The dish originates from the area surrounding the Kalasan Temple in Sleman, Yogyakarta, and has since spread nationwide, being considered a popular iteration of the ubiquitous ayam goreng.

Ronodikromo, better known as Mbok Berek, ran a small stall selling ayam goreng and created the dish after learning of a cooking technique taught by an unknown elderly man said to have come from the Baduy of West Java.

Apart from the cooked chicken, the dish is most commonly served with rice and is paired with a sambal and a vegetable lalab, typically consisting of cucumbers, basil leaves, and cabbage.

[7] It is typically prepared with young chickens seasoned with a spice mix that includes salt, shallots, garlic, coriander, galangal, bay leaves, among other ingredients and boiled in coconut milk.

The resulting dish is topped with its distinctive kremesan, a crisp, fried batter made of starch flour, chicken stock, and eggs.