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Whether you’re introducing someone to Indonesian flavors or just craving something homey with a punch, Daging Sapi Cabe Ijo is a must-try. The tender beef paired with fiery green sambal hits all the right notes—rich, spicy, and deeply satisfying.
If you love bold Indonesian flavors and a good kick of chili heat, this daging sapi cabe ijo is one to add to your rotation. It’s made with tender braised beef (usually beef shank for that chewy, gelatinous bite we all love) and tossed in a spicy, garlicky green sambal that smells amazing and tastes even better. Pair it with some warm rice, and you’ve got a seriously comforting meal.
What Is Daging Sapi Cabe Ijo?
This dish is a mix of juicy braised beef and sambal cabe ijo—a green chili sambal that’s packed with shallots, garlic, and spicy green chilies. You’ll see a version of this a lot in Padang-style cuisine, often with fried beef or chicken. But here, we go with slow-braised beef instead. It’s tender, flavorful, and soaks up all the delicious spices from the braise.
Why Beef Shank?
Beef shank is perfect for this because of all the sinew and connective tissue. After braising, it turns soft and gelatinous in the best way. You can also mix in some chuck roast if you want a balance of tender and meaty textures. Either way, it’s going to taste amazing.
Daging Sapi Cabe Ijo (Braised Beef With Green Sambal)
Ingredients
For the Beef & Spice Paste:
- 900 g beef shank or mix with chuck
- 6 shallots
- 10 cloves garlic
- 2 candlenuts
- 2 Tbsp galangal powder
- 1 Tbsp turmeric powder
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger
- 45 g oil
Herbs & Seasonings:
- 6 dried bay leaves
- 1 stalk lemongrass bruised
- 30 g gula Jawa Indonesian palm sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 Tbsp kecap manis Indonesian sweet soy sauce
For Sambal Cabe Ijo:
- 5 shallots
- 10 garlic cloves
- 60 g oil
- 4 –5 green bird’s eye chilies adjust to taste
- 5 –6 serrano or jalapeño peppers sliced
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
Make the Spice Paste
- Blend shallots, garlic, candlenuts, galangal, turmeric, ginger, and oil in a food processor into a smooth paste.
Sauté the Paste
- In a heavy pot or Instant Pot (sauté mode), add the spice paste, bay leaves, lemongrass, and list of ingredients in the herbs &seasonings section. Cook for ~15 mins until fragrant.
Braise the Beef
- Add beef back and pour in water just to cover.
- Stovetop: Simmer, covered, over medium heat for about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes
- Instant Pot: Pressure cook on HIGH pressure for 45 mins, then natural release.
- Remove the beef from the pot and rest the beef on a cutting board for 10 mins, then slice thinly against the grain.
- You can save the broth for other use. For example: cooking rice, or for any recipe that called for broth
Make the Sambal
- Pulse shallots, garlic,bird’s eye chilies, and oil until coarsely chopped. Slice serrano/jalapeños separately for a more rustic chunkier look
- Preheat a large pan. Add the garlic paste and the peppers to the pan.
- Stir-fry over medium heat for ~15 mins until soft and fragrant and the oil starts to separate from the paste. Adjust the taste by adding more salt if needed
Assemble & Serve
- Toss sliced beef in sambal or arrange the sliced beef on a plate and spoon sambal over the top. Serve with warm rice.
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Extra Tips
1. Want more heat? Add more bird’s eye chilies—or keep the seeds.
2. No candlenuts? Use macadamia nuts or just skip them.
3. Don’t skip the rest time after cooking the beef—it makes it easier to slice and keeps the juices in.
4. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a few days, and the flavor actually gets better.
Storing Leftovers
Fridge:
Let the dish cool completely and then store in an air-tight container for about 4 days. The flavor actually deepen, so it tastes even better the next day onwards
Freezer:
Transfer the cooled-down dish to a freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags. Label with the date and you can freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating Tips
1. Stovetop: Reheat gently over medium-low heat until warmed through. You can add a splash of water if it looks too dry.
2. Microwave: Cover and heat in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between.
3. From frozen: Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Daging sapi cabe ijo is one of those dishes that feels like a big warm hug—with fire. The beef is tender and flavorful, the sambal is punchy and vibrant, and it all just works so well together. It’s the kind of dish you’ll make once and then crave again and again.
