Nasi Goreng is the popular Indonesian fried rice which is traditionally served with a fried egg. I love the unique dark brown, caramelised colour of the rice! It’s a simple recipe, you won’t need to hunt down any unusual ingredients, and it’s one of my favourite Indonesian foods – and I’m betting you will love it too. 🙂
Nasi Goreng
Anyone who has been to Bali would be familiar with Nasi Goreng and probably had it almost every day because it’s everywhere and darn delicious!
So for those who have tried and love Nasi Goreng, you will be surprised how easy this is to make in your very own home.
And for those who haven’t tried it, I hope you do!
What is Nasi Goreng?
The literal translation of Nasi Goreng is “fried rice” in Indonesian and Malaysian – and that’s exactly what it is! It’s mainly rice with just a little bit of meat and just onion for the vegetables. The thing that distinguishes it from other Fried Rice dishes is the sauce which is made with kecap manis, a sweet soy sauce that stains the rice dark brown and caramelises the rice when it cooks.
Typically it’s served with a sunny side up egg (love how the yolk runs into the rice!) and a side of fresh cucumber and tomato (no dressing) to make a meal of it.
Shrimp Paste is optional!
As with almost every traditional dish, there are many versions of Nasi Goreng. Some are more complicated than others, calling for the use of dried shrimp (belacan) which, astonishingly, is now sold in large supermarkets in Australia as well as Asian stores.
I make it with, and I make it without. It’s tasty even without dried shrimp – and in fact, when I originally shared this Nasi Goreng recipe in 2016, I chose the version without shrimp paste because of that reason.
But it is tastier and more authentic with dried shrimp.
So I’ve compromised and taken the easy route by using shrimp paste rather than dried shrimp which requires more effort in the preparation process (crumble and toast before using).
Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
A distinguishing feature of Nasi Goreng is the dark brown colour of the rice from the kecap manis / ketjap manis which is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce. It’s thicker and sweeter than normal soy sauce, with a consistency like syrup.
Don’t go running for the hills thinking it’s a hard-to-find-ingredient! Here in Australia, kecap manis is available in major supermarkets (see here for Woolworths).
And if you can’t find it at your supermarket, don’t worry! It is SO easy to make – just reduce soy sauce and brown sugar. Seriously. I’ve included directions in the recipe for you.
Cold, day old rice is not optional!
While shrimp paste is optional, the COLD cooked rice called for is not!
It’s simply not possible to make any fried rice with hot, freshly cooked rice – it gets kind of stickier when stir fried in sauce.
On the other hand, day old cold rice is drier and harder, so the rice can be stir fried in the sauce in a way that makes it become caramelised which gives Nasi Goreng the signature colour and flavour.
Speedy option: Cook the rice, spread out on tray then FREEZE for 1 – 2 hours, or refrigerate for 3 – 4 hours. It’s not just about cooling the rice, it’s also about making the surface of the rice dry out.
Super quick 20 minute recipe
The making part is very straightforward, no different to typical fried rice recipes. Garlic, chilli and onion first, then chicken, then rice, kecap manis and shrimp paste, if using.
Cook for a couple of minutes until the rice grains start to caramelise. Trust me – you will know when it’s ready, it smells amazing!
How to serve Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng is traditionally served with a fried egg and a side of fresh vegetables (commonly plain juicy wedges of tomato and cucumber).
Both these side options are very typical in various parts of Asia to add protein and vegetables to a plate to turn something carb-heavy into a meal.
Nasi Goreng is also a terrific Asian side dish option, something a little different that packs a bit of a flavour punch! Try it on the side of:
-
Asian Chilli Garlic Shrimp/Prawns – big punchy flavours, tastes like Thai Chilli jam!
Or have a browse of my Asian recipes collection for more ideas!
I do hope you try this. Super tasty, it’s probably one of the most flavour packed Asian fried rice dishes! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tbsp oil
- 5 oz / 150g chicken breast , thinly sliced (or other protein)
- 1 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce, Note 1)
Rice
- 1.5 tbsp oil
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 1 tsp red chilli , finely chopped (Note 2)
- 1 onion , small, diced
- 3 cups cooked white rice , day old, cold (Note 3)
- 2 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce, Note 1)
- 2 tsp shrimp paste , optional (Note 4)
Garnishes / side servings (optional)
- 4 eggs , fried to taste
- 1 green onion , sliced
- Tomatos and cucumbers, cut into wedges/chunks
- Fried shallots , store bought (optional) (Note 3)
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.
