Main Dishes & Rice
Pepes Ayam (Steamed Spiced Chicken in Banana Leaf)
Prep
25 min
Cook
45 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
Chicken pieces seasoned with a full blend of spices, wrapped in banana leaf, and steamed — the result is super tender chicken with seasoning that soaks all the way down to the bone. Pepes ayam is a comfort food that never fails to fill you up and satisfy!
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 4
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 500g chicken (cut into 8 pieces)
- 8 Spice paste: shallots
- 4 clove garlic
- 5 curly red chilies
- 3 inch piece turmeric
- 2 inch piece ginger
- 1 inch piece galangal
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp palm sugar
- 3 Accompaniments: lemongrass stalks, crushed
- 5 leaf lime leaves
- Thai basil
- Banana leaf
- Toothpicks (for securing)
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Rub the chicken with lime juice and salt, and let it sit for 15 minutes
- 2 Blend all the spice paste ingredients until smooth
- 3 Mix the chicken with the spice paste, stirring until evenly coated
- 4 Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator
- 5 Prepare the banana leaf, placing 2 pieces of chicken per wrap
- 6 Add the lemongrass, lime leaves, and Thai basil
- 7 Wrap tightly and secure with a toothpick
- 8 Steam for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through
- 9 For a smoky aroma, grill the wrapped pepes over hot coals for 5 minutes per side
- 10 Serve with steamed white rice and sambal
💡 Tips
• Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes — ideally 2 hours so the seasoning soaks in fully
• Don't cut the chicken pieces too large so they cook evenly
• Steam long enough since bone-in chicken needs extra time
• Grill briefly after steaming for the perfect finishing touch
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
320
Calories (kcal)
28 g
Protein
18 g
Fat
6 g
Carbs
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