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)
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
Another winner, partner was full but said it was too delicious to stop eating! He’s now having leftovers for lunch tomorrow too ☺️
Wait, there’s a cookbook coming?
Count me in!
This is by far the best fried rice I’ve ever had in my life. It tastes like the best stuff I’ve had from Chinese takeout but punched up another notch.
I prepped the rice the day before and made it with chicken stock taken from a slow cooked boiler and leftover stock from Ayam Goreng Kremes. The rice on its own smelled amazing at this point but I wasn’t prepared for the end result. I substituted Jalapeno peppers for chili since it’s what I had, and oyster sauce for the shrimp paste. I actually made it with canned flaked chicken and you couldn’t tell at all. The Kecap Manis is certainly the secret ingredient here, That sweet salty flavor just permeates everything and turns it into something incredible.
Thankfully I made a double batch!
Nagi, I have made this several times and it’s brilliant every single time, so easy and tasty. Today I added a tbsp of gochujang (just bought to try your kimchi rice recipe) and it was amazing. I cannot wait till you release your cookbook x
Wait, there’s a cookbook coming?
Count me in!
Yes, she’s making her cookbook as we speak. I cannot wait!
Tastes just like what I had on holiday. This is stunning and so simple.
I make this nearly every lunch time and it’s a firm favourite!
I make mine with a small glug of fish sauce instead of shrimp paste.
Heyy Nagi!
Super excited to try out this recipe! I was just wondering, if I used the dried shrimp instead of the paste, do I cook it the same way you cooked the shrimp paste?
Thankss!
I’ve made this recipe with chicken and it’s become one of my favorite quick dinners. Question: If I swap out chicken for shrimp, are there any modifications in the recipe? For instance would I still use shrimp paste?
Hi Lisa, just do a straight swap with shrimp & all the other ingredients the same, it will be perfect! N x
Thank you for the advice! I did exactly that, and you were right- it was perfect! Thanks again.
Made this tonight, had to make my own kecap manis. What a brilliantly simply but incredibly tasty recipe!
So good!! On my first try, I had read 2tbsp of shrimp paste instead of tsp and didn’t question it… don’t do what I did… But it came out perfect every time after I’d learned my lesson <3
Oh no!!!! I’m so glad you loved it once you got the measurement right 😂 N x
Thank you for the recipe Nagi…I made this yesterday and it came out so well…❤️❤️
I probably didn’t do this recipe the justice it deserves, don’t judge but I used Maggi Noodles instead of rice… But it was soooo nice. Your recipes are always so full of flavour.
congratulations! you’ve just made another Indonesian recipe called “Mie Goreng” or Fried Noodles in English 🙂
Fabulous, thank you. First Bali’79 and of course remember! It is the sweetening of the soy you have rescued me with. Used available raw sugar with kikkoman of course. Ta heaps.
Quick question what kind of shrimp paste you use? any brand in particular. I wanted to try this! thanks
Hi Grace – there’s a picture of it with the other ingredients in the post 😉 N x
hahaha. Silly me you know how many times I’ve browsed your recipe and totally missed that pictures. thank you for your reply.
Made this last night. Amazing recipe. Quick and really delicious. Thank you Nagi❤️
I made this today, it was amazing! I used a different brand of shrimp paste from Woolworths. You have to use the garnishes to make the dish complete! Thank you Nagi! xx
Oh my, oh my! My husband and I just ate the whole lot… in one sitting. It was THAT good! Major yummo!!!!
just made this and it was beautiful! SO easy and now I finally know the secret to making stir fried rice recipes so that the rice doesn’t clump together. Thanks Nagi x