Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang
Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang features tender chunks of beef slowly simmered in coconut milk with aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, and chiles until the sauce reduces to a rich, caramelized coating. The result is deeply spiced, slightly sweet, and gently fiery, with toasty coconut notes. Serve it for a cozy dinner or a special occasion alongside steamed rice to soak up every bit of flavor.
- Prep25 mins
- Cook4 hrs 5 mins
- Serves8
- DifficultyHard
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 48 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 0 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 91 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
- 1 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 12
- Heart Health
- 57
- Metabolic
- 14
- Digestive
- 20
- Inflammatory
- 54
- Performance
- 42
- General Wellness
- 1
Cut the beef chuck into 2-inch pieces.
- 2
Combine the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, serrano and Fresno chiles, salt, red pepper flakes, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and nutmeg in a food processor. Pulse until the paste is very finely ground, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides with a spatula.
- 3
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the curry paste. Cook and stir until it begins to dry out, then stir in the beef. Add coconut milk, tamarind paste, and brown sugar, and stir to combine. Fill the empty coconut milk can with water and pour it into the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
- 4
Meanwhile, bruise the lemongrass with the back of your knife. Cut it into 1- to 2-inch pieces and add to the curry. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is fully reduced, about 4 hours. Stir more often as the water reduces; add more water or lower the heat if the sauce is reducing faster than the beef is softening.
- 5
Remove the lemongrass before serving. For best results, let it cool and serve the next day.
- Calories 311.75 kcal Moderate 16%
- Protein 30.61 g Good Source 61%
- Carbohydrate 14.31 g 5%
- Total Fat 15.32 g Moderate 20%
- Saturated Fat 9.17 g High 46%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 83.36 mg High 28%
- Sodium 461.61 mg High 20%
- Dietary Fiber 0.85 g Low Source 3%
- Total Sugars 3.76 g --
- Added Sugars 0.11 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 107.64 mg Low Source 8%
- Iron 7.16 mg Good Source 40%
- Potassium 19.48 mg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin A 25.9 mcg Low Source 3%
- Vitamin C 1.99 mg Low Source 2%
- Vitamin D 0.56 mcg Low Source 3%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang is made with 18 ingredients and serves 8. It takes about 4 hrs 30 mins and is rated hard. Key ingredients include Beef, Brown Sugar, Coconut Milk, and Dried Chile Peppers. Each serving provides about 311.75 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang made of?
- The main ingredients are Beef, Brown Sugar, Coconut Milk, Dried Chile Peppers, Fresh Ginger. The full list of 18 is above.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang?
- About 4 hrs 30 mins in total: 25 mins to prepare and 4 hrs 5 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 311.75 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang easy to make?
- This recipe is rated hard, with 18 ingredients and 5 steps.
- Is Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang healthy?
- Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang has an easyChef Pro health score of 44/100. Per serving, it provides 311.75 calories and 30.61 g of protein, or 61% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 461.61 mg (20% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 9.17 g (46% of the Daily Value). It contains Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required