Balinese Spicy Shredded Chicken Recipe (Ayam Suwir Bumbu Bali)

Ayam Suwir: The Balinese Shredded Chicken Recipe You Need to Try – There are days when my kitchen ambitions soar beyond reason, and I dream of transporting my family to far-flung destinations through dinner alone.

Balinese Spicy Shredded Chicken (Ayam Suwir Bumbu Bali)

Lumina Liu

Delicious and fragrant Balienese chicken. This recipe won the Cook Snap Win 2024 Theme Prize for the Soul Spicy theme. Learn how to make authentic Indonesian Ayam Suwir Bumbu Bali with this easy-to-follow recipe.

4.8 from 17 votes

Prep Time 20 Minutes

Cook Time 20 Minutes

Total Time 40 Minutes

Course Authentic

Cuisine Indonesian

Servings 3 servings

Calories 285 calories kcal

Ingredients

 

• 1/2 roasted chicken from supermarket or 500g chicken breast/thigh
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn slightly to release its fragrance
• 2 lemongrass stalks, smashed lightly to release its fragrance
• 3 shallots, or 1 medium size red onion
• 5 or 6 cloves of garlic
• 4 bird's eye chillies
• 4 red long chillies
• 3-4 medium sized tomatoes
• 3-4 tbsp ABC Sweet Soy Sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 limes, juiced
• Frozen torch ginger flower (optional), finely chop the inner flower part.

Instructions

 

1. To Make If using the supermarket ready roasted chicken, take out the stuffing mix and discard it. Shred the chicken, ensure no bones, and set aside. If using raw chicken, boil chicken until they fully cooked. Leave them to cool for a bit and shred the chicken, ready for further cooking.
2. To make the spice paste; pound all the ingredients for spice paste using pestle and mortar. Or, you can use a food processor. Set it aside.
3. In a frying pan or cooking pan, heat the oil and fry the paste mixture until it releases aroma. Add the smashed lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.
4. When the spice mixture is nicely bubbling, put the shredded chicken pieces in. Stir it well until all the chicken are coated with spices.
5. Season with salt, pepper, lime juice and ABC sweet soy sauce. Season until you have a well balanced flavour between sweet, spicy, and sour taste.
6. Leave it to cook for about 10-15 minutes or until almost all the chicken absorbs almost all the spice mixture or until slightly dry.
7. Optional step - only if you have the torch ginger flower available. As the spice mixture is about to getting dry, add the chopped torch ginger flower and mix it through the chicken and spices and continue cooking briefly until they water from the torch ginger is absorbed.
8. Serve shredded chicken with steamed white rice, guaranteed that one bowl of rice is not enough. You can also drizzle the ABC Sweet Soy Sauce on your hot steaming rice when eating with spicy shredded chicken, add some Indonesian crackers on the side too.

Nutrition

Calories: 285.00 caloriesFat: 12.00 gCarbohydrates: 18.00 gCholesterol: 75.00 mgFiber: 2.00 gProtein: 28.00 gSaturated Fat: 3.00 g

Keyword balinese chicken, ayam suwir, indonesian chicken, spicy chicken, shredded chicken, bumbu bali, indonesian cuisine, balinese cuisine, spicy food

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Then there are those chaotic weeknights when I’m staring at a supermarket rotisserie chicken wondering how to make it feel like something special.

This Balinese shredded chicken recipe bridges that gap perfectly – it’s exotic enough to feel like a culinary adventure but practical enough for a Tuesday.

The Journey to Bali (Without Airfare)

When travel to Bali, I first attempted this Balinese shredded chicken recipe after a particularly grueling week when my wanderlust was strong but my energy reserves were depleted.

I’d been leafing through a stack of travel magazines (my version of fantasy fiction), lingering over images of Indonesian beaches and vibrant market stalls.

The promise of transforming humble chicken into something fragrant and spicy was exactly the escape I needed.

What makes Ayam Suwir Bumbu Bali so special is how it builds incredible flavor from relatively straightforward ingredients. This isn’t one of those recipes requiring a special trip to five different specialty stores – though I won’t pretend I haven’t done exactly that for other cooking projects.

The magic happens when the aromatics – lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chilies – meet humble shredded chicken, creating something far greater than the sum of its parts.

The Heart of Balinese Chicken Recipe

The soul of this Balinese chicken recipe lives in its spice paste. While traditional Balinese cooking would have you meticulously pounding these ingredients in a stone mortar and pestle (and there’s certainly something therapeutic about that approach), I’ll be the first to admit that my food processor gets plenty of action when making this dish.

The resulting paste – vibrant red, aromatic, and promising just the right amount of heat – becomes the foundation of everything that follows.

What I love about this particular recipe is its beautiful balance. The sweetness from the ABC Sweet Soy Sauce (kecap manis) counters the heat from the chilies.

