Nasi Goreng is easy to prep yet big on flavor. It's ready in minutes, cooks in one pan, and the perfect use for day-old rice. Bursting with sweet and savory flavors, this Indonesian fried rice is sure to be a dinner hit!
Nasi Goreng is Indonesian-style fried rice typically flavored with shrimp paste, chili, tamarind, and kecap manis.
Like most Chinese stir-fried rice dishes, this Indonesian fried rice is an easy and economical way to revamp day-old rice and leftover ingredients into another delicious meal. A nasi goreng recipe may vary from household to household and may include whatever meat, seafood, and/or vegetables are on hand.
As boneless chicken breast was what I had on hand, I decided on Nasi Goreng Ayam (with chicken) for our recipe today. Feel free to swap with prawns, beef, or pork, or omit them altogether for a vegetarian version.
To complete the dish, you can add eggs by either scrambling and mixing in with the fried rice or cooking sunny side up style and topping the rice when ready to serve. You can also use soft or hard-boiled eggs if you prefer.
Ingredient notes
- Cold, day-old rice is best as the grains have less moisture and are firmer, making them easier to separate and less likely to get mushy.
- Indonesian nasi goreng traditionally uses ground shrimp paste as one of its seasoning agents, which I substituted with our ginisang alamang (sauteed shrimp paste) to make the dish more Pinoy-kitchen friendly.
- This fragrant rice dish relies heavily on kecap manis, a sweet soy sauce condiment, for its flavor profile. You can order this Indonesian sweetened soy sauce online if you can't find it in your local supermarkets or make your own by reducing equal parts of soy sauce and brown or palm sugar over medium heat until thickened to a syrup consistency.
- Commercial kecap manis has a bit more complex flavors as it includes other spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cloves, coriander, and black pepper, but our homemade hack should work in a pinch.
Cooking tips
- If using freshly-cooked rice, spread out in a thin layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours to dry and completely cool.
- This is a speedy process, so have all the ingredients prepared and ready for the brief stir-frying.
- Use a wok or a wide pan with high sides to allow a good distribution of the ingredients without spilling and to give the rice enough space to toast nicely. Stir-fry on high heat to prevent the rice from sticking to the surface and to give it a nice, toasty flavor.
- I highly recommend SAUTEED shrimp paste for the recipe, but if you're going to use RAW shrimp paste, I suggest sauteing it in the pan a little longer to brown and to temper the strong "fish" taste and smell.
How to make fried shallots
- Using a mandolin or sharp knife, peel and slice the shallots very thinly.
- Heat enough oil to cover the shallots in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the shallots and deep-fry, turning as needed, for about 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Immediately remove from heat with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
How to serve
This Indonesian fried rice is a popular street food that can be enjoyed for all meals. It is commonly served with a fried egg and a generous sprinkling of fried shallots on top along with prawn crackers and slices of tomatoes and cucumbers as accompaniments.
How to store leftovers
- Allow to cool completely and transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until completely warmed, stirring well after each interval.
More fried rice recipes to try
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon sauteed shrimp paste
- 1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ยฝ-inch pieces
- 3 cups cold cooked white rice
- 2 tablespoons kecap manis
- salt and pepper to taste
For Garnishing
- 4 sunny side up eggs
- fried shallots
- sliced cucumbers
- sliced tomatoes
Instructions
- In a bowl, break cold cooked rice with hands to separate grains.
- Heat wok or wide pan over high heat. When theย pan is hot, add oil and swirl around the bottom of the pan.ย Heat until shimmering.
- Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring regularly, until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Add shrimp paste and chili paste, stirring regularly.
- Add rice and cook, spreading the rice on the entire cooking surface of the pan, for about 45 seconds or until grains start to sizzle and then toss to redistribute. Repeat a few times until rice is heated through.
- Add kecap manis and toss rice gently until fully coated with sauce and evenly colored.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Transfer to serving plate and top with fried egg, fried shallots, and sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Serve hot.
Notes
- If you can't find kecap manis, make your own by reducing equal parts of soy sauce and brown or palm sugar over medium heat until thickened to a syrup consistency.
- If using freshly-cooked rice, spread out in a thin layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours to dry and completely cool.
- This is a speedy process, so have all the ingredients prepared and ready for the brief stir-frying.
- Use a wok or a wide pan with high sides to allow a good distribution of the ingredients without spilling and to give the rice enough space to toast nicely. Stir-fry on high heat to prevent the rice from sticking to the surface and to give it a nice, toasty flavor.
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Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
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