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Gado Gado with Spicy Peanut Sauce (30 Minutes!)

Tray and plate of Gado Gado made with Spicy Peanut Sauce with text overlaid stating the recipe title

Tray of gluten-free Gado Gado made with brown rice, veggies, boiled egg, and a Spicy Peanut Sauce

We’ve previously shared a recipe for Gado Gado — a quick, simple, and flavorful Indonesian-inspired dish perfect for weeknight cooking. We love that recipe so much we wanted to share a slightly different, but equally simple and delicious variation.

This version uses sweet potato instead of carrots, swaps the red cabbage for extra green beans, and includes an optional egg. Oh, and we kicked things up a notch with a spicy version of the peanut sauce. Let’s do this!

Wood cutting board filled with ingredients for making our Gado Gado with Spicy Peanut Sauce recipe

The base of this 30-minute recipe is brown rice. It’s quick and easy to make, plus rich in vitamins and minerals such as selenium, magnesium, and vitamin B3.

To make this bowl extra filling and delicious, we also roasted coated sweet potato rounds until perfectly tender and sweet.

Parchment-lined baking sheet of freshly roasted sweet potato rounds for making Gado Gado

For a pop of green and a bit of crunch, we steamed green beans until just tender, then added them to ice water to stop the cooking and keep them fresh and vibrant.

Not only are green beans delicious, they’re also loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamins K, C, folate, B2, chromium, calcium, and so many more!

Using a spoon to stir a bowl of Spicy Peanut Sauce for topping Gado Gado

Next comes the peanut sauce! Simply whisk peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, and chili garlic sauce in a mixing bowl. Add water to thin and you’ve got a magical, versatile sauce!

The rice and veggies are divided between serving bowls, topped with cilantro and peanuts, and everything is drizzled with spicy peanut sauce.

Tray of gluten-free Gado Gado with Spicy Peanut Sauce for a simple dairy-free dinner

We hope you LOVE this dish. It’s:

Flavorful
Quick & simple
Versatile
Perfectly spicy
Colorful
Healthy
& So tasty!

This recipe is perfect for quick weeknight dinners and make-ahead lunches but is also impressive enough to serve to company as it’s customizable and everyone can choose their own unique toppings.

If you’re into peanut sauce, be sure to check out our Rainbow Spring Rolls with Ginger Peanut Sauce, Baked Crispy Peanut Tofu, and Thai Sweet Potato Stacks with Peanut Sauce.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Bowl of Gado Gado made with brown rice, green beans, sweet potato, bell pepper, egg, and Spicy Peanut Sauce

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Tray filled with Gado Gado made with roasted and fresh vegetables and Spicy Peanut Sauce
5 from 6 votes

Gado Gado with Spicy Peanut Sauce

An Indonesian-inspired bowl made with brown rice, vegetables, and spicy peanut sauce. Incredibly customizable and perfect for a simple, basic yet hearty meal. Just 30 minutes required!

Author: Minimalist Baker
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 3 (Servings)
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Indonesian-Inspired
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2 Days

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

RICE

  • 1 cup short grain brown rice, rinsed
  • 1 ¾ cup water
  • 1 pinch sea salt (optional)

VEGETABLES

  • 1 large (~200 g) sweet potato, rinsed and chopped into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 8 ounces green beans, stems removed (8 ounces equals ~40 beans)
  • 1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup bean sprouts (or use more bell pepper)

PEANUT SAUCE

  • 1/4 cup natural salted peanut butter
  • 1 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten free)
  • 1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 2-3 tsp chili garlic sauce (more or less depending on preferred level of spice)
  • 1-4 Tbsp hot water

FOR SERVING

  • Fresh chopped cilantro
  • 2-3 Tbsp roasted salted peanuts (optional)
  • Hard-boiled egg* (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, bring water and brown rice to a boil, then add a pinch of salt, swirl to combine, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender and fully cooked. Drain off any excess liquid at the end if there is any. Set rice aside and cover to keep warm.

  2. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add sliced sweet potato and drizzle with avocado oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes. When ready, rounds should be tender and slightly golden brown. Set aside.

  3. While potato rounds and rice are cooking, steam your green beans in a steamer basket or in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, add to boiling hot water for 1 minute, then transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process (a.k.a. “shocking”). Drain and set aside.

  4. Prepare the peanut sauce by adding all ingredients except water to a small mixing bowl and whisking. Add hot water 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time until desired consistency is reached — it should be pourable.

  5. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more chili garlic sauce for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, or lime juice for acidity.

