Nasi Goreng
Recipe Guy
Fil-Am Fusion | Weeknight Dinner | Asian Rice
Kecap manis gives this nasi goreng its glossy brown coating and noticeable sweetness, balanced by soy sauce, shallots, garlic, and chile. Shrimp or chicken cooks before the rice goes in, with a fried egg, cucumber, and crackers completing the plate.
About This Recipe
Cold cooked jasmine rice is easier to separate before it reaches the wok. Break up the clumps and mix the sauces first, because the cooking moves quickly once the shallots begin to color. Choose shrimp or chicken rather than combining their different cooking needs in one batch.
The sauce goes around the pan's edge before being tossed through the rice. Keep everything moving until the grains are hot and evenly coated, then fold in the green onions. Cucumber and crackers stay outside the wok, preserving their coolness and crunch.
Ingredient Notes
Rice
Use cooked rice that was promptly refrigerated. For fresh rice, spread it in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 F); do not leave it on the counter to dry for hours.
Heat
Use a wide skillet or wok and cook in batches if the pan is crowded.
Seasoning
Taste at the end. Soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, kimchi, and ham all bring different salt levels.
Cooking Notes
- Separate the cold rice with a spoon before heating the pan. Breaking hard clumps apart during stir-frying can crush grains while the garlic and shallots continue browning underneath.
- Have the fried eggs, sliced cucumber, and crackers ready for plating. They do not belong in the stir-fry, and waiting to prepare them lets the finished rice lose heat.
Nasi Goreng Recipe
An Indonesian-style fried rice with kecap manis, shallots, garlic, chile, shrimp or chicken, cucumber, crackers, and a fried egg.
Yield: 3 portions. Serving size: 1 serving (one-third of the rice, with one egg). Nutrition uses this portion count; dividing the batch differently changes the values per serving.
Shopping List
- cooked rice
- neutral oil: 3 tablespoons total
- kecap manis
- soy sauce
- fish sauce
- shallots
- garlic
- chile
- shrimp or chicken
- eggs
- cucumber
- shrimp crackers
Ingredients
Rice and Protein
- 3 cups cold cooked jasmine rice
- 6 ounces raw peeled, deveined shrimp OR boneless raw chicken cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 large egg per serving (2 to 3 eggs), for frying
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
Aromatics
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red chile, sliced
- 2 green onions, chopped
Sauce and Serving
- 2 tablespoons kecap manis
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce or salt to taste
- Cucumber slices
- Shrimp crackers or prawn crackers
Instructions
- Stir kecap manis, soy sauce, and fish sauce in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet and fry the eggs until whites and yolks are firm; keep warm. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add shallots, garlic, and chile and cook until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Add the chosen protein. For chicken, stir-fry until a thermometer inserted into the largest cubes reads 165 F. For shrimp, cook until firm, pearly, and opaque throughout. Reach that endpoint before adding rice.
- Add cold rice, break up clumps gently, and stir-fry until separated and the mixture reaches 165 F throughout.
- Pour sauce around the edge of the pan and toss until the rice turns glossy brown.
- Fold in green onions and taste for salt.
- Serve with fried egg, cucumber, and crackers.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate nutrition for 1 serving (one-third of the rice, with one egg). For three servings with shrimp and one egg each, including all three tablespoons oil. Cucumber and crackers are excluded; sauce brands and oil left in the pan affect values. Calculated from published food data, not laboratory tested; brands and portions vary.
Tips For The Best Nasi Goreng
- Use cold rice: Warm soft rice clumps and steams instead of frying.
- Prep before heating: Fried rice moves fast, so have sauces, eggs, vegetables, and garnishes ready.
- Cook in layers: Brown protein and aromatics first, then add rice and sauce.
- Finish hot: The last minute over higher heat gives the grains better texture.
How To Serve And Store
Serve hot with cucumber, tomato, fried shallots, crackers, and chile sauce. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 F), use within 3 days, and reheat to 165 F.
Common Questions
Can I use fresh rice?
Yes. Spread cooked rice in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours or 1 hour above 90 F. Chill until firm enough to separate; do not dry it for hours at room temperature.
What pan works best?
A carbon-steel wok is ideal, but a large nonstick or stainless skillet works.
Can I make it ahead?
It is best freshly fried. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water, stirring until the rice and protein reach 165 F throughout.
Can I use brown rice?
Yes. Cold cooked brown rice works well and stays separate.
Can regular soy sauce replace the kecap manis?
Not as a straight swap for the same result. Kecap manis is the sweet component of the sauce, while regular soy sauce is separately measured. Replacing both with ordinary soy would change the dish's sweetness and salt balance.
How do I check the chicken or shrimp before adding the rice?
Chicken should reach 165 F on a thermometer. Shrimp should have opaque, pearly flesh throughout. Cook the chosen protein to its own endpoint before adding the rice, rather than treating 'just done' as the same visual cue for both.
Technique and food-safety references: recipetineats.com; foodsafety.gov; fda.gov; fda.gov.
