Chicken Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch (13-mm) pieces (see note)
- Salt
- White pepper
- 3 large eggs
- Vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped ginger, from a 2-inch (5-cm) piece
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
- 1½ to 2 cups bite-sized vegetables (use cooked long beans, broccoli, carrots, peas, or green beans; or quick-cooking vegetables like shredded cabbage or bean sprouts, which can go in raw)
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice (see note)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
For Serving (optional)
- Fried eggs
- Fried shallots
- 1 long red chili pepper, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine the eggs, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper; beat with a fork until well combined.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil in a flat-bottomed wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Add the eggs and cook, stirring frequently, until just scrambled, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a large plate.
- Return the skillet to the stove and heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes (if you're using white meat, it'll only take 4 to 5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the plate with the eggs.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic, ginger, and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions, veggies, and turmeric and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the rice to the pan, along with the soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken and eggs back to the pan, and cook, stirring frequently, until everything is well combined and warmed through, a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce or fish sauce, if necessary. Serve hot as is, or top with fried eggs, fried shallots, or sliced red chili, if you like.
Notes
- Boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins can be used instead of thighs, but the dish won't be quite as flavorful.
- You can swap the chicken for other proteins. Shrimp, beef, pork, or tofu all work well — just adjust the cooking time as needed so the protein is cooked through before you add it back to the rice.
- If you don’t have leftover cooked vegetables, you can quickly blanch or steam them before adding. For broccoli, carrots, or green beans, drop into a pot of boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, just until crisp-tender, then drain well.
- For the rice, you have several options: day-old, cold rice works best because the grains are drier and less sticky; freshly cooked rice spread out on a baking sheet to cool for 30 minutes also works; or, for the most ease (and what I usually do), use two 240-g microwaveable jasmine rice packets straight from the bag (not heated). I especially like the Royal brand.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.