The fragrant kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass provide an aromatic backdrop that’s distinctly Southeast Asian.

And the optional torch ginger flower, if you can find it, adds that special something that makes you stop mid-bite and wonder what that fascinating flavor is.

Making Balinese Shredded Chicken

To make delicious Balinese shredded chicken, start by preparing the necessary ingredients and spices, then follow a simple cooking process that brings out the unique flavors of this traditional dish.

Prepping Your Chicken

Let’s start with the star of our show. You have two paths here:

1. Shortcut route: Use a pre-roasted supermarket chicken. Remove any stuffing (which is rarely worth saving anyway), shred the meat, and pick out any sneaky bones. This is my go-to approach on busy weeknights.
2. From-scratch method: Boil 500g chicken breast or thigh until fully cooked, then shred after cooling slightly. This gives you more control over the quality and preparation of your meat.

Either way, you’ll end up with a pile of shredded chicken ready to soak up all those incredible Balinese flavors.

Creating the Spice Paste

This is where the magic happens in this Balinese chicken recipe. You’ll need:

• 3 shallots (or 1 medium red onion)
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 4 bird’s eye chilies
• 4 red long chilies
• 3-4 medium tomatoes

If you’re feeling traditional, pound these into submission using a mortar and pestle. The gradual breakdown of the cell walls releases the oils and flavors in a way that’s different from mechanical chopping.

But let’s be honest – sometimes the food processor is the difference between making this recipe and ordering takeout. I won’t judge.

Bringing It All Together

In a hot pan with a slick of oil, fry your spice paste until your kitchen smells like a Balinese food stall (in the best possible way). Add the lemongrass stalks – smashed to release their citrusy oils – and torn kaffir lime leaves.

These aromatics infuse the oil, creating a fragrant base for your chicken.

Next comes the shredded chicken, which you’ll fold through the spice mixture until every strand is coated in those vibrant colors. This is where patience pays off – let the chicken cook in the spices for 10-15 minutes, allowing it to absorb all those flavors and reduce slightly.

The finishing touches make all the difference: salt and pepper for seasoning, fresh lime juice for brightness, and that crucial sweet soy sauce for depth and glossy sweetness.

If you’ve managed to source torch ginger flower, add it near the end – it’s optional but adds an authentic dimension that’s worth seeking out if you’re aiming for the full Balinese experience.

Serving Your Balinese Spicy Chicken

This Balinese chicken recipe practically demands to be served with steaming white rice – and the recipe creator isn’t exaggerating when they say one bowl won’t be enough. The rice not only tempers the heat but also soaks up those incredible spicy, sweet, and sour flavors.

For an authentic touch, drizzle a little extra sweet soy sauce over your rice and add some krupuk (Indonesian crackers) on the side. The crackers add a delightful textural contrast to the tender, spicy chicken.

I find this dish is even better the next day, when the flavors have had time to meld and intensify. That’s assuming there are leftovers, which in my house is never guaranteed.

Variations and Tips for Perfect Ayam Suwir

After making this Balinese chicken recipe several times, I’ve discovered a few helpful tweaks:

• Heat level: Adjust the chilies to your preference. The recipe calls for both bird’s eye and long red chilies, but you can modify the ratio or quantity. Remember that bird’s eye chilies pack a serious punch.
• Make ahead: This dish actually improves with time, making it perfect for meal prep. Store it in the refrigerator for up to three days, and just warm it through when ready to serve.
• Can’t find kaffir lime leaves? While not identical, a combination of lime zest and bay leaf can provide a reasonable substitute in a pinch.
• Vegetarian option: The spice paste works beautifully with tofu or tempeh instead of chicken. Just crumble the tempeh or press and cube the tofu before tossing it in the spice mixture.

The beauty of this Balinese shredded chicken recipe is that it’s forgiving. If you’re missing a component (except perhaps the chilies and sweet soy sauce, which are non-negotiable), you can still create something delicious that captures the spirit of Balinese cooking.

A Taste of Bali in Your Kitchen

There’s something deeply satisfying about creating a dish that transports you thousands of miles away, especially when it doesn’t require culinary school training or impossible-to-find ingredients.

This Ayam Suwir Bumbu Bali manages to be both exotic and accessible – spicy but balanced, complex yet straightforward to prepare.

Whether you’re looking to expand your culinary horizons, use up leftover chicken, or simply crave something with a bit more personality than your usual weeknight rotation, this Balinese spicy shredded chicken delivers.

It’s become one of those recipes I turn to when I need a reminder that cooking isn’t just about feeding ourselves, but about creating experiences and moments of joy.

And if you close your eyes while taking that first bite, with the fragrance of lemongrass and lime leaves rising from your plate, you might just catch a brief glimpse of Balinese beaches and swaying palm trees – no passport required.