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Chicken Rendang – a rich and aromatic Malaysian-Indonesian chicken stew simmered with spices and creamy coconut milk. Bold, flavorful, and absolutely irresistible—the only rendang recipe you’ll ever need!
Not too long ago, a rendang controversy erupted when MasterChef UK judges claimed that chicken rendang should have crispy skin. This statement enraged people across Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, sparking a full-on social media storm.
As a Malaysian food blogger, let me set the record straight—chicken rendang, or any rendang for that matter (beef, lamb, you name it), should never have crispy skin. The sauce is meant to coat the meat, infusing it with all those incredible flavors. Rendang with crispy skin? Absolutely not!
Easy Chicken Rendang Recipe
I’ve got the perfect chicken rendang recipe for you! While rendang originated in Indonesia, it’s incredibly popular and loved in Malaysia too. Chicken rendang is slow-cooked and simmered in a rich, flavorful sauce. My recipe makes tender chicken, packed with bold, rich flavors and the irresistible aroma of exotic spices.
I love making this easy chicken rendang recipe at home, especially served with Nasi Lemak. While it takes a bit of prep and patience, the result is absolutely worth it. Every bite of this chicken takes me straight back to Malaysia, my home country. It’s a dish close to my heart, and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do. Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my step-by-step video and tips below to nail this recipe perfectly!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ingredients For Chicken Rendang
- Chicken thighs
- Cardamom pods
- Cinnamon stick
- Coconut milk
- Cooking oil
- Kaffir lime leaves
- Lemongrass
- Toasted grated coconut
- Star anise
- Water
- Cloves
- Sugar
- Salt
Ingredients For Spice Paste
- Dried chilies
- Lemongrass
- Galangal
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Shallots
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
Recipe Variations
- Beef Rendang: You can easily swap the chicken for beef. Try using cuts like chuck or brisket—beef takes a bit longer to cook, but it gets super tender and soaks up all those amazing flavors.
- Lamb Rendang: If you’re into lamb, go for shoulder (bone-in or boneless). It’s perfect for slow cooking and gets super tender, soaking up all that delicious, aromatic sauce.
How To Make Chicken Rendang
Alright, for the Spice Paste, just toss all the ingredients into a food processor and blend it until everything’s nice and smooth.
Heat up some oil in a skillet, then toss in the Spice Paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom pods. Stir it all around until it smells amazing. Next, add the chicken and lemongrass, and give everything a good mix so the spices coat the chicken nicely.
Now, pour in the coconut milk and water, then let it simmer on medium heat. Stir it every so often until the chicken’s almost fully cooked.
Throw in the kaffir lime leaves and toasted coconut and sugar, give it a good stir to mix everything in with the chicken. Then, turn the heat down to low, cover it up, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken’s nice and tender and the liquid’s mostly dried up. Taste it and add more salt and sugar to taste. Serve it right away and enjoy!
Secrets To Perfect Chicken Rendang Every Time
- I always make sure to blend the spice paste until it’s nice and smooth. The smoother the paste, the better it mixes with the chicken and ensures every bite is full of flavor.
- I’m never skipping toasted grated coconut—it adds this rich, nutty depth to the rendang that really makes a difference. It’s totally worth the extra step!
- Patience is key! I let the rendang simmer on low heat so the chicken gets nice and tender, soaking up all the spices. The longer it cooks, the better the flavor!
- I like to give my kaffir lime leaves a little tap with the back of my knife before adding them. It helps release all that incredible fragrance and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, soaking the dried chilies is key! Just use warm or room-temperature water and let them soak for about 15–20 minutes until they soften up. This makes it way easier to blend into a smooth paste.
Coconut milk is what gives the rendang its rich, creamy sauce, but you can use coconut cream. Just dilute it with a little water to get the same consistency.
If your rendang is too watery, it’s probably because it hasn’t simmered long enough. Just let it cook on low heat to let the liquid reduce and thicken up.
Yes! Rendang actually tastes even better the next day once all those flavors have had time to really come together. Just pop it in the fridge, and when you’re ready to enjoy it again, simply reheat!
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3–4 days. If you want to keep it longer, just freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to dig in again, make sure to thaw it completely before reheating!
This recipe is only 383 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Chicken Rendang
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Malaysian Recipes You Might Like
- Malaysian Chicken Curry
- Squid Curry
- Ayam Masak Merah (Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce)
- Devil’s Curry
- Mango Chicken
- Claypot Chicken Rice
- Curry Puff
Chicken Rendang
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless and skinless chicken breasts , or thighs, cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup cooking oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 lemongrass, white part only, pounded and cut into strips
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
- 5 tablespoons toasted grated coconut, kerisik
- 1 tablespoon sugar , or to taste
- salt , to taste
Spice Paste:
- 6 shallots
- 1 inch galangal
- 3 stalks lemongrass, white part only
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1- inch piece ginger, peeled
- 10 dried chilies, (chili arbol), seeded
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients of the Spice Paste in a food processor. Blend well.
- Heat the oil in a skillet, add the Spice Paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom pods and stir-fry them until aromatic. Add the chicken and lemongrass, stir to combine well with the spices.
- Add the coconut milk, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the chicken is almost cooked.
- Add the kaffir lime leaves, toasted coconut and sugar, stir to blend well with the chicken. Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and slowly simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the liquid has dried up. Add more sugar and salt to taste to taste. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- I always make sure to blend the spice paste until it’s nice and smooth. The smoother the paste, the better it mixes with the chicken and ensures every bite is full of flavor.
- I’m never skipping toasted grated coconut—it adds this rich, nutty depth to the rendang that really makes a difference. It’s totally worth the extra step!
- Patience is key! I let the rendang simmer on low heat so the chicken gets nice and tender, soaking up all the spices. The longer it cooks, the better the flavor!
- I like to give my kaffir lime leaves a little tap with the back of my knife before adding them. It helps release all that incredible fragrance and flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Double up on the ingredients and used diced chicken brests absolutely delicious made enough to to freeze 4 more servings
Hi James, thanks for liking my recipe and for the 5-star rating! :)
When do you add the sugar?
Towards the end.
*****
Thanks Terri! :)
Delicious! I did not have galangal nor shallots. I used extra ginger and red onion instead and it tasted pretty authentic.
Thanks Abbie for trying my recipe! :)
Flavours were good, but as a few comments have said, far, far too watery.
To get the red colour you’ve said to cook the paste for longer, maybe update the recipe so you don’t find that out far too late?
Also, don’t try telling me “my chicken had too much water”. The amount of excessive liquid was ridiculous, are you sure you have the right quantities in the recipe?
I have made this delicious recipe many time. I suggest that you halve the water, and when the chicken is cooked, remove it and then simmer the sauce down. It works for me!
I so appreciate your comment about the water! Will try today!
Fabulous recipe! – had all ingredients except arbol chilies, so I substituted 4 Thai bird chilies and three Szechuan chilies. Heat was about right ( maybe a little hot) and great complex layers of flavors. Used only 3/4 C water and still was too watery and had to cook it down a lot.
– But… where do you get that red deep color from? – even 10 arbols wouldn’t do that with all the coconut cream and other ingredients.
The spice paste and other ingredients in the skillet make this carmalized look and deep color. Let chicken sit for a little before turning/stiring.
I always failed cooking chicken rendang cuz my chicken always broken into small pieces. I’m using chicken thigh and breast. Especially the breast it’s all like shredded chicken. Please advise on what went wrongly.
Try slightly larger cut pieces and make sure the chicken is cooked well before simmering.