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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Was delicious! And sooo easy
Thank you for this fantastic recipe. Made this tonight and it was so good. I added a diced green pepper since I had it and added some grilled diced pork tenderloin for the protein. Just great. Will make this again for sure!
Delicious!! I made it with bacon and leftover pork (instead of cooking the chicken from raw) and added peas instead of shallots (is this even still technically the same recipe? LOL), otherwise it was fabulous and the fried egg on top was the winner! So simple – we will add this in to our regular meal plan, thank you!! As always, Nagi delivers!
Had to leave another review mainly because of the shrimp paste otherwise I believe known as Blachan?? My indonisean/Malay friend used to tell me Australians go to light on the blachan – I had no idea what he meant but his food recommendations where always spot on
Could you please clarify the importance of blachan ( even if I’m not spelling it right)
Hi Helena – belachan is a fermented shrimp paste and it is very strong plus different brands taste quite different – which is why I have it as an option! I agree though – it isn’t the same without it!! N x
Dear Nagi – my food Angel from heaven. I resisted this one on account I think I’m hopeless with rice. Turns out no. And I recently perfected a fried egg, been cooking for years rice and fried eggs I used to leave to others😂 thank you for pushing us forward. I love rice with egg on top- nice to be able to do it for myself. So yum – next kimchi rice, oh yeh shrimp paste – optional- powerful – just saying ain’t the same without
Instead of white rice, can you use basaltic rice instead
Hi Gaye – did you mean basmati? If so, yes you can use basmati! N x
Amazing
I lived in Singapore for 2.5 years in the 60’s and haven’t had Nasi Goreng since then. Followed your recipe (minus the shrimp paste) and it brought back memories, even my wife liked it and she is a fussy eater. Getting the Kecap Manis was a bit of a problem but found that Amazon sold it.
I’ve been trying for years to get that restaurant style taste to my Nasigoring, and because of your recipe, with the missing ingredient of Kecap manis, I’ve finally got it.In the UK ,it’s not in the supermarkets but a local Chinese store had it.Thank you so much.
This is amazing. Has became a favourite of my family. Thank you Nagi
Wow. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome! N x
Another winner! Thank you Nagi! xx
I made this tonight. Very authentic and accurate. My wife said quote: “Actually very nice”. And she is Indonesian! I am Aussie white guy trying to cook Indo food for my Indo wife. (Can you imagine the pressure.) She doesn’t know and I didn’t say that I got the recipe from here. Much thanks.
Hi Nagi, I was wondering if using Belacan how you would prepare it, and what quantities to use?
Many thanks! Have loved all your recipes I have tried so far 💕
Very well described.
Just had this tonight and wow it definitely hit my nasi goreng craving. Sooo tasty!
I added more chilli’s and doubled the protein. Another amazing recipe Nagi!
Such a quick but delicious meal. Even my fussy teen loved it and the fried egg took it to a whole new level. Definitely going to be a family favourite.
Amazing!!!! Was quick and delicious, served with spring rolls on the side for a feast! Made own kecap manis with soy, white sugar and maple syrup (we had run out of brown sugar) and still tasted and looked great 🙂
A great authentic recipe
Thanks so much Dipak! N x
Delicious and so quick. The egg yoke running into the rice was a relevation. I loved the addition of the cucumber and tomato which makes it into a proper meal