Chicken Nasi Goreng

Indonesia's beloved fried rice, built on sweet-salty kecap manis, garlic and chilli, with tender chicken and cold day-old rice fried hard for that signature smoky depth. Topped with a crispy fried egg and fresh garnishes, it turns leftover rice into a proper meal.

Nasi goreng is Indonesia’s national comfort food: cold rice fried hard over a fierce heat until smoky, glossed with sweet kecap manis and lifted with garlic, chilli and shallot. This chicken version comes together in one wok, crowned with a crispy-edged fried egg. Use leftover rice from the fridge - it fries far better than freshly cooked.

Ingredients

• 600g cooked long-grain or jasmine rice — day-old and fridge-cold; about 250g uncooked
• 2 skinless chicken thigh fillets — about 300g, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 4 tbsp kecap manis — Indonesian sweet soy sauce; sold in larger supermarkets and Asian shops
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves — finely chopped
• 3 banana shallots — or 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 2 red chillies — finely chopped; deseed for less heat
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi) — optional but authentic; sub 1 tsp fish sauce
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
• 4 spring onions — sliced, to serve
• 0.5 cucumber — sliced, to serve
• 1 lime — cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. If your rice is clumped, break it up with wet fingers so the grains separate. Have every ingredient prepped and to hand - nasi goreng cooks fast and hard, with no time to chop mid-stir.
2. Make a rough paste: pound or blitz the garlic, shallots, chillies and shrimp paste (if using) with a splash of oil until coarse. This spice base, the bumbu, is what gives nasi goreng its backbone.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until golden and cooked through with no pink in the middle. Scoop out and set aside.
4. Add the last 1 tbsp oil, tip in the spice paste and fry for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until fragrant and darkened, stirring so it doesn't catch.
5. Turn the heat to high and add the cold rice. Fry hard for 3-4 minutes, pressing and tossing so the grains pick up colour and start to smell toasty. Return the chicken.
6. Pour in the kecap manis and light soy. Toss for another 2 minutes until every grain is glossy and mahogany-brown and the rice is piping hot throughout. Taste and adjust with a little more kecap manis if you like it sweeter.
7. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a little oil until the whites are crisp and lacy at the edges but the yolks still run.
8. Pile the rice into bowls, top each with a fried egg, and scatter over spring onions. Serve with cucumber slices and a wedge of lime to squeeze over.

Serve it with

• Prawn crackers (kerupuk)
• Fresh cucumber and tomato slices
• Extra sambal or chilli sauce
• A cold Indonesian-style pickle (acar)
• Crispy fried shallots scattered on top

Why this works

Cold, dried-out rice has firm grains that fry and separate instead of turning to mush, and the fierce heat drives off moisture to build that smoky 'wok hei' character. Kecap manis does double duty, seasoning and lacquering the grains a deep brown in one pour.

Common swaps

• Swap chicken for peeled raw prawns (fry 2-3 minutes until pink) or firm tofu
• No kecap manis? Simmer 3 tbsp dark soy with 2 tbsp soft brown sugar until syrupy
• Use leftover roast chicken, added at the rice stage just to warm through
• Stir in a handful of frozen peas or shredded cabbage for extra veg

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using warm, freshly cooked rice - it steams and clumps; always start with cold, day-old rice
• Overcrowding a cool pan, which stews the rice instead of frying it - go high heat, big pan
• Skimping on the spice paste or under-frying it, leaving the dish flat and raw-tasting
• Drowning the rice in sauce - kecap manis is concentrated, so add and taste as you go

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within an hour or two; eat within 1 day. Reheating previously chilled rice a second time is not recommended.

Reheating: Reheat in a hot wok or pan with a splash of oil until piping hot all the way through; add the fresh egg and garnishes only after reheating.

Allergen notes: contains Egg, Soya, Fish, Crustaceans. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.