I remember the first time I had beef rendang. I was about eleven years old, sitting in a Malaysian restaurant in a NJ strip mall, and it was one of the most amazing things I’d ever eaten.
I figured that it would be an extremely difficult dish to make, considering the complexity of the flavors it presented. But besides a few specialty ingredients, which can be sourced from most Asian grocers, it’s actually pretty dead simple to make.
It starts with a spice paste–whizzed up in a food processor or blender. Then the beef is added to the pot, along with the coconut milk and a few other ingredients.
Then you just simmer the heck out of it, and it’s done! SO good. Saucy perfection on a plate. A welcome change from your usual weeknight fare.
The best part is, beef rendang can be made in advance, as the flavors only get better if you allow it to sit in the fridge for a couple days.
The Origins of Beef rendang
Rendang is a dry curry originating in Indonesia, though its popularity has since spread to the neighboring countries of Malaysia and Singapore.
That’s why this beef rendang recipe is for a pretty big batch–enough for 8 people or so. You’ll want leftovers, trust me. Serve your beef rendang with white rice and/or roti, and you’re set!
If you like a simpler dish, then our coconut curry chicken is always good too.
These Makrut lime leaves round out the unique flavor of this beef rendang. In case you didn’t know it, the proper and more accurate name is the Makrut rather than Kaffir lime. Read more about this change on our ingredients page entry for the Makrut lime.
Beef Rendang Recipe Instructions
In a blender or food processor, add the powdered cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, shallot/onion, garlic, ginger, galangal, and red chilies. Blend until smooth.
Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and add the oil along with the mixture you just pureed. Cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the beef to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the lemongrass, cinnamon sticks, star anise, unsweetened coconut milk, beef broth, and salt, to taste. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add the lime leaves, lime juice, brown sugar, and coconut flakes (if using) and stir. Simmer for another 2 hours, until the sauce is thick and dark, and the meat is very tender.
Taste for seasoning and adjust seasoning with salt and sugar to taste. Remove the lemongrass, lime leaves, and whole spices, and serve!
Try this dish with our coconut rice recipe – it goes really well with southeast Asian dishes!
Beef Rendang, A Malaysian Classic
Ingredients
- 8 whole cloves (smashed into a powder)
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 12 shallots (or 1 large onion)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled)
- a 3″ piece of ginger (peeled and roughly chopped)
- a 3″ piece of galangal (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 6 red chilies (stemmed)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 lb. boneless beef chuck or brisket (cut into 2" pieces)
- 1 stalk lemongrass (trimmed and crushed with the back of your knife)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 star anise
- 2 cans unsweetened coconut milk (about 27 fl. ounces; 800 ml)
- 1 cup beef broth (235 ml)
- salt (to taste)
- 8 Kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, add the powdered cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, shallot/onion, garlic, ginger, galangal, and chilies and blend until smooth. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and add the oil along with the mixture you just pureed. Cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the beef to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the lemongrass, cinnamon sticks, star anise, coconut milk, beef broth, and salt, to taste. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the lime leaves, lime juice, brown sugar, and coconut flakes (if using) and stir. Simmer for another 2 hours, until the sauce is thick and dark, and the meat is very tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust seasoning with salt and sugar to taste. Remove the lemon grass, lime leaves, and whole spices, and serve!
Hi Sarah, love all of the recipe collection, but I’d like to correct you on tagging Rendang as a Malaysian dish. It is not. It actually originated from a region in Indonesia. It is officially recognised as a national dish here. It is one that we are very proud of. Ask Gordon Ramsey, he made some while visiting Indonesia 😊 by the way, secret to a great rendang is using turmeric leaf if available. Some people also use baby potatoes instead of or with the beef. Some replace the beef with chicken. Still delicious.
Thank you for the clarification, Monda!
Another delicious dish, Sarah. We really enjoyed it. I wanted to share a few modifications that I made. I only had a bit more than 2 lbs of beef, but I followed the directions as if I had the full 4 lbs called for. After the initial 90 minutes of cooking, I added carrots mushrooms and tiny eggplants to the broth. My dish did not turn out as dark as yours, but it did significantly darken during the final stage of cooking. I left the cover off the entire time to reduce the sauce. Excellent flavors and we liked the added vegetables.
Thanks for sharing, Rick! So glad you enjoyed it—I love the idea of adding vegetables to make it a 1 pot meal. :)
a.m.a.z.i.n.g
Wooo! Thank you Rohan!
Any suggestions for what vegetable to serve this with? I am going to make a big batch for my week of meal prep!
Hi Dane, we love this with Kangkung Belacan: https://thewoksoflife.com/kangkung-belacan-water-spinach-with-shrimp-paste/
I attempted this recipe but my portions must have been off. Three and a half hours in, I still had a big pot of runny curry broth. The end result was still pretty good, so I didn’t mind it at all, though it’s definitely not what a beef rendang should look like. Would you mind clarifying the optimal amount of coconut milk the recipe calls for, as the canned products come in all sorts of different sizes? I would love to give this another go. Thank you for the guidance!
Hi Kimberly, I used two 13.5 fl oz cans, so 27 fl oz. total. When you simmered it, did you simmer it covered or uncovered? If it’s too wet, simmer it uncovered for longer to cook off the liquid.
I made this in Instant Pot. I use beef for stew. Step 1 using sauté. Combine step 2 and 3. Use meat/stew setting. I omit the beef broth and shredded coconut.
Thanks for sharing that, Lily!
I’m Indonesian, from West Sumatra where you can also find rendang. And my mom used to add pan toasted shredded coconut flesh into the whole thing…it gives hearty aroma and texture to the dish
Oops just realized u already mention coconut flakes in the recipe
Haha no worries Sisca! I really do love the addition of the coconut flakes too.
Hey guys,
Do you have any recipe suggestions for maybe making this in the Instant Pot? Seems like the perfect kind of recipe for it.
Hi Eunice, we will definitely “InstantPot” this one soon :-)
I’m frustrated that I started this recipe thinking it would take 2 hours as you stated, but the directions indicate that it will actually take 3.5+ hours. 90 minutes, then 2 hours isn’t reflected in the total cook time. Now I have fresh rotis and a hungry family, but the food isn’t done.
Apologies Amber! I will fix the recipe to reflect the accurate prep time.
Fantastic recipe! I was a little hesitant to try since a previous attempt at rendang was only so-so but this one had a great flavor and the cooking times were perfect. I didn’t feel that there was much need to stir at all during step 2, and even step 3 didn’t require frequent stirring until the last 30 minutes.
Thanks for the feedback and glad you liked the dish!