Macaroni Goreng (Stir-Fried Spicy Macaroni)

How to Make Macaroni Goreng

Let’s take a look at the name first, shall we?

Macaroni Goreng literally translates to “fried macaroni” in Malay. It’s a stir-fried pasta dish that borrows heavily from the flavours of mee goreng mamak – think garlic, onions/shallots, soy sauces, chilli, and tomato ketchup or tomato sauce for that sweet-spicy depth.

You can customise it endlessly – throw in chicken, prawns, tofu, or keep it vegetarian. The base recipe is quick, forgiving, and absolutely packed with flavour.

This is what we’ll be doing:

1. Cook the macaroni to the al dente stage, then cool it under cool/cold running water. More below.
2. While it’s cooking, we chop or grind our onion, garlic and chillies (or chilli paste).
3. Mix all the sauces together for easier cooking.
4. Lightly beat the eggs.
5. Slice the vegetables as necessary.
6. Fry the spice paste, add the vegetables, then the sauces, followed by the macaroni, and finally the eggs.

Done. Actual cooking time is only about 10 – 20 minutes, depending on whether your pasta is freshly cooked or previously cooked.

Ingredients

Macaroni goreng is a very fluid and versatile recipe. You make it with whatever you have at hand. Let’s take a look.

The Macaroni Pasta

The recipe is called macaroni goreng. So naturally, you want macaroni. But at the end of the day, this really doesn’t matter. Use any small pasta you can get your hands on to make today’s fried pasta recipe.

And you know what? Make spaghetti goreng, if you like. Just like mee goreng, but with spaghetti! Using the exact recipe here, just swap the pasta.

Whatever you do, you don’t want warm pasta to cook today’s recipe. The same principle applies here as when making fried rice, or nasi goreng.

Warm macaroni = stodgy macaroni goreng

The Protein

This is a great recipe for leftovers, just like our mee goreng mamak. So if you happen to have some meat in any shape or form, use that.

You can use chicken, beef, seafood, tofu or just keep it completely full of vegetables, whatever you prefer.

The Vegetables

In the video, as in the recipe card below, you’ll see that I’m using a handful of beansprouts, a handful of cabbage, some pak choi and tomatoes.

You can use whatever you like, just think about flavour, texture and colour. The cabbage provides a little crunch, as do the beansprouts if not cooked too long. In terms of colour, we have some green and a little orange.

With this in mind, you can use capsicums (bell pepper), carrots, green beans, spinach, kangkung, pretty much anything you fancy.

The Sauces

The sauces are the flavour champions in this recipe. We’ve got:

• tomato ketchup or tomato paste
• oyster sauce (skip for vegetarian)
• sweet soy sauce (kicap manis)
• light soy sauce (kicap masin)
• red chilli paste (cili boh, click for recipe)

Tomato ketchup is what gives this dish a touch of sweet and sour, it is a must when making mee goreng mamak. If you’re not overly keen on it, you could use half the amount of concentrated tomato paste.

I don’t use as much total amount of sauces compared to practically all other recipes online. This is because it’s meant to be a fried dish not a braised dish. Too much liquid will also produce a soggy pasta dish. We’re going for fried, remember?

Red Cili Paste or cili boh is responsible for the heat in our macaroni goreng. Cili boh is the standard red chilli paste that’s found in many kitchens in Singapore and Malaysia. You can read more about it here, and get the recipe for homemade cili boh.

You could also use sambal oelek, shop bought or my super quick recipe here on LInsFood or here on my YouTube Channel.

Can’t be bothered? Just chop up some red chillies, and you’re good to go.

How to Serve Macaroni Goreng

Traditionally, macaroni goreng is served piping hot, straight from the wok. Like any fried noodle recipe, the topping completes the picture. Here are some ideas.

• We’ve got the non negotiable fresh lime juice
• Chopped herbs – chives, spring onions (scallions) or coriander leaves (cilantro)
• A dash of kicap manis
• A side of cucumber slices and tomatoes
• Optional sambal or chopped chillies for extra heat
• A fried egg with runny yolk, again, optional
• Sometimes, I also serve this with strips of omelette

It’s a brilliant one-pan meal, a spicy stir fry, or a mild one. Perfect on its own or with a simple side like a cucumber salad or some prawn crackers for crunch.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Macaroni Goreng

1. Overcooking the macaroni

• Macaroni that’s too soft will turn mushy when stir-fried.
• Cook it just al dente, in fact, 1 minute less than the suggested cooking time, and rinse under cold water if you’re using it straight away.

2. Using too much sauce – as mentioned above

• It can turn your dish soggy and mask the signature wok-fried flavour.
• Use just enough sauce to coat the macaroni evenly. It’s about balance, not swimming in sauce. Fried, not braised.

