Nasi Goreng Recipe | Chicken Fried Rice | Indonesian Style Fried Rice

Nasi goreng, meaning "fried rice" in both Malay and Bahasa Indonesia, is one of the national dishes of Indonesia. While variations of nasi goreng recipes are found across Southeast Asia, the Indonesian version is perhaps the best known. In a 2011 online poll by CNN Travel on the world’s 50 best foods, Indonesian fried rice - nasi goreng was ranked second, behind another Indonesian recipe, rendang. Its popularity extends to the Netherlands, which ruled Indonesia until 1945, where Dutch settlers introduced the dish to their home country.
 

It is usually eaten at breakfast and is found everywhere—street food stalls, fancy restaurants, and homes. There are as many versions of nasi goreng rice as there are families who cook it—spicy, sweet, hot, and sour—and with a range of aromatic seasonings (fresh red shallots, ginger, turmeric, galangal).
 

Our easy nasi goreng recipe is amazingly versatile, incorporating not only leftover rice but also whatever chicken, meat, seafood, and/or vegetables are available. It is a quick, easy, and economical way of repurposing last night’s leftovers for a delicious breakfast or a hearty and satisfying weekday meal.

The best nasi goreng recipe includes key ingredients like kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), belacan or terasi (ground shrimp paste), shallot, garlic, and chillies.

It is usually made with chicken, but shrimp/prawn, ham, pork, and turkey are all great alternatives. Firm tofu can be substituted for chicken for a vegetarian version.
 

Fried rice nasi goreng is commonly served with a fried egg on top (or sometimes egg scrambled and cooked into the rice); at times garnished with fried shallots (bawang goreng) for a crunchy element, shredded spring / green onions, chopped cilantro, and peanuts; and finished with lime juice, sambal, or sriracha hot sauce. Accompaniments include fried prawn crackers (krupuk udang), sliced cucumber and tomato, and lettuce.

A distinguishing feature of this authentic Indonesian fried rice is kecap manis (also called ketjap manis), an Indonesian sweetened soy sauce. This sweet soy sauce or condiment is thicker and sweeter than normal soy sauce, with a consistency akin to that of a thick maple syrup or a thick smooth ketchup. Kecap manis imparts the typical brown colour to the rice in nasi goreng and also adds the sweet, salty, and savoury umami flavour that is characteristic of the dish.
 

Commercial kecap manis has more complex flavours because it includes cinnamon, star anise, clove, coriander, and black pepper.

If commercial kecap manis is not available, you can easily make your own. Reduce equal parts of dark soy sauce (for example, Kikkoman brand) and brown sugar or palm / coconut sugar over medium heat and simmer until the mixture reaches a thick syrupy texture. It will thicken more when it cools. Sometimes aromatics like galangal, ginger, and curry leaves are also added to kecap manis.
 

If kecap manis is too sweet for your taste, you can cut back on it and / or substitute it with dark soy sauce instead, though we strongly suggest using kecap manis if you want authentic nasi goreng.

Another key ingredient in nasi goreng is prawn / shrimp paste (terasi in Indonesian and belacan in Malay), made from salted and fermented prawns / shrimp, and used as a condiment or seasoning agent. The strong smell dissipates during roasting and subsequent cooking, leaving behind an undernote of salty savouriness and umami savoury taste, and making the dish delicious and aromatic.
 

Fried rice of all types is best made with day-old cooked rice that has been refrigerated overnight, and this Indonesian fried rice is no exception. Refrigeration dries out the excess moisture, making it easier to stir-fry the rice and to evenly coat the grains with oil, flavourings, and seasonings, without it turning to mush. This is the secret to restaurant style fried rice.
 

If you don’t have leftover rice, you can make it specifically for a quick nasi goreng. Cook the rice and refrigerate it for at least a few hours. Cooling firms up the rice, prevents it from clumping, and ensures that each grain is separate. Cool and dry rice is essential for the best nasi goreng recipe.

Jasmine rice (even though it is Thai and not Indonesian) tastes wonderful in nasi goreng. Basmati rice and brown rice (for a different texture and a healthier version of the dish) are also good options. Long-grain brown rice is preferable to short-grain brown rice; the latter is usually stickier.
 

Nasi Goreng is an easy fried rice that you find on streets of Indonesia. Learn how to make Nasi Goreng fried rice with a step by step recipe including all ingredients and simple cooking method from Yummefy Recipes.

You may also like:

Sichuan Chicken Noodles
Prawn Fried Rice
Chicken Fried Rice
Khao Soi – Chiang Mai Curried Noodles
Veg Fried Rice
Thai Green Chicken Curry

Or see all our Asian Recipes right here!