Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

Nasi goreng topped with a fried egg with sliced cucumber and tomato on the side.

5 from 1 vote

Nasi Goreng is Indonesian fried rice and, unsurprisingly, also one of Indonesia’s national dishes. It’s simultaneously sweet, spicy, and savory and typically finished with a fried egg on top! This recipe is quick, easy, and satisfying.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine: Indonesian

Servings: servings

Calories: 418kcal

Author: Victoria

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil
1 large shallot or small onion or 2 small shallots finely chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed or minced
1 to 2 red Thai bird’s-eye chiles minced
4 cups plain cooked rice (at least 1 day old, cold)
3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
1 tablespoon light (regular) soy sauce
2 teaspoons terasi (Indonesian shrimp paste) or fish sauce (optional, but recommended)

To serve:

2 scallions sliced
4 large fried eggs cooked sunny-side up or over easy
Cucumber slices (optional)
Tomato slices or wedges (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet (preferably nonstick) or wok over high heat. Add the shallots or onion and stir-fry until it starts to soften, about 1 to 2 minutes. Next add the garlic and chiles and stir-fry for another 30 to 60 seconds, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn (lower the heat if needed).
Add the rice, breaking it up a bit with the side of a wooden spoon and add the kecap manis, soy sauce, and shrimp paste or fish sauce, if using.
Stir-fry the mixture constantly for 2 to 3 minutes to reheat the rice and allow it to absorb all the flavors.
Divide the nasi goreng onto 4 plates and top each portion with a sprinkle of sliced scallions and a fried egg. Serve cucumber slices and tomato slices or wedges on the side, if desired.

Notes

Store leftover nasi goreng in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a nonstick skillet or wok until heated through.
This recipe as written is perfect for breakfast! If you’d like to serve it for dinner, consider adding some other proteins. Try adding sliced or diced chicken or pork, ground pork, or shrimp. You can cook these in a little oil first and proceed with the recipe. In the case of the shrimp, I’d remove them once they are cooked and then add them back later just to make sure they don’t overcook.
Rice: I prefer using jasmine rice (either white or brown) for all my fried rice dishes. You must cook the rice in advance, at least a day ahead of time. Once the rice is cooked, I like to spread it out on a sheet tray to cool and dry out. The key to good fried rice is to have relatively dry cooked rice. Note that 1 cup dry jasmine rice (white or brown) will yield about 4 cups cooked.
Kecap Manis: One of the key ingredients for nasi goreng is kecap manis, or Indonesian sweet soy sauce. If you can’t find kecap manis to purchase it, you can make a variation yourself for this recipe. To do so combine three parts honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar with one part soy sauce.
Chiles: Nasi goreng typically uses Thai bird’s-eye chiles or other small spicy chiles. It can be difficult to find fresh Thai bird’s-eye chiles in many grocery stores, but I found a bag of frozen ones at an Asian market and use those! Remove the seeds from the chile for a slightly milder result (I usually do), or omit the chiles entirely if you can’t handle the spice. You could use a different type of chile if you prefer, or in a pinch you could add some chile paste such as sambal oelek or sriracha.

Nutrition