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Beef rendang is a spicy, rich, and creamy Indonesian/Malaysian beef stew made with beef, spices, and coconut milk. This is the best and most authentic beef rendang recipe you will find online!
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Authentic Beef Rendang Recipe
Rendang is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It’s a rich and tender coconut beef stew known for its intense and complex flavors. Called rendang daging in local Indonesian and Malaysian languages, it’s arguably the most famous beef recipe in Indonesia, Malaysia, and to a lesser extent, Singapore.
Other than that, it’s also the #1 dish on the World’s 50 Best Foods compiled by CNN. As more chefs learn to cook beef rendang, there have been many controversies about the recipe and cooking methods of the dish.
In 2018, a Masterchef UK judge criticized a Malaysian-born contestant’s rendang for not being crispy. His comment drew massive uproars on social media, with many Asians pointing out that rendang is not meant to be crispy but rather a rich and tender stew.
Ultimately, the protein used in the recipe is never deep-fried but simmered and then stewed for hours with spices and coconut milk. The end result should be a rich, tender, and deeply flavorful meat stew.
I can’t recommend enough making a batch of this Malaysian beef rendang recipe and enjoying bowls of spicy, creamy, and tender beef stew for days. It is the most authentic beef rendang recipe you’ll find online with over 700 votes and an average rating of 4.6!
“I never send in reviews for anything. But I felt moved to do it for the first time ever. This recipe is so delicious. I’ve spent a lot of time in Malaysia and this definitely brings back happy memories.”
– Arun
Origins Of Rendang
Beef rendang is of Indonesian origin, a delicious concoction from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia.
It is often served on ceremonial occasions to honor guests and celebrate special events, making it an integral part of Indonesian culture.
I believe the dish came to Malaysia when the Minangkabau settlers from Sumatra migrated to the southern part of the Malay Peninsula during the era of the Melaka Sultanate.
Malaysians, especially the Malay community, love rendang just as much that it has become a staple in their cuisine as well.
Beef Rendang Ingredients
Main Ingredients
The core of beef rendang is the spice paste, as well as the various aromatic spices: cinnamon, cardamom pods, cloves, and star anise). Here are some of the main ingredients, including what you will need for the spice paste:
- Boneless beef short ribs – this is the best cut of beef for this recipe. Make sure to cut the beef into cubes. Make sure you don’t cut it too small as the meat might break apart after cooking.
- Coconut milk – if you like a creamier and richer taste, opt for coconut cream, which is thicker in consistency compared to coconut milk.
- Kaffir lime leaves – impart the iconic flora aroma and perfume the dish with citrusy fragrance. I recommend buying fresh leaves to get more of that citrusy flavor. They freeze really well, so you can buy a bunch and keep them in the freezer to use in Tom Yum Soup, Sambal Udang, and Beef Penang Curry.
- Spices – I use fresh cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom, but you can also use the powdered version.
- Tamarind juice – the tart tamarind balances out the richness of the coconut milk. I use tamarind pulp soaked in warm water, but you can also use tamarind puree.
- Kerisik – toasted grated coconut gives the dish a nutty and earthy flavor.
Rendang Spice Paste Ingredients
- Dried chilies – add as much or as little as you like depending on preference. You can use half the amount in this recipe for a milder stew.
- Galangal – if you cannot find galangal, skip it altogether. It tastes like ginger but it is more sour and peppery.
- Lemongrass – use only the white part, slice thinly. Smash them a little bit using the back of your knife to infuse more flavor into the dish.
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Ginger
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Secret Ingredient Of Rendang Paste
To make the best beef rendang, you need to have the secret ingredient kerisik or toasted coconut. Many traditional Indonesian and Malaysian recipes call for kerisik. This golden-toasted shredded coconut adds immense aromas, earthy nuance, and vibrant textures to the finished dish.
Expert Tip #1: My late grandmother taught me the technique of pounding the kerisik using a traditional stone mortar and pestle. This process breaks down the fiber in the toasted shredded coconut and releases the fat contents in the toasted coconut. When adding pounded kerisik to the list of ingredients, you will have the richest, creamiest, and “lemak” (meaning “fat” in Indonesian-Malaysian language) rendang ever!
Expert Tip #2: Another technique is to slow-cook the meat on low heat, preferably over a charcoal fire, in a clay pot, and cover it with its lid. In the modern-day kitchen, you can just use a pan or pot to slowly stew and simmer the beef and reduce the liquid during the cooking process. You’ll get the most tender and melt-in-your-mouth soft meat ever!
Recipe Variations
While beef rendang is the poster child, there are other variations such as chicken rendang and lamb rendang that are equally delicious. Chicken rendang is often used as a filling in baked buns, and it is an all-time favorite of locals.
For vegans and vegetarians, you can certainly use fried tofu or tempeh. For seafood lovers, rendang prawn (shrimp) is a good option.
Regardless of which protein you use, slow-cooked beef rendang is absolutely delicious and best with steamed rice like nasi lemak.
How To Make Beef Rendang
Beef rendang, or any beef stew, is a labor of love, as it requires patience and time to achieve the perfect balance of flavors. Here’s how to make rendang the traditional way:
Step 1: Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend in a food processor until fine.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
Step 3: Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar, or palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
Pro tip: To prepare the kerisik, add the grated coconut to a dry wok and stir continuously until it turns golden brown.
Step 4: Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Add more salt and sugar to taste. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for storage.