- Add chilli and garlic, stir for 10 seconds.
- Add onion, cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken, cook until it mostly turns white, then add 1 tbsp kecap manis and cook for a further 1 minute or until chicken is mostly cooked through and a bit caramelised.
- Add rice, 2 tbsp kecap manis and shrimp paste, if using. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until sauce reduces down and rice grains start to caramelise (key for flavour!).
- Serve, garnished with garnishes of choice (green onions, red chilli, fried shallots).
Serving
- Serve as a side for Asian main dishes or as part of a large spread, Asian or not! 🙂 See in post for suggestions.
- Make it a meal - traditional Indonesian style!: Serve with a fried egg sunny side up (runny yolk!), tomato wedges and slices of cucumber on the side.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nasi Goreng recipe originally shared March 2016. Updated June 2019 with new photos, new writing, brand new video, slight recipe improvement and most importantly, Life of Dozer added!
Life of Dozer
Annual check up – passed with flying colours! And he behaved pretty well too…. until he saw the needle….
…. but the teeny tiny little prick was soon forgotten as he launched himself onto the reception desk for treats. 🙄 The wonderful team at Mona Vale Vetinary Hospital spoil him!! (And you know I totally love it)
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This is a regular in my house. It’s great for adding in char siu pork, bacon lardons, ham, left over roast chicken or pretty much any protein. I purposely steam too much basmati for dinner, just to stash the extra cooked rice in the freezer. That way, if I’m ever stumped for tea and want to make a stir-fried rice dish, I always have the wherewithal’s for it. It’s just gorgeous and on rotation along with your supreme soy sauce noodles. Yum!
There are also many variations of fried rice in taste, if in Indonesia there is abang-abang fried rice https://www.dapurawit.com/resep-nasi-goreng-abang-abang/
Absolutely delicious, quick and easy to make. 😍
Absolutely love this recipe. Found another hack that works pretty well (I think). If I’m really craving nasi goreng but haven’t been organised enough to make rice the day before, I’ve used the little ‘microwaveable’ sachets that you get at the supermarket instead. Throw them straight in avoiding the microwave step and they work just as well! Not as economical but definitely a great option for the time poor :).
First Nagi dish that has failed for me 🤷♀️. I found it lacked flavour , I even used shrimp paste . Will try again another time , but it had no depth 😞
First time cook nasi goreng, not only my husband loves it but our guests (Malaysian and Irish) enjoyed it.. Cook without shrimp pasta. Replace chicken with bacon. Will definitely cook again and try out your others recipe. Many thanks Nagi.
Berita Indonesia
1970. Ada juga yang mengatakan sejak tahun 1981.
Bubur Manado atau Tinutuan dipakai menjadi motto Kota Manado sejak kepemimpinan walikota Jimmy Rimba Rogi dan wakil walikota Abdi Wijaya Buchari periode 2005-2010, menggantikan motto Kota Manado sebelumnya yaitu Berhikmat.
Pemerintah Kota Manado melalui Dinas Pariwisata setempat pada tahun 2004 (ada juga yang mengatakan pada pertengahan tahun 2005) menjadikan kawasan Wakeke, Kecamatan Wenang, Kota Manado sebagai lokasi wisata makanan khas Tinutuan
Netizen News
Berdasarkan cerita dari mulut ke mulut atau bisa juga dianggap cerita isapan jempol, saya sempat mendengar bagaimana sejarah terciptanya bubur manado (tinutuan).
Dari cerita orang-orang tua, di jaman penjajahan belanda, kondisi ekonomi penduduk sangat rendah, sehingga mereka kesulitan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan pangan keluarga.
Akhirnya dengan pertimbangan ekonomi dan sedikit tambahan unsur kreatifitas, penduduk pada jaman itu akhirnya mulai memanfaatkan bahan makanan yang bisa mereka peroleh di pekarangan rumah atau di kebun, seperti labu, ubi, daun pepaya, kangkung, jagung, gedi dan dengan mencampurnya bersama sedikit nasi, mereka memasak semua bahan makanan itu secara bersamaan. Dan terciptalah bubur manado atau yang kita kenal dengan tinutuan, yang isinya beraneka ragam sayur dan bubur.
Bubur Manado atau Tinutuan
Lepas dari benar tidaknya cerita dari mulut ke mulut ini, satu hal yang saya pikir berguna adalah betapa mudahnya kita membuat sebuah masakan sehat yang sederhana namun penuh gizi. Berikut Bahan dan cara membuat ,
Berita Netizen
Bahan:
– 200 gram beras.
