Indonesian Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)

A Traditional Stir-Fried Fragrant Rice Dish For Home Cooks

The traditional Indonesian Nasi Goreng is a popular recipe that has many variants in today’s cooking culture. A classic dish, the Indonesian Fried Rice incorporates the flavors and ingredients of ‘sambal goreng’ with fried rice.

Fried rice today comes in all forms - with a fried egg, chicken cubes, shrimp, minced beef and vegetables. However, there are some key fundamental ingredients that make the Indonesian Nasi Goreng a stand-out dish among the other fried-rice variations.

The combination of kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and at times, a hint of shrimp paste, is enough to transform the fried rice into one of the best-tasting comfort foods you will ever come across.

Just like a stir-fry, the Indonesian Nasi Goreng is the type of dish that you will want to make for easy and hearty weeknight dinners. The beauty of a fried rice dish is in its versatility. You can easily whip up a big pot of nasi goreng by combining the staple rice with a meat of your choice and almost every type of vegetable there is. In fact, the Indonesian Nasi Goreng is a perfect meal to make when you need a fulfilling dinner but only have leftovers in your kitchen. All the ingredients are also easily sourced, so you can skimp on looking for unusual ingredients.

Like most types of Asian cooking, the Indonesian Nasi Goreng has a sweet and savory taste profile, balancing the flavor of shrimp or fish sauce along with the sweetness of the soy sauce. It can be made more spicy by adding more chili paste or the texture can be more sticky with a heavier and darker soy sauce.

A staple among Indonesian households, the Nasi Goreng dish is usually served with a generous sprinkling of fried shallots and prawn crackers or cucumber on the side.

Feeling uninspired? Take your cue with our recipe for the famous Indonesian Nasi Goreng and put your own spin on it if you like!

Frequently-Asked Questions About Indonesian Nasi Goreng

The Indonesian Nasi Goreng is typically made with shrimp or chili paste, kecap manis and small bite-sized chicken or beef chunks. In our recipe today, we will use chili paste, cut-up chicken breast chunks, and some fish sauce for flavor. Exploring the complexity of flavors in Indonesian Nasi Goreng? We have the answers to your questions!

Can the Indonesian Nasi Goreng be a vegetarian dish?

Definitely! Simply take out the meat from the recipe and substitute it with your favorite vegetables. Instead of adding meat, you can try adding green beans, thinly-sliced carrots or tofu cubes to your fried rice.

Can I refrigerate and reheat the Indonesian Nasi Goreng for my meals the next day?

Not only is our recipe for Indonesian Nasi Goreng easy, it is also extremely versatile. You can make a huge pot of the fried rice and pack them into boxes for your lunches as part of your meal preparation efforts. Yes, the Nasi Goreng is one of the easiest meals to make that can be reheated to enjoy the next day!

How can I make the Indonesian Nasi Goreng a bit spicier or more flavorful in texture?

Just add more chilies or chili paste to your Nasi Goreng and it will surely do the trick!

For extra flavor and texture, adding peanuts can give your dish a little bit of a crunch while a fried egg on top of it perfectly complements the meal. Prawn crackers are also a favorite alongside sambal belachan (chili condiment in many Malaysian and Indonesian foods).

Tips & Tricks For Frying Flavorful Indonesian Nasi Goreng

For a recipe as simple as this, the trick to packing a punch of flavor in your Indonesian Nasi Goreng is in some of the ingredients used as well as the preparation methods. A little goes a long way.

1. Try to use cold and a day old rice: Using rice that is hot and freshly cooked can affect the stirring and frying process. Hot rice tends to get stickier when it is stir fried in the sauce. Using cold rice allows it to caramelise and retain the flavor and colour of the kecap manis. If you are using hot rice, you can spread it out evenly on a tray and refrigerate it for a couple of hours to dry off the surface of the rice.
2. Make sure you use kecap manis (sweet soy sauce): Thicker and sweeter than normal soy sauce, the kecap manis is a distinct feature of the Indonesian Nasi Goreng. Using kecap manis will give your Nasi Goreng the sweet and savory flavor.
3. Experiment with shrimp paste: In today’s recipe, we will be using only chili paste. However, the Indonesian Nasi Goreng tastes just as good with shrimp paste added to the mix. Including the shrimp paste will simply enhance the flavor of your Nasi Goreng further.
4. Prepare all the ingredients on hand: Having all your ingredients chopped, sauteed, and laid out in front of you will help the cooking process. Indonesian Nasi Goreng is a dish that cooks relatively fast. Once you have sautéed your meat and vegetables, all there is left to do is to stir fry all of the ingredients in together until the rice begins to caramelise and brown.