Authentic Beef Rendang Indonesian Curry Recipe

Learn how to make this authentic Indonesian beef rendang recipe—an incredibly rich, tender and flavorful dish often called one of the most delicious in the world. With step-by-step instructions and foolproof tips, success is guaranteed.

In the last couple of years, I have spent a few months in Indonesia, and beef rendang (rendang daging in Bahasa; daging means meat) is one of my favorite dishes. My friend Jack's mum is a great cook, and she taught me her rendang family recipe. We went on a market tour, and I discovered ingredients that I didn't know existed. There is nothing like a local lesson and tour!!

As with many traditional dishes, beef rendang recipes can vary slightly from one family to another. This version is one I truly love, and I’m confident you’ll fall in love with it too!

For more hearty meat recipes, you might want to try these Spanish meatballs in sauce, this mango chicken curry, or this Spanish lentil stew. For another authentic Indonesian recipe, try this tomato sambal sauce (sambal means chili sauce in Bahasa).

Jump to:

• Discover the Deep Flavors of Indonesia’s Most Beloved Dish
• Why you will love this Indonesian Beef Rendang
• Ingredients
• How to make this Authentic Beef Rendang Recipe
• What to serve with Beef Rendang
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip to make The Best Beef Rendang!
• Pairing
• More hearty meat recipes!
• Love this recipe? Let's stay connected!
• Authentic Beef Rendang Indonesian Curry Recipe
• See what other people think about this recipe!

Discover the Deep Flavors of Indonesia’s Most Beloved Dish

Beef rendang is a classic dish from West Sumatra, often named one of the most delicious foods in the world. It’s a rich dry curry (meaning it is not as saucy as usual curries) made by slow-cooking beef in a blend of aromatic spices and a fine paste of herbs like lemongrass, roots, and chilies. Through the slow cooking process, the sauce reduces until all the liquid is gone, and coats the meat, creating delicious deep flavors and tender meat.

Why you will love this Indonesian Beef Rendang

• Super rich and packed with chilies, aromatics, and spices, this beef rendang features an irresistibly thick and flavorful sauce with a bold, distinctive taste. 
• If you love Indonesian food, you will love this authentic recipe!
• Perfect for batch cooking, it keeps well for days in the fridge and freezes beautifully—cook once and enjoy it all week long. 
• I’ve also included plenty of substitution options so you can recreate this dish no matter where you are in the world.

Ingredients

Authentic Indonesian beef rendang is made with a long list of ingredients including different types of roots, aromatics, and fresh chilies. Some of the ingredients might be hard to find in certain countries, even at Asian grocery stores, but don't worry amigo, I provide the full list of ingredients and substitution options so you can cook this recipe with ingredients that are accessible to you.

Thick paste

All the ingredients below go into the blender, so chopping in rough pieces is perfectly fine.

• Fresh aromatic ginger root (Kencur), peeled. This typical Indonesian ingredient might be hard to find in Western countries. If you can't find it fresh, you might be able to find it in powder form. Alternatively, use fresh ginger to substitute and add a dash of ground pepper (use ½ the amount of ginger).
• Fresh galangal root, peeled and chopped. If you can't find galangal, substitute for ginger (1=1 ratio) and add a bit of lime zest. Alternatively, you might find galangal paste.
• Fresh turmeric root, peeled
• Large red chilies, roughly chopped
• Thin long red chilies, roughly chopped
• Garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• Shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• Oil for blending - the traditional recipe calls for a neutral oil, like vegetable oil or palm oil. Unfortunately, most of the palm oil is refined, and, unless it is ethically sourced, contributes to deforestation. I don't like cooking with vegetable oil as they're pro-inflammatory so I use extra virgin olive oil instead, I am Spanish what can I say!

Spice mix + aromatics

• Fresh kaffir lime leaves
• Indonesian bay leaves (daun salem), this typical Indonesian bay leaf has a unique flavor and aroma, but unfortunately, it might not be available in other countries. You can use 2 bay leaves as a substitute (half the amount)
• Lemongrass sticks, green part removed. Half lengthwise and crush
• Star anise
• Cloves
• Cardamom pods, crushed
• Cinnamon stick
• Nutmeg, grated
• Brown sugar (or palm sugar)

**The whole spices listed above (cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks) can be substituted for powdered form.

Others

• Coconut cream
• Water, you can use stock instead if preferred, however, plain filtered water does the job perfectly fine.
• Beef, beef chuck is the best cut of beef as it is fatty and slow cooks very well. Cut beef in cubes, see photo for size reference.
• Oil for cooking, notes for oil as per above

See recipe card for quantities.

Notes

As I mentioned above, the beef rendang recipe can vary from one family to the other. Some beef rendang recipes use toasted coconut, however, the one I learned didn't have it and it's still super rich and delicious.

Adjust the amount of heat of this recipe, playing around with the amount of chilies you use. To reduce the heat, you can remove the seeds from the chilies. Also, note that large chilies are not that spicy.

How to make this Authentic Beef Rendang Recipe

Prepare the spice paste

1 - Prep all the ingredients - rinse the chilies, peel the roots, shallots, and garlic, and roughly chop everything.

2 - Blend until smooth - add all the paste ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor with a generous drizzle of oil, and blend until you get a smooth paste.

Cook the paste

1 - Heat a generous amount of oil on medium heat on a wok or large pot. Add blended paste with a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-8 minutes stirring constantly. The paste will start to darken.

2 - Add aromatics - add all the aromatics and stir for a few minutes or until fragrant.

Cook the beef

1 - Add the beef pieces and stir to combine. Cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes stirring constantly until golden brown.

2 - Add water and coconut cream, and stir to combine with all the ingredients. Adjust the amount of salt as required. At this stage the sauce will be light brown, which will turn into really dark brown/black through the cooking process.

3 - Cook on low heat partially covered with a lid stirring occasionally to prevent sticking for at least 2.5-3 hours until fork-tender beef. If it looks too dry before ready, you can add a bit more water and coconut milk or cream, or stock through the process. **Please note the cooking time might vary depending on the type of beef. 

What to serve with Beef Rendang

Beef rendang pairs great with steamed white rice. I love decorating it with slices of fresh chilies and lime (like in the photo) - because here in Indonesia a splash of lime juice seems to elevate just about everything and I must say I love it. In some local places, they also serve it with a small side of pickles.

For a low-carb side dish, you can serve it with this dairy-free cauliflower mash.

This dish is very rich and hearty, so if you're like me and like to balance this kind of meal with some greens, you might also want to pair it with some steamed green beans.

Equipment

• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• High-speed blender or food processor
• Large wok or large pot with lid
• Spatula

Storage

Beef rendang tastes even better the next day, and is suitable for freezing. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Top tip to make The Best Beef Rendang!

Yes, Indonesian beef rendang comes with a long list of ingredients—but that’s exactly what gives it its signature depth and bold, complex flavor. Try to use as many of the traditional ingredients as you can—but don’t worry, I’ve included easy substitutions in the ingredients section if some are hard to find for you.

And here’s the golden rule: be patient with the process! While the cooking technique is simple, rendang needs time to develop its rich, deep flavor and that irresistible fall-apart tender texture. The good news? Most of that time is hands-off. So let it simmer low and slow—your patience will be deliciously rewarded.

Pairing

More hearty meat recipes!

Love this recipe? Let's stay connected!

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