Make The Best and Most Authentic Rendang
The best and most authentic meat rendang should be somewhat dry (as pictured here). Please take note that this is not a curry, and the dish should never be watery like this Panang Curry. The meat should be generously coated with the rendang paste.
I suggest you make a big serving (you may double or triple this recipe), so you have some leftovers. The flavors and aroma become more intense the next day that some prefer to wait and eat it on the second day. In fact, the Minangkabau saves the dish for months as the complex taste and flavor develop over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use boneless beef short ribs or stew beef. These cuts have a good meat-to-fat ratio that makes rendang so tender and flavorful. Cut the beef into smaller chunks to ensure that each chunk is tender and nicely coated with the aromatic rendang curry paste.
Rendang is a dry meat stew with a thick, flavorful gravy that is cooked until the meat is tender and infused with flavors and almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
No, rendang and curry are two different dishes. Rendang is a type of dry, slow-cooked meat dish while curry like this beef curry with pumpkin is a wet or semi-wet stew. The spices and ingredients used in the dishes are also different with rendang having unique flavors from coconut milk, kerisik (toasted coconut), kaffir lime leaves, and galangal.
This beef rendang recipe has 795 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Rendang
Serve this Malaysian beef rendang with rice, noodles, or bread. For an easy and traditional Malaysian weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Beef Rendang (The Best!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into cubes
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 stick cinnamon, about 2-inch length
- 3 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 lemongrass, cut into 4-inch length and pounded
- 1 cup thick coconut milk , coconut cream
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons tamarind pulp, soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, very finely sliced
- 6 tablespoons kerisik , toasted coconut
- 1 tablespoon sugar , or palm sugar to taste
- salt , to taste
Spice Paste:
- 5 shallots
- 1 inch galangal
- 3 lemongrass , white part only
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 10-12 dried chilies, soaked in warm water and seeded
Instructions
- Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend in a food processor until fine.
- Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
- Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar, or palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
- Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Add more salt and sugar to taste. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for storage.
Video
Notes
- I recommend buying fresh kaffir lime leaves to get more of that citrusy flavor. They freeze really well, so you can buy a bunch and keep them in the freezer for later.
- To prepare the kerisik or toasted coconut, just add the grated coconut to a dry wok and stir continuously until it turns golden brown.
- Pound the kerisik using a traditional stone mortar and pestle to break down the fiber in the coconut and release its fat content in the dish.
- Slow-cook the meat on low heat, preferably over a charcoal fire, in a clay pot, and cover it with its lid.
- I suggest you make a big serving (you may double or triple this recipe), so you have some leftovers.
- Watch the cooking video for a step-by-step guide.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a fabulous, authentic recipe – I made this yesterday and it tasted just like the Beef Rendang I’ve enjoyed in Indonesian restaurants! Thank you!
Awesome!
OMG. That was amazing. Used a blade roast cut up into 2 cm cubes. Only put in 2 small lemongrass stalks, one in paste and one in pot.
Very caramelised, just keep letting it reduce, just before the point of burning and will be amazing.
Great recipe! You wouldn’t add fish sauce?
No fish sauce.
Nice overall recipe but I thought that the amount of kaffir lime leaves kind of overpowered the dish… and I had already cut back from 6 to 4 leaves. I have cooked an indonesian version of rendang previously and don’t recall kaffir. Any comments? Thank you.
It’s your personal preference, you can change the quantity to fit your taste. I love kaffir lime leaves.
Hi Bee
Beef Rendang: You said 1 cup coconut milk, coconut cream. 1 cup each or either milk will do?
I tried this before and it turned out more red than brown. Would you know why?
Lamb rendang needs a crock pot, candlenut and tumeric leaves. Can i replicate the beef rendang recipe with the lamb?
Either or. Red is fine. Yes, you can.
We use fresh chilies. Lombok if you don’t want It to hot, and rawit or even scots bonnets if you’re into proper heat. I also miss the koriander. Fresh at the end and grounded in the boemboe. The most eaten meatdish is Saté by the way. Ajam (chicken) or babi (pork), even better with satésauce (peanutbuttersauce)
How much turmeric leaves do you chop them in? Also are ginger leaves edible also? Just started growing these 2 wonder how it takes to harvest them?Their leaves are starting to grow pretty large. Thanks ! looks so good :)
You use the turmeric and ginger roots, not leafs
It is sooooo tasty and rich in flavors, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for trying my recipe.
I made this but cooked on low for 3 hours using beef cheeks, it was amazing !
Yummy!
Can you please recommend a veggie side that goes with this?
You can try this: https://rasamalaysia.com/coconut-and-chili-kerabu-salad-recipe/
Mine turned out a lot paler in colour, why would this be? Tasted very nice though.
Depends on the dried chilies you use.
I tried this and made it in a croc pot. It was absolutely amazing! I will be making it for my guests again soon
Awesome!
Apart from the obvious side-dishes like rice and sambals, I like to serve my rendang with a side of acar-acar (atjar-atjar in the old spelling in Indonesia): coursely-grated white cabbage, sliced carrots, sliced fresh red chilis (only a few), white vinegar, water, sugar, salt and a few peppercorns. Add a few slices of fresh turmeric for a natural yellow colouring. Really simple, really tasty and really good. The crisp texture of the acar contrasts well with the soft texture of the meat in the rendang.
This is my 2nd time and it’s super. I am asked for this now for my next dinner party. Thank you :)
Thanks!
This is our go to beef rendang. It’s delicious!
Thanks.