Name: Ayam Goreng Mentega (Indonesian Butter Chicken Wings)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tbsp soy sauce; 800 g chicken wings; 1 piece lime; 4 clove garlic; 1 tsp salt; 100 g all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp tapioca starch; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp white pepper; 0 vegetable oil; 3 tbsp butter; 4 clove garlic; 0.5 piece onion; 3 tbsp kecap manis; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 0.5 tsp sugar; 0.25 tsp white pepper; 1 piece green onion

Ayam Goreng Mentega (Indonesian Butter Chicken Wings)

Crispy fried chicken wings tossed in a glossy, savory-sweet butter and sweet soy sauce. A beloved Chinese-Indonesian restaurant classic that comes together fast at home.

🇮🇩 Indonesia ·Asia · $

20 min Prep

25 min Cook

45 min Total

4 portions

Ayam goreng mentega is a Chinese-Indonesian favorite found in restaurants and home kitchens across Indonesia. The wings get a quick marinade, then a light coating of seasoned flour before they are deep-fried until golden and crispy. Once fried, they are tossed in a buttery sauce built from kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), regular soy sauce, and aromatics like garlic and onion until every piece turns glossy and sticky. The result is savory-sweet and rich rather than hot, so it is not a spicy dish. A splash of Worcestershire sauce deepens the savory note, and a scatter of green onion finishes it off. Serve it hot with steamed rice for a comforting, crowd-pleasing meal.

Ingredients

800 g chicken wings split at the joint into drumettes and flats

Marinade

1 piece lime juiced, for the marinade

4 clove garlic bruised

1 tsp salt

Coating

100 g all-purpose flour for the coating

1 tbsp tapioca starch or cornstarch, for extra crispness

0.5 tsp salt

0.25 tsp white pepper ground

0 vegetable oil for deep frying

Butter sauce

3 tbsp butter

4 clove garlic minced

0.5 piece onion thinly sliced

3 tbsp kecap manis Indonesian sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or oyster sauce (optional)

0.5 tsp sugar

0.25 tsp white pepper ground

1 piece green onion finely sliced, to garnish

Ingredients

4 portions

Ingredients

800 gchicken wings split at the joint into drumettes and flats

Marinade

1 piecelime juiced, for the marinade

4 clovegarlic bruised

1 tspsalt

Coating

100 gall-purpose flour for the coating

1 tbsptapioca starch or cornstarch, for extra crispness

0.5 tspsalt

0.25 tspwhite pepper ground

vegetable oil for deep frying

Butter sauce

3 tbspbutter

4 clovegarlic minced

0.5 pieceonion thinly sliced

3 tbspkecap manis Indonesian sweet soy sauce

1 tbspsoy sauce

1 tbspWorcestershire sauce or oyster sauce (optional)

0.5 tspsugar

0.25 tspwhite pepper ground

1 piecegreen onion finely sliced, to garnish

Instructions

Marinate and coat

1

Put the chicken wings in a bowl with the lime juice, bruised garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well and let them rest for 15 minutes.
~15 min
2

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, tapioca starch, salt, and white pepper. Toss the wings in the seasoned flour until each piece is evenly and lightly coated, shaking off any excess.

Deep-fry the wings

1

Heat enough vegetable oil for deep frying in a wok or deep pan over medium-high heat until hot.
~5 min
2

Fry the wings in batches, without crowding, until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Drain on a wire rack.
~12 min

Toss in butter sauce

1

Pour off the frying oil. In a clean wok, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sliced onion and stir-fry until fragrant and the onion is soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
~3 min
2

Stir in the kecap manis, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Let the sauce bubble and turn glossy, about 1 minute.
~1 min
3

Add the fried wings and toss quickly until every piece is coated in the glossy, sticky sauce. Work fast so the wings stay crisp, about 1 minute.
~1 min
4

Turn off the heat, scatter the green onion over the top, and toss once more. Transfer to a plate and serve hot with steamed rice.

Credits & Inspiration

Daily Cooking Quest
Ayam goreng mentega, fried chicken in a buttery sweet soy sauce, with the floured-and-fried then tossed method.
IDN Times
Indonesian-language recipe specifically for ayam goreng mentega made with wings (sayap).
What To Cook Today
Indonesian fried chicken in butter sauce with kecap manis and aromatics.
Wikibooks Cookbook
Cookbook reference for fried chicken in sweet butter sauce.