– 2 buah jagung manis dipipil.
– 150 gram singkong potong dadu.
– 100 gram ubi kuning, potong dadu .
– 1 kg labu kuning, kukus dan lumatkan dengan garpu.
– 4 liter air atau tambahkan sesuai kebutuhan.
Bahan sayur:
– 5 lembar daun gedi,rajang halus .
– 1 lembar daun kunyit,rajang sehalus mungkin.
– 2 batang daun bawang, rajang halus.
– 1 ikat kangkung, ambil daun dan pucuk mudanya, rajang kasar
– 1 ikat kecil bayam, ambil daun.
– 1 mangkuk kemangi, dari 5 ikat kecil kemangi, ambil daun dan pucuk mudanya saja.
Bumbu:
– 5 batang serai, ambil bagian putihnya saja dan memarkan.
– 2 lembar daun salam.
– 1 sdm garam.
– kaldu jamur secukupnya.
– 6 bawang putih, cincang halus.
– 6 bawang merah iris tipis.
Bumbu pelengkap
– sambal dabu dabu atau sambal korek.
– ikan asin goreng.
Cara memasak :
a. Cuci bersih beras,lalu di panci masukkan air, beras, singkong, ubi masak dengan api kecil sampai singkong dan ubi lembut.
b. Masukkan bawang putih, bawang merah, daun salam dan serai sambil terus diaduk, masukkan jagung dan labu kuning.
c. Tambahkan air bila diperlukan, masukkan garam lada dan kaldu jamur aduk rata lagi.
d. Setelah beras sudah menjadi bubur terakhir masukan semua sayuran aduk rata, koreksi rasa, angkat. Bubur Manado atau Tinutuan Siap disajikan.
First time I’ve made Nasi Goreng; was inspired by my Mum who made it and gifted some to me. Next time, I will use half the amount of shrimp paste, as it is very strong. Without the creaminess of the egg to offset the oiliness and bitterness of the paste, it would not be as enjoyable. Will make again as easy to make. I also had sliced cucumber on a side plate.
Yummm
Made it this evening using marinara mix instead of chicken and I threw in some Asian greens as i had them in the fridge. Shrimp paste was in the Asian aisle in my local Woolies as was kecap menis (although i already had some). Add a glass or two of Adelaide Hills rose for a delicious dinner!
So yummy and so easy! Son said ‘wow, tastes just like Bali’ I added a sprinkling of spicy dried anchovy on top of the egg. Delicious!
I don’t suppose you’ve considered calling this one, Nagi Goreng..?
I finally found shrimp paste; I reckon you might have changed the brand in the picture? We love this one. Thanks Nagi!!
Hi Nagi,
I tried to make this recipe tonight but was unsuccessful in getting my pan hot enough to caramelise. What brand portable gas stove do you use? We live in an apartment so our electric stove doesnt give me enough heat to cook anything.
Thank you!
Hi Nagi,
I was unable to find shrimp paste, however have found dried belachan paste. Are you able to please provide the conversions for these :)?
Thanks 😊
Terima kasih!
I spent 2/3 of my life in Malaysia and Singapore. Now that I’m back in Europe and travel is difficult for all of us, I started dabbling in Malay cooking at home. Without your guidance, the results would have been underwhelming, to say the least! I also love the photos that accompany your recipes — yes, colour is SO important in Southeast Asian cooking.
Selamat bersantap!
Thank you for recommending food from Indonesia, hopefully it can be a website that is always useful for many people.
I used a pork fillet instead of chicken as that was what was in the fridge. The kids absolutely loved it (as did the adults) unfortunately no leftovers for the next day 😜 yum!
Hello
I love your recipes.. it is my go to place for the best recipes.
I was wondering if you have a recipe for the pickled vegetables that are usually served in Bali with nasi goring… usually cucumbers and/or carrots. Also a recipe for the little side condiment of chilli paste (it’s not sweet chilli sauce). Delicious!
https://resepkoki.id/resep/resep-acar-timun/
We called it acar in Indonesia
I fired up the browser because i had only ONE question about cooking Nasi Goreng and this question is: How long to cook the rice.
Here i found a whole page about Nasi Goreng but no answer to my question.
The answer is there KOP – it’s a link to my post on how to cook rice: https://www.recipetineats.com/how-to-cook-rice/! Once you have cooked the rice you can use it the next day for Nasi Goreng! N x
Was delicious! And sooo easy