Bakso

Name: Bakso
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 bowls
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 500 g Beef, very lean topside or shin, trimmed of all fat and sinew, cubed and chilled; 120 g Ice, crushed; 60 g Tapioca, tapioca starch; 8 clove Garlic, 3 for the meatballs, 5 sliced and fried for the broth; 0.5 tsp Baking powder; 1.5 tsp White pepper, 1 for the meatballs, half for the broth; 2 tsp Salt; 2 l Beef stock, light, unsalted if possible; 2 stick Celery, leaves chopped, stalks left whole for the pot; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 250 g Egg noodles, fresh, blanched; 200 g Bok choi, halved and blanched; 3 piece Shallot, sliced thin and fried crisp; 2 piece Spring onion, sliced; 3 tbsp Kecap manis, at the table; 3 tbsp Sriracha, or any chilli sauce, at the table

Indonesian bouncy beef meatballs in a clear garlic broth with noodles, greens, fried shallots and sweet soy.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 40 min
Rest: None
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Bakso are beef meatballs with a springy, almost bouncy bite, served in a light beef broth with noodles. The texture comes from blending very lean beef with ice, tapioca starch and a pinch of baking powder until it turns into a smooth sticky paste, then poaching spoonfuls in water held just under the boil. The broth is simple: bones or stock, a lot of fried garlic, white pepper, celery. Each bowl gets meatballs, a nest of noodles, blanched greens and fried shallots, and eaters add kecap manis, chilli sauce and vinegar at the table. A food processor is non-negotiable for the paste.

What you'll need

16 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 16 ready

4 servings

Meatballs
Broth
To serve

Ingredients

Servings

Meatballs

Beef, very lean topside or shin, trimmed of all fat and sinew, cubed and chilled500 g
Ice, crushed120 g
Tapioca, tapioca starch60 g
Garlic, 3 for the meatballs, 5 sliced and fried for the broth8 clove
Baking powder2½ ml
White pepper, 1 for the meatballs, half for the broth7.4 ml
Salt9.9 ml

Broth

Beef stock, light, unsalted if possible2 l
Celery, leaves chopped, stalks left whole for the pot2 stick
Neutral oil30 ml

To serve

Egg noodles, fresh, blanched250 g
Bok choi, halved and blanched200 g
Shallot, sliced thin and fried crisp3
Spring onion, sliced2
Kecap manis, at the table44 ml
Sriracha, or any chilli sauce, at the table44 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Blend the cold beef with 3 garlic cloves, salt, 1 tsp white pepper and half the ice until it becomes a paste. Add the tapioca starch, baking powder and remaining ice and blend until smooth, glossy and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes total.
8 min
Watch: Keep everything cold. If the paste warms, the balls go grainy instead of bouncy.
Step 2
Bring a wide pot of water to a simmer and then turn it down so it barely moves. Wet your hands, squeeze paste up through your fist and scoop off walnut-sized balls with a wet spoon straight into the water.
15 min
Step 3
Poach until the balls float and feel firm, about 8 minutes from the last one in. Lift out with a spider into cold water, then drain.
10 min
Tip: Cut one open. It should be smooth and grey-pink all through, with no raw centre.
Step 4
Fry the 5 sliced garlic cloves in oil until golden. Add the beef stock, celery stalks and remaining white pepper and simmer 15 minutes. Season. Add the meatballs for the last 5 minutes to heat through.
20 min
Step 5
Put noodles and bok choi in each bowl, add meatballs and ladle over broth. Top with fried shallots, spring onion and celery leaf. Pass kecap manis and chilli sauce at the table.
5 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 681 kcal
Protein: 50.4 g
Carbs: 33.4 g
Fat: 37 g
Saturated fat: 11.6 g
Fibre: 2.8 g
Sugar: 15.9 g
Sodium: 3467 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Soy
Eggs

Dairy-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Tapioca starch → Cornflour
Slightly less chew, same method.
Fresh egg noodles → Rice vermicelli
Many carts offer both; it keeps the bowl gluten-free if you also skip kecap manis.

Tips

The first batch of balls is usually ugly. Shape is easier with a wet spoon than wet fingers.
Poached bakso freeze well. Make a double batch and drop them frozen into any broth.

History & culture

The bakso cart with its tapping spoon is a sound of every Indonesian neighbourhood. It is afternoon food, rainy-day food and late food, bought from a vendor with a steaming cauldron on wheels. Versions include a giant ball with an egg inside, tendon balls and tofu stuffed with meat paste. A presidential endorsement in 2010 did not hurt its standing.

The name comes from the Hokkien for minced meat, and the technique is Chinese: beaten meat paste poached into balls. Chinese-Indonesian cooks switched pork for beef to suit a Muslim majority, and Javanese vendors made it street food in the twentieth century. Wonogiri in Central Java is the traditional home of the cart sellers.

Traditional

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Bakso take?

1 hr 10 min all in — 30 min prep, 40 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Soy, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Blender, Stockpot, Spider or strainer.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Tapioca starch → Cornflour. Slightly less chew, same method. Fresh egg noodles → Rice vermicelli. Many carts offer both; it keeps the bowl gluten-free if you also skip kecap manis.

What should I watch for?

Keep everything cold. If the paste warms, the balls go grainy instead of bouncy.

Any tips from this recipe?

The first batch of balls is usually ugly. Shape is easier with a wet spoon than wet fingers. Poached bakso freeze well. Make a double batch and drop them frozen into any broth.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.