Recipes

Butter Fried Chicken Recipe

Name: Butter Fried Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 30 Minutes
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 500 gr boneless chicken thighs, cut into cubes; 300 ml Nabati Cermelang cooking oil (for frying); 1 egg, lightly beaten; 3 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp white pepper powder; 2 tbsp butter (not margarine); 1/2 onion, sliced lengthwise; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis); 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 1 stalk spring onion, sliced diagonally; 50 ml water (optional, if you prefer more sauce)

Butter Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Mentega) is a flagship menu in Indonesian-Chinese cuisine, perfectly adapted to local tastes. This dish offers a delightful contrast: chicken that is fried crispy on the outside yet juicy on the inside, then coated in a rich, aromatic butter sauce with a complex umami flavor.

Published November 12, 2025

Quick 30 Minutes

Serves 4 Servings

Difficulty Medium

Scroll for full method, ingredients, and chef’s notes.

Ingredients

What you need

Gather everything first for a smoother cooking flow.

500 gr boneless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
300 ml Nabati Cermelang cooking oil (for frying)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
2 tbsp butter (not margarine)
1/2 onion, sliced lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 stalk spring onion, sliced diagonally
50 ml water (optional, if you prefer more sauce)

Method

Step-by-step

1
Frying the Chicken: Coat the chicken pieces with the beaten egg, salt, and pepper. Dredge them in cornstarch until thinly and evenly coated.
2
Heat the Nabati Cermelang cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
3
Fry the chicken pieces in the hot oil until cooked through, crispy, and golden brown. Ensure you use enough oil so the chicken cooks evenly. Remove and drain.
4
Making the Sauce: In a separate pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted and fragrant. Note: Do not use high heat, or the butter will burn.
5
Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until fragrant and the onion is soft and translucent.
6
Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Stir quickly until the sauce begins to thicken and bubble.
7
(Optional) If the sauce is too thick, add a little water and stir well.
8
Add the drained fried chicken to the sauce. Toss quickly until all chicken pieces are evenly coated.
9
Finally, add the sliced spring onions. Stir briefly, then immediately remove from heat to keep the chicken crispy.
10
Serve immediately while hot.

Chef’s Notes

Tips & extra guidance

Butter Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Mentega) is a flagship menu in Indonesian-Chinese cuisine, perfectly adapted to local tastes. This dish offers a delightful contrast: chicken that is fried crispy on the outside yet juicy on the inside, then coated in a rich, aromatic butter sauce with a complex umami flavor. The combination of savory butter, fragrant garlic, and the distinctive taste of Worcestershire sauce is the primary key to this dish's deliciousness.

The cooking process involves two different stages of using fat: cooking oil and butter. The first stage is frying the chicken. Here, Nabati Cermelang cooking oil is used to create the perfect crispy texture. Hot, stable oil (which doesn't drop in temperature easily) will quickly fry the cornstarch coating, forming a thin crust that locks the moisture inside the chicken meat. The result is crispy chicken that doesn't absorb excess oil.

The second stage is making the sauce, where butter becomes the star, providing flavor. However, butter has a low smoke point and burns easily. This is where the recipe's uniqueness lies; the chicken, already perfectly fried in oil, is only "coated" with the butter sauce at the very end. Nabati Cermelang oil has done the heavy lifting of frying (cooking), allowing the butter to focus on its job of lending aroma and flavor without being overheated to the point of ruining its taste.

Using high-quality oil to pre-fry the chicken is essential. If the chicken is fried in unstable oil, it will become soggy and limp when mixed with the sauce. Chicken fried to a perfect crisp using Nabati Cermelang will be able to maintain its crunchiness for longer, even after being coated in the thick butter sauce. This recipe is a perfect example of the harmony between the deep-frying technique using oil and sautéing using butter.