3. Skipping the high heat

• Stir-frying on low heat makes everything steam instead of sear, killing the smoky, charred edge. Not comfortable with high heat? Go medium-high.
• Use a hot wok or pan. Preheat it well before tossing anything in.

4. Not prepping everything first

• The cooking process is fast. If you’re still chopping veg while the spice paste is frying, something’s going to burn.
• Have all ingredients chopped, mixed, and ready to go – a classic mise en place moment.

5. Forgetting texture contrast

• All-soft ingredients = a boring mouthful.
• Remember to add crunch – cabbage, bean sprouts, or a crispy fried egg on top.

6. Using the wrong pan

• A small, cold pan makes stir-frying harder and clogs up ingredients.
• Use a large wok or wide frying pan so you’ve got room to toss and sear.

So there you have it!

Macaroni goreng is proof that fusion food doesn’t have to be complicated – just fast, fun, and full of flavour. Whether you’re using leftover pasta or craving something spicy and comforting, this stir-fried macaroni will hit the spot.

So next time you’re staring at that packet of macaroni, skip the cheese and give it the goreng treatment instead. You won’t regret it. Let me know if you make it!

If you like the recipe, drop me a comment to let me know. And if you’re feeling like a star, don’t forget that 5-star rating! Thank you!

If you make the recipe, share it on Instagram and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood

Lin xx

Macaroni Goreng Recipe

Azlin Bloor

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Malay, mamak

Servings 4 (4-6)

Calories 332 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS

 

2x3x

• 200 g macaroni (or any pasta)
• 1 large pot of water
• ½ Tbsp salt

To Grind

• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp cili boh (red chilli paste) OR 2 red chillies

The Sauce

• 4 Tbsp tomato ketchup or tomato paste
• 1-2 Tbsp chilli paste
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce skip for vegetarian and double up on the light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce (kicap manis)

The "Filling"

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 200 g chicken in bite-sized pieces
• 1 handful breansprouts
• 1 handful shredded cabbage
• 3 eggs
• 2 handful greens I’m using pak choi
• 2 tomatoes quartered

Garnish/Topping (as few or as many of them)

• lime juice non negotiable
• chives or spring onions
• 4 sunny side up eggs
• cucumber slices
• tomato wedges
• sambal or sliced chillies
• crispy fried shallots

Instructions

 

Cook the Macaroni

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the salt.
  1 large pot of water, ½ Tbsp salt
• Tip in the macaroni and cook it for 1 minute less than what’s on the packet instructions. So if the packet says 8 minutes, cook it for 7 minutes. If it says 8 – 10, still cook it for 7. This will stop your macaroni from being overcooked and mushy.
  200 g macaroni (or any pasta)
• Drain, reserving a little of the pasta water just in case our macaroni gets too dry later. Rinse in cool water and leave aside while you get everything else ready. Your pasta wants to be at room temperature, or cold. Place it in the fridge if you like. That's what I do, but away from dairy and meat.

Make the Spice Paste (Rempah)

• Quarter your onion, then place it in a food chopper, along with the garlic and chilli paste (or sliced red chillies).
  1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp cili boh (red chilli paste)
• Grind to a fairly fine paste. No food chopper? Just chop it all up finely.

The Sauce & Eggs

• Mix all the sauces together and set aside.
  4 Tbsp tomato ketchup, 1-2 Tbsp chilli paste, 2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp light soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce
• Lightly whisk the eggs, set aside.
  3 eggs

Let's Get Cooking

• Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan on medium heat and fry the spice paste for 5 minutes, until fragrant. As our spice paste hasn't got much liquid, you'll reach the pecah minyak stage quicker. Click here to read more about pecah minyak.
  2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Increase the heat to high or medium-high, and add your protein of choice, and cook for 5 minutes. I'm using chicken. Whatever you're using, make sure it's in small, bite-sized pieces. If using tofu, just fry for 2 minutes.
  200 g chicken
• Add the cabbage and beansprouts and stir well.
  1 handful breansprouts, 1 handful shredded cabbage
• Pour in the sauces and heat through for a minute.
• Now, chuck in the cooled macaroni and mix well. Fry for about 3 minutes, until everything is a little dry and the sauce has been absorbed.
• Push the macaroni to one side and pour in the beaten egg. Leave to set slightly for 30 seconds, then agitate the eggs (see video at 1:33), leave for another 30 seconds to set slightly.
  3 eggs
• Now toss everything together, frying the macaroni and eggs well. Cooking the eggs this way ensures that some of the egg is coating the macaroni, while the rest is is soft clumps. The best of 2 worlds.
• Taste and add a little more light soy sauce if you think it needs it. Finish off with some lime juice. Serve as suggested above.
  lime juice

Nutrition

Calories: 332kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 14gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 1348mgPotassium: 392mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 824IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 2mg

Keyword goreng, macaroni

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