Recipes › Ikan Bakar

Ikan Bakar

Published 12 October 2026

Ikan bakar means grilled fish, and the marinade is what makes it Indonesian: kecap manis, garlic, shallots, chilli and tamarind, brushed on in layers so it caramelises into a sticky glaze. It works with any firm fish, whole or in steaks. A grill pan on a domestic hob gets close to the roadside version; charcoal gets closer.

Ingredients

• 4 firm white fish steaks or 1 whole fish about 1 kg, gutted and scored
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• For the marinade: 5 tablespoons kecap manis
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 5 shallots, finely chopped
• 3 red chillies, finely chopped
• 3 cm fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• To serve: steamed rice, lime wedges, sliced cucumber and tomato

Method

1. Rub the fish with the lime juice and salt and leave it for 15 minutes. This firms the flesh and removes any muddy note.
2. Mix the kecap manis, tamarind, garlic, shallots, chillies, ginger, coriander and oil into a thick marinade. Taste it: it should be sweet first, then sour, with heat behind.
3. Pat the fish dry and brush the marinade generously over both sides. Keep half the marinade back for basting, so raw fish never touches the serving brush.
4. Heat a grill pan or barbecue until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Oil the bars or the pan, not the fish, so the skin does not stick.
5. Grill the fish for 5 to 6 minutes on the first side without moving it. It should release on its own when it is ready to turn.
6. Turn, brush with more marinade and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Brush and turn once or twice more so you build three or four layers of glaze.
7. The fish is done when the flesh flakes at the thickest point and the glaze has darkened to a deep red brown, with blistered edges.
8. Rest for 3 minutes, then serve with rice, lime and raw vegetables.

Notes and tips

• Score a whole fish two or three times on each side so the marinade reaches the flesh and the fish cooks evenly.
• Watch the last two minutes closely. Kecap manis contains sugar and goes from caramelised to burnt faster than you expect.
• For the closest thing to street flavour, grill a whole fish in a banana leaf parcel for the first half of cooking, then open it to finish over direct heat.
• Firm fish is essential: mackerel, snapper, sea bass, tilapia. Soft white fish falls apart on the grill.
• Any leftover marinade can be simmered for two minutes and served as a sauce alongside.

Questions

Can I cook this in the oven?

Yes, at 220 degrees Celsius for 15 to 18 minutes under a hot grill setting for the last five. It is noticeably less good than a griddle or charcoal, because the glaze needs direct contact heat to blister.

How do I stop the fish sticking?

Heat the pan thoroughly before the fish goes in, oil the pan rather than the fish, and do not move it for the first five minutes. It releases by itself once a crust forms.

Is it spicy?

Moderately, from three chillies spread across four portions. It is more sweet and sour than hot. Add a sliced bird eye chilli to the marinade for more fire.

What is tamarind paste and can I substitute it?

It is the sour pulp of the tamarind pod, sold as a concentrate or a block. Lime juice with a teaspoon of brown sugar is the nearest substitute.

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