use the tender inner portion. It adds a fresh, citrusy fragrance that works particularly well with spicy braised chicken. Cut into small slices so you don’t get a lot of fibres in the sambal. Alternatively you can also bruise and add to the sauce later, but blending with the sambal will be more aromatic.

• Makrut lime leaves: Torn and added to the braising liquid to leave a beautiful citrusy aroma as everything cooks.

• Kicap manis: Sweet Indonesian soy sauce adds sweetness, savouriness and depth to the braising liquid.

• Salt: Used to season the sambal and braising liquid. Add more to taste at the end, especially as the sauce reduces and becomes more concentrated.

• Water: This forms the braising liquid. It allows the chicken and sambal to cook together before reducing into the thick sauce that coats the chicken.

• Black pepper (optional): Adds another layer of warmth alongside the fresh chillies, but also helps activate the curcumin in the turmeric!

• Oyster sauce (optional): Optional, but it adds a layer of savoury umami!

• Lime juice (optional): Optional, but I love adding a little at the end. The acidity brightens the sauce and balances the spicy, savoury flavours.

1. Marinate the chicken

• Add the chicken thighs to a bowl with turmeric powder and salt. Toss well until the chicken is evenly coated.

• Set aside for at least 10–15 minutes while you prepare the sambal.

2. Blend the sambal

• Add the red chillies, bird’s eye chillies, onion, garlic and lemongrass to a blender, chopper or food processor.

• Blend until you have a rough paste. You don’t need it completely smooth. A little texture is nice in the finished sambal.

• Add a splash of water if needed to help everything blend.

3. Dry-toast the sambal

• This is the important step that makes the no-oil method work.

• Add the blended sambal to a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Don’t add any oil.

• Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5–8 minutes, or until the excess moisture has cooked off and the raw smell of the aromatics has mellowed.

• Stir often so it doesn’t stick to the pan and burn.

• Don’t worry if it looks quite dry at this stage. The water and seasonings are coming next.

4. Make the braising liquid

• Add the water, kicap manis, oyster sauce, salt and pepper.

• Stir everything together, then add the torn makrut lime leaves.

• Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

5. Add the chicken

• Nestle the marinated chicken thighs into the sambal.

• Cover the pan and simmer gently over medium-low heat for about 10–15 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through so both sides are coated in the sambal.

• If the liquid starts drying out before the chicken is cooked, simply add another splash of water.

6. Reduce the sambal

• Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the lid.

• Continue simmering until the excess liquid has reduced into a thick, intensely flavoured sambal that coats the chicken.

• Let the sambal reduce and thicken – the longer the liquid reduces, the more concentrated the sambal becomes.

• Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

• For a brighter finish, squeeze over 1–2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice just before serving.

How to Serve Sambal Ayam

Serve the sambal ayam hot with steamed rice and vegetables on the side to complete the meal.

And don’t be shy with the sauce! The sambal is the best part.

Spoon plenty of that spicy, savoury braising sauce over the chicken and rice. It has so much flavour that you don’t need much else on the plate.

High Protein Upgrade

• This recipe already packs a decent amount of protein, with about 27 g of protein per serving when divided into 4 servings, depending on the chicken cut used.

• If you’re trying to turn this into an even more substantial high-protein meal, you don’t need to change the sambal itself. Simply build the rest of your plate around it.

Try:

• Add tofu: Air fried or firm tofu works particularly well with the spicy sambal. Toss it in with the sambal and let it braise with the chicken.

• Use a larger portion of chicken: If you’re aiming for 30–40 g protein at a meal, simply increase the chicken portion and adjust the other ingredients accordingly.

• Add eggs: A soft-boiled or fried egg makes a great addition, especially when serving the sambal ayam with rice.

• Load up on vegetables: Add steamed broccoli, greens, cucumber or edamame to make the meal more filling without relying on a large amount of rice.

Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead

Storage

• Let the sambal ayam cool slightly before transferring it to an airtight container.

• Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

• You can also freeze the cooked chicken and sambal for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze it with plenty of the sauce so the chicken stays moist when reheated.

Reheating

• For the stovetop, place the sambal ayam in a pan over medium-low heat. Add a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much, then cover and heat until the chicken is warmed through.

• You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave. Cover loosely and heat in short intervals, stirring or turning the chicken between intervals, until hot throughout.

• If reheating from frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator first before reheating.

Make Ahead

• This is a great make-ahead dish because the sambal holds up well and the flavours have time to develop.

• You can make the entire dish 1–2 days ahead, refrigerate it, then reheat gently when you’re ready to serve.

• For meal prep, divide the chicken and sambal into individual portions and pair with freshly cooked rice and vegetables when serving.

• The sauce may thicken considerably in the fridge. That’s completely normal. Just add a splash of water when reheating to loosen it back to a saucy consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sambal ayam spicy?

• It can be! The amount of bird’s eye chilli controls most of the heat in this recipe. Use fewer for a milder sambal, or add more if you love spicy food. Chillies form the base of this dish, so you can’t quite replace it to make this not-spicy at all.

• If you really want to make a no-spice, kid-friendly version of this, replace the chillies with capsicums. It’s a totally different flavour profile BUT deliciously sweet.

Can I make this less spicy?

• Absolutely. Reduce the bird’s eye chillies and replace them with more regular red chillies. This gives you the chilli flavour and colour without quite as much heat.

What pan should I use to make this?

• Any large frying pan or pot will work. I actually made mine in a cast iron pot, so you don’t need a non-stick pan for this recipe.
• Because you’re dry-toasting the blended sambal without oil, just make sure to stir frequently so the aromatics don’t stick to the bottom and burn.
• Once you add the braising liquid, use your spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This will prevent any burning and as a bonus: extra layer of flavour!

How is this sambal made without oil?

• Instead of frying the blended sambal in oil, the aromatics are dry-toasted in a non-stick pan over medium heat. This cooks off their excess moisture and mellows their raw flavour before water and seasonings are added.

Can I use chicken breast?

• Yes, but chicken thighs are recommended because they’re more forgiving during simmering. If using chicken breast, keep an eye on the cooking time so it doesn’t become dry.

Why does my sambal look dry?

• The sambal should become thick as it reduces, but if it becomes dry before the chicken is cooked, add a splash of water. Once the chicken is cooked, continue reducing until the sauce is thick enough to coat the chicken.