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Chicken Nasi Goreng with fried egg, dark caramelized rice, and house-made sambal served with cucumber and tomato
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Engineered Nasi Goreng: Chicken Fried Rice with House-Made Sambal

Ingredients

Rice

  • 4 cups cold day-old jasmine rice

Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken breast diced small
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp cornstarch

Fried Tomato–Onion Sambal

  • 4 –6 red chilies
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • ¼ small red onion
  • 2 –3 tbsp tomato remove watery core
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 –2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar added after cooking
  • 1 tsp lime juice added after cooking

Nasi Goreng Sauce

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1½ tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • ¼ tsp white pepper

Aromatics

  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small shallot
  • 2 green onions

Oil

  • 2 –3 tbsp vegetable oil total

Garnish

  • 4 eggs
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Tomato wedges
  • Extra sambal

Instructions

Step 1 – Make the Fried Sambal

  • Pulse chilies, garlic, onion, tomato, salt in food processor. Keep coarse.
  • Heat 1–2 tbsp vegetable oil over medium.
  • Add paste and spread thin.
  • Cook 6–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • It should thicken and darken slightly; oil may lightly separate.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Stir in vinegar and lime.
  • Texture: thick, spoonable, not wet.
  • Set aside.

Step 2 – Prep Chicken

  • Toss chicken with soy sauce and cornstarch.
  • Let sit 10–15 minutes.

Step 3 – Cook Chicken

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
  • High heat.
  • Sear chicken in single layer.
  • Do not stir for 60–90 seconds.
  • Cook until just done (3–4 minutes total).
  • Remove.

Step 4 – Aromatics

  • Small splash oil if needed.
  • Add garlic + shallot.
  • Cook 20 seconds.

Step 5 – Chicken Back In

  • Return chicken to pan.
  • Cook 30–45 seconds.
  • This builds savory depth before rice.

Step 6 – Rice Stage (Critical)

  • Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
  • Add cold rice.
  • Break up fully.
  • Spread out.
  • Let sit 20–30 seconds between tosses.
  • You want:
  • Active sizzling
  • Light drying
  • No steaming

Step 7 – Add Sambal

  • Add 1–2 tbsp fried sambal.
  • Toss thoroughly.

Step 8 – Add Green Onion Whites

  • Toss 20–30 seconds.
  • They should soften but keep bite.

Step 9 – Add Sauce

  • Mix soy, sugar, water, white pepper beforehand.
  • Pour around edges of hot pan.
  • Let it hit metal first.
  • Then toss aggressively.
  • Rice should:
  • Turn darker brown
  • Become glossy
  • Smell slightly caramelized
  • Not look wet
  • Cook 1–2 minutes.

Step 10 – Finish

  • Add green onion tops.
  • Optional tiny squeeze lime.
  • Taste and adjust:
  • Too sweet → splash soy
  • Too salty → pinch sugar
  • Too pale → cook longer

Step 11 – Fry Eggs

  • Separate pan.
  • Medium heat.
  • Small amount vegetable oil.
  • Sunny side up.
  • Crispy edges, runny yolk.
  • Top each plate with one egg.