Kam Heong Chicken is a spicy Malaysian chicken stir fry, with notes of savoury shrimp and curry flavours that blend so perfectly together. Normally it calls for the chicken to be deep-fried, but this pan-fried version uses less oil and is not as messy. Use a wok for best results!
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Why Every Garlic Lover Needs to Try This
If you love garlic, it probably means you love FLAVOUR. And we can’t think of many chicken dishes that are more flavourful than Kam Heong Chicken.
Kam heong (金香) means “golden fragrance” in Cantonese and is a cooking style that developed in Malaysia. And kam heong chicken truly lives up to its name. One whiff of that aroma and you’ll be hooked.
It’s spicy, fragrant, and uniquely Southeast Asian in its flavour profile, thanks to ingredients like garlic, chili peppers, dried shrimp, and curry leaves.
Traditionally, the chicken in this dish is lightly battered and deep-fried. But we’ve adapted the recipe for a quicker, healthier option: pan-frying in the wok. This way, no oil is wasted but the chicken still comes out tasting like fried goodness.
Ingredients + Substitutions
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this 1-Pan Kam Heong Chicken recipe:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast to guarantee a juicy result!
Soy Sauces: This recipe uses a combination of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. In Chinese cooking, light soy sauces have a stronger flavour while dark soy sauce is used to add colour. If your soy sauce doesn’t specify “light” or “dark,” it is likely light soy sauce.
Oyster Sauce: A signature ingredient in Kam Heong sauce, adding a hit of umami and ocean flavour. We like LKK brand oyster sauce.
Cornstarch: Gives a light, crispy, almost batter-like shell to the chicken, plus it helps thicken the sauce at the end of cooking. I use a similar method in my Velveting Chicken Technique.
Dried Shrimp: Can be found at most Asian grocery stores. They come in different sizes, but try to go for small shrimp (like this one).
Curry Powder: Along with shrimp, curry powder is key to the unique flavour of kam heong. Your local spice shop might carry a specialized Malaysian curry powder, but any yellow curry powder will do, really. Maggi and S&B are two brands that are solid and readily available online.
Shallot, Red Chili Peppers, Garlic: Aromatics. We use the same combo of aromatics in our Thai Beef Stew recipe, and our Slow Cooker Beef Rendang recipe... sensing a pattern?
Curry Leaves: If you’ve ever made Indonesian or Malaysian food at home but felt like it was missing something from the restaurant dishes, it’s probably the curry leaves. (If you can’t find curry leaves, feel free to sub five makrut lime leaves. The taste isn’t the same but it’s still quite delicious.)
See recipe card for quantities.
Directions
Step 1. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, soy, cornstarch, and curry powder. The mixture should be quite thick and the cornstarch can be a bit lumpy, which is okay.
Step 2. Now make the sauce: in a measuring cup, mix together pepper, curry powder, sugar, oyster, dark, light, shrimp, and water. Set aside until Step 5.
Step 3. Set your wok on high heat. When it’s hot, add oil and pan-fry the chicken. When chicken is seared on both sides, remove to a plate.
Step 4. To the remaining oil in the wok, add the aromatics: onion, peppers, garlic, and curry leaves. Fry for half a minute or until aromatic.
Step 5. Pour in the sauce you made from Step 2. It should start bubbling.
Step 6. Tip the cooked chicken back into the wok and give a few tosses to make sure all the pieces are coated in sauce.
That’s it. Your kam heong chicken stir fry is ready to serve!
Storage Tips
Fridge: Refrigerate Malaysian kam heong chicken for up to four days.
Freezer: Freeze kam heong chicken stir fry for up to four months.
What to Serve with Kam Heong Chicken
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Kam Heong Chicken:
More Chicken Recipes
Looking for more savoury chicken recipes? Try these:
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.
Recipe Card
Pan-Fried Kam Heong Chicken
Equipment
- Wok
- Metal spatula
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs sliced into strips
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
Sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground black or white pepper
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
- ¼ cup water
Aromatics
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 shallot or ½ small onion diced
- 3 red chili peppers diced
- 5 to 6 cloves minced garlic
- 10 curry leaves or 5 makrut lime leaves
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon curry powder. The mixture should be quite thick and the cornstarch can be a bit lumpy, which is okay.
- Next, make the sauce: in a measuring cup, mix together ½ teaspoon ground black or white pepper, 1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ tablespoon sugar, ½ tablespoon oyster sauce, ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, and ¼ cup water.
- Now time to cook. Heat your wok on high heat. When it’s hot, add 3 tablespoons oil and pan-fry the chicken.
- When chicken is seared on both sides, remove to a plate. To the remaining oil in the wok, add the aromatics: 1 shallot or ½ small onion, 3 red chili peppers, 5 to 6 cloves minced garlic, and 10 curry leaves. Fry for half a minute, then pour in the sauce you made in Step 2.
- Once the sauce starts bubbling, tip the cooked chicken back into the wok and give it a few tosses to make sure all the pieces are coated in sauce. Turn off the heat and serve.
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