Nothing beats this meltingly tender Spicy Beef Rendang. Each piece is caramelized on the outside, soft inside, and layered with creamy, spicy flavours. The long, slow cooking transforms the beef and sauce into something truly special — a dish that rewards patience and care.
“Amazing flavour, love this recipe and even the kids are asking for more. thank you”
– Megan Pickford
Nicky’s Notes
I’ve made this rendang for years and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.
This is a slow-cooked recipe that needs occasional attention during its four hours in the oven. Save it for a weekend or a day when you can watch it finish — the results are well worth the wait.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- What is Rendang?
- 📋 Ingredients for Rendang
- 🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
- 🥘 The cooking stages
- Pro Tip
- What to serve with Beef Rendang?
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Beef Rendang Recipe
- More Asian Inspired Recipes:
- 🥘 My Blue Cast Iron
What is Rendang?
Rendang comes from Indonesia and is celebrated worldwide for its deep, complex flavours. It’s typically a slow-cooked dry curry made with coconut milk, spices and a touch of sugar.
What makes rendang unique is the way the coconut milk reduces during cooking and the oil separates. The beef first cooks slowly in the creamy, spiced sauce until tender. As the liquid evaporates and oil rises, the meat begins to fry in that oil, producing a beautifully caramelized exterior and intensely flavoured interior.
📋 Ingredients for Rendang
Full recipe with quantities in the recipe card below.
Best cut of beef to use:
Chuck steak (braising steak) is ideal. It’s a tougher, flavourful cut from the forequarter that benefits from long, slow cooking. Cut into large 3–4 cm chunks so the pieces stay intact while becoming meltingly tender.
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
Full method and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Toss beef chunks with flour, salt and pepper. Brown in hot oil in a large cast-iron casserole, then transfer to a bowl.
- Sweat chopped onion in the same pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, chillies, tamarind, ground coriander, pepper, cinnamon, kaffir lime leaves, sugar and salt and cook a minute.
- Pour in coconut milk, bring to a gentle simmer, then return the beef to the pan.
- Cover and bake at 150C/300F for 90 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to cook for another 2–2.5 hours, stirring gently every 30 minutes until the sauce reduces, oil separates and the beef darkens and caramelizes.
At first the dish looks very saucy because of the coconut milk. Over the hours it reduces dramatically. Around three hours in the oil will separate from the sauce — more than you expect — and that oil will help fry and caramelize the meat. The changing appearance is part of the process, so don’t worry if it looks odd mid-cook.
🥘 The cooking stages
These photos show how the sauce reduces and the oil separates during cooking.
As the oil rises and the sauce shrinks, the oil fries the meat, leaving very dark, caramelized pieces infused with intense flavour.
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Pro Tip
- Watch the pot closely during the final 30 minutes to prevent sticking or burning. If excess oil remains at the end, drain it off before serving.
Like your rendang a little saucier?
Shorten the final cooking time by 30–60 minutes so more sauce remains. Drain excess oil before serving.
What to serve with Beef Rendang?
- Boiled rice, Indonesian fried rice or egg fried rice complement the rich flavours.
- Raita and a simple tomato & onion salad balance the spices.
- Pilau rice is another good option for a fragrant accompaniment.
- Chapatis or garlic naan work well if you prefer bread.
📺 Watch how to make it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you try this Beef Rendang please rate the recipe and leave a comment — I love hearing your feedback and any adaptations you make.
Click the stars to rate or comment
Beef Rendang Recipe
15
4 30
4 45
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (such as avocado oil)
- 2 tbsp plain flour (or cornflour)
- pinch salt and pepper
- 800 g (1.8 lbs) braising/stewing beef, cut into large chunks (3–4 cm)
- 1 large brown onion, peeled and chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves discarded and finely sliced (or 2 tsp lemongrass paste)
- 2 red chillies, chopped
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or freeze-dried
- 3 tbsp dark brown muscovado sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 800 ml (28 oz) full-fat coconut milk (2 x 400 ml cans)
To Serve (Optional):
- Boiled rice or egg fried rice
- Spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
- Fresh red chillies, sliced
- Green vegetables such as pak choi or spinach
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F (fan). Place a large cast-iron casserole on the hob.
- Add 2 tbsp oil and heat on high.
- Mix the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper, then coat the beef chunks in the flour.
- Brown the beef in the hot oil (work in batches if necessary). Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan and cook the chopped onion gently, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook for another couple of minutes. If the base is starting to stick, add a splash of cold water to loosen it.
- Stir in lemongrass, chillies, tamarind paste, ground coriander, pepper, cinnamon, kaffir lime leaves, sugar and salt. Cook for a minute.
- Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to prevent sticking.
- Return the beef to the pan, cover and put in the oven. Cook for 90 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking uncovered for another 2–2.5 hours, stirring very gently every 30 minutes to avoid breaking up the beef.
- During the final hour the sauce will darken and oil will rise to the top. For a saucier rendang, take it out earlier when there is still some sauce. For a drier, caramelized rendang, cook longer and drain any remaining oil before serving.
- Gently stir before serving. Serve with rice and scatter spring onion strips on top.
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat in the oven at 150C/300F for 30–35 minutes until piping hot. Reheat covered for the first 20 minutes, then uncovered for the final 10–15 minutes. Add a splash of water if it’s very dry, but stir carefully — the beef will be very tender.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
Can I cook it in a slow cooker?
You can use a slow cooker, but you won’t get the oil separation and caramelized finish that the oven provides. If you want that finish, cook in the slow cooker until the beef is tender, then transfer to an ovenproof casserole and roast uncovered at 160C/320F for 1–1.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes until the sauce reduces and the beef caramelizes.
Nutritional info is per serving for the rendang only (after draining approx 125 ml / ½ cup of oil). If you don’t drain the oil add roughly 180 calories per serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
This recipe was first posted in 2014 and updated over the years with new photos, tips and a video. The core recipe remains the same.
More Asian Inspired Recipes:
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Beef Massaman Curry
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Spicy Mee Goreng (Fried Noodles)
Asian
Chinese Beef Curry
Curries
Chicken Panang Curry
Asian
Thai Basil Chicken
Quick & Easy
Seafood Laksa
🥘 My Blue Cast Iron
I’m often asked about my blue casserole. It’s a Le Creuset Signature Enamelled Cast Iron shallow casserole, 30 cm, 3.2 L in ‘Marseille Blue’. It’s durable and used for many of my one-pot recipes.
Some links on this page may be affiliate links; I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nutritional information is approximate and can vary.。