Recipes › Mie Goreng

Mie Goreng

Published 12 October 2026

Mie goreng is the Indonesian answer to a fast fried noodle: egg noodles tossed in kecap manis with garlic, cabbage, a little chicken or prawn, and a fried egg on top if you are hungry. It is sweeter and less smoky than its Chinese and Malaysian cousins, and it takes about twelve minutes from a cold pan. The whole dish is a lesson in preparing everything first, because once the pan is hot there is no time to chop.

Ingredients

• 250 g fresh egg noodles, or 200 g dried
• 3 tablespoons kecap manis
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon chilli sauce or sambal oelek
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 150 g chicken thigh, thinly sliced
• 6 prawns, peeled (optional)
• 100 g cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1 tomato, cut into wedges
• White pepper and salt

Method

1. If using dried noodles, cook them two minutes short of the packet time and drain well. They finish cooking in the pan, and soggy noodles cannot be rescued.
2. Whisk the kecap manis, light soy sauce, chilli sauce and a pinch of white pepper together in a cup. Have it within reach of the hob.
3. Heat the oil in a wok or wide frying pan over high heat. Fry the garlic and shallots for 30 seconds until fragrant but not coloured.
4. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes until it loses its raw colour, then add the prawns if using and cook for another minute.
5. Push the contents to one side, crack in the eggs and scramble them for 20 seconds, then fold through the chicken.
6. Add the cabbage and carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute. They should soften without losing all their bite.
7. Add the noodles and pour the sauce over. Toss continuously for 2 minutes, lifting and folding rather than stirring, until every strand is coated and the sauce has darkened the noodles.
8. Add the tomato and spring onions, toss for 20 seconds, taste for salt and serve.

Notes and tips

• Kecap manis is what makes this dish taste Indonesian. Dark soy sauce with a spoon of brown sugar is the closest substitute.
• Cook in two batches if your pan is small. Crowding produces steamed noodles.
• Day-old cooked noodles from the fridge work better than fresh, because they are drier and take on the sauce rather than going soft.
• A fried egg on top, yolk still runny, is the standard warung finish.
• Add a handful of fried shallots at the end if you have them. They are the difference between good and recognisable.

Questions

What noodles should I use?

Fresh yellow egg noodles are standard. Dried egg noodles work if undercooked slightly. Rice vermicelli makes a different dish and will not hold the sauce the same way.

Can I make it without meat?

Yes. Skip the chicken and prawns, add extra cabbage and a handful of mushrooms, and use light soy sauce in place of the fish-based sauces.

Why are my noodles clumping?

They were drained but still wet, or the pan was not hot enough. Shake the colander hard and give the pan a full two minutes of preheating.

How spicy is it?

Barely, as written. The chilli sauce is for warmth at the edges. Add two sliced bird eye chillies with the garlic if you want real heat.

Cooked it? Tell us how it went on the contact page — corrections and regional variations are always welcome.