| Course | Main course, usually for lunch and dinner |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Malaysia |
| Created by | Hainanese migrants |
| Main ingredients | Fried chicken, paired withfrench fries,salad and/orrice |
Chicken chop is a dish invented byHainanese migrant workers during thecolonial Malaya period. The dish is a local adaptation offried and grilled chicken, often found in Malaysiankopitiams and restaurants specialising inHainanese cuisine or western cuisine.
Hainanese migrant workers, who primarily worked as cooks for British colonial officers, developed chicken chop as afusion dish that combined Western culinary influences withMalaysian ingredients and cooking techniques. While it may sound similar to the Americanchicken fried steak, chicken chop differs in its way of cooking and choice of sides and gravy. The dish is traditionally served withblack pepper sauce orWorcestershire sauce, accompanied by a side offries and vegetables usually in the form ofsalad orcoleslaw.[1][2]
Chicken chop is typically made using a deboned chicken thigh or a flattened chicken breast. The chicken is eitherbreaded ormarinated and thendeep-fried (for breaded chicken chop) orpan-fried (for marinated chicken chop, often named chicken chop grill or just chicken grill), then served with brown gravy.[3][4] The gravy is often made from a premixed powder or a blend of sauces, giving it a savoury and slightly tangy flavor.[5] The dish can also be a side dish served with other dishes such asnasi lemak ornasi goreng.
Despite its Western appearance, chicken chop is not commonly found inWestern countries. Many Malaysians mistakenly believe it to be an imported Western dish, but it is, in fact, a local creation that has been a staple in Malaysian cuisine for decades.[6][7]
