Ayam Masak Merah (Malaysian Red Chicken)

Ayam Masak Merah is one of Malaysia’s most beloved chicken dishes — a rich, sweet and spicy sambal-based recipe with a deep red hue and intensely aromatic flavour. Built around a fragrant rempah (spice paste), the sauce is gently fried until the oils begin to separate, then simmered with chicken to create a thick, glossy coating that clings to every piece.

Ayam Masak Merah is a wonderfully balanced dish that brings together sweet, sour, spice and savoury notes in one vibrant preparation. Unlike many Southeast Asian curries, this is not a coconut-forward dish, but instead a tomato- and chilli-led sambal that delivers bold flavour without heaviness. The coconut used adds to the richness, but it's not the key ingredients, and indeed can be completely removed if you wish.

This recipe belongs to my Asian and Southeast Asian collections, featuring more delicious dishes to explore.

What is Ayam Masak Merah?

In essence, Ayam Masak Merah translates to “chicken cooked red”. It’s a classic Malay dish made by simmering chicken in a vibrant red sambal sauce built from chillies, aromatics and tomato.

What sets it apart is its distinct balance of sweetness and tang, along with its slightly thicker, oil-rich sauce — a hallmark of well-cooked sambal. While it shares some ingredients with curries, Ayam Masak Merah is very much its own dish, defined by its rempah base and bold, punchy flavour profile.

What Makes Masak Merah Different?

Ayam Masak Merah stands apart from other Southeast Asian dishes in a few important ways:

• It’s not a curry — the base is a sambal, not a spiced coconut gravy
• The sauce is thicker and more concentrated, often with visible oil separation
• It has a distinct sweet and tangy profile, thanks to tomato and sugar
• The flavour is built through frying the rempah, not just simmering

This combination gives the dish its unmistakable richness and depth.

Stuff you'll need

Making Ayam Masak Merah from scratch might look like a long list, but it’s all about building layers of flavour through a simple rempah paste and a handful of key ingredients.

• Chicken (I always use skinless & boneless thigh meat - it's juicer and won't dry out like chicken breast will)
• Rempah Paste - A smooth blend of dried chillies, candlenuts (or macadamia), ginger, galangal, garlic, shrimp paste, shallots and sugar. This is the heart of the dish and delivers that unmistakable depth of flavour. (Candlenuts, known as kemiri, help bind the paste and create a rich texture. Macadamias make a great substitute.)
• Tomato - Adds sweetness, colour and a gentle acidity that defines the “merah” (red) character.
• Aromatics - Kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass lift the dish with fresh citrus notes.
• Coconut milk - It's an optional ingredient, but I like the luxurious, creamy texture it brings to the final dish.

Step by Step

Making Ayam Masak Merah is simple and can be broken down into three key stages:

1. Make the rempah - Soak the dried chillies, then blend all paste ingredients until smooth.
2. Fry the paste Cook the rempah in oil (with a little coconut milk) until fragrant and the oils begin to separate — this step is key for depth of flavour.
3. Simmer with chicken - Add the chicken and remaining ingredients, then simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the meat beautifully.

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Pro tips and substitutes

• Use store-bought paste (in a pinch) - A good-quality red curry paste can work as a shortcut, though a homemade rempah will always deliver the best flavour.
• Balance the sweetness - A touch of sugar is traditional, but adjust to taste depending on your tomatoes.
• Add freshness at the end - Stir through fresh tomato or a squeeze of lime for brightness.
• Switch the protein - This dish works beautifully with prawns or fish — just reduce cooking time accordingly.
• Make ahead - Like many sambal-based dishes, Ayam Masak Merah tastes even better the next day.
• Storage - Keeps well in the fridge for 4–5 days and freezes beautifully.

What to Serve with Ayam Masak Merah

• Steamed jasmine rice
• Simple cucumber salad for freshness
• Roti canai or flatbreads
• Coconut rice (nasi lemak style)

More Malaysian recipes

If you're a fan of Malaysian and Singaporean dishes, you have to try my favourites! Visit my Traditional Malaysian Collection for every drop of flavour, or sample one of these treasures:

• Beef Rendang
• Malaysian Chicken Kapitan
• Kari Ikan (Malaysian Fish Curry)
• Roti Canai with Dhal