  6. To assemble, divide brown rice between 3 dishes and top with roasted sweet potato, steamed green beans, sliced red pepper, bean sprouts, cilantro, and a hard-boiled egg (optional). Serve with spicy peanut sauce and salted roasted peanuts (optional). For extra heat, sriracha or extra chili garlic sauce make great additions.

  7. Best when fresh. Store any leftovers separate from dressing in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

Notes

*We followed this hard-boiled egg recipe from Ina Garten.
*To keep this dish vegan, omit the egg and double up on veggies, or serve with our Crispy Baked Peanut Tofu!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients and with the lesser amounts of lime juice, maple syrup, and chili garlic sauce.

Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 3 Servings)

  • Calories: 496
  • Fat: 17.4g
  • Saturated fat: 2.6g
  • Sodium: 495mg
  • Potassium: 755mg
  • Carbohydrates: 75g
  • Fiber: 8.6g
  • Sugar: 11.6g
  • Protein: 13.7g
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23 Comments 30 minutes or less, Asian-Inspired, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Entree, Fall, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Indonesian-Inspired, Recipes, Savory, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian, Winter

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danaHi, I'm Dana! I am a food stylist, photographer, creator of Food Photography School and author of Everyday Cooking.

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All commentsI made thisQuestions
  1. Avatar for DiannaDianna says

    September 7, 2019 at 11:27 pm

    I am Indonesian and I come across your blog to find ideas on how to create a personal blog and see my favorite food! Although yours isn’t precisely the gado-gado we make here, it is however close. You need to add several cayenne pepper (not red bell pepper but I suppose it depends on how you prefer to make it) in it to make all the taste come together. Don’t use maple syrup because if you do, that’s not gado-gado anymore ;) instead, use palm sugar but not the one in the plastic. The block palm sugar. I don’t know if you have it over there. Anyway yeah, that’s about it. But glad to see you make one :)

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      September 8, 2019 at 10:08 am

      Thanks for the feedback and tips, Dianna!

      Reply
  2. Avatar for ShainaShaina says

    August 24, 2019 at 9:19 pm

    Literally eating this as I’m writing… wow SO freakin good!! Warm, fresh, spicy, a little sweet. I’m so into it. I made this with coconut brown rice and subbed the egg for some tofu since I had eggs for breakfast. Comes together so quickly while the potatoes are in the oven! Had the bowl waiting, threw the sweet potatoes in and devoured immediately. Awesome week night dinner. Already excited to eat leftovers!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      August 26, 2019 at 10:17 am

      So glad you enjoy it, Shaina! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo

      Reply
  3. Avatar for ToveTove says

    August 18, 2019 at 6:32 am

    Hi, this looks so delicious, will def make it for dinner this week! One question though: do you know how long the dressing will keep for in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Support @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      August 19, 2019 at 9:59 am

      Hi Tove, the dressing will probably last longer than the rest- up to 1 week.

      Reply
      • Avatar for ToveTove says

        August 19, 2019 at 4:52 pm

        Thank you! Will definitely make a double batch then? Also, what can I substitute the maple syrup with (a bit tricky to find maple syrup over here?)

        Reply
        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

          August 19, 2019 at 7:33 pm

          honey or agave!

          Reply
  4. Avatar for BethanBethan says

    June 28, 2019 at 4:24 pm

    YUM. This looks so good! Thinking of maybe subbing some crispy tofu to replace the egg to keep it vegan. Anything with a peanut sauce is a winner in my book. Thanks so much for sharing, Dana!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      June 29, 2019 at 8:11 am

      Lovely! We share some vegan suggestions in the recipe notes!

      Reply
  5. Avatar for ToniToni says

    June 24, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    This was so good! It did take longer than 30 minutes to make. Next time I will make rice and eggs ahead of time. I roasted the red pepper with some avocado oil and salt pepper along with the potatoes instead of leaving them raw. This was a hit with my husband and son as well. Just wish I had more for left overs. The combination was so tasty and filling. Add a few peanuts as suggested, so good!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      June 26, 2019 at 2:29 am

      Thanks for sharing your experience, Toni!

      Reply
  6. Avatar for Kanika SainiKanika Saini says

    June 22, 2019 at 12:38 am

    I’m excited to try this recipe. Can I sub coconut aminos for the Tamari in the dressing sauce?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      June 22, 2019 at 2:30 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  7. Avatar for EE says

    June 20, 2019 at 5:59 pm

    This was a perfect mid week recipe! Fresh, quick, easy and flavorful! I made mine with a boiled egg and a fried egg for my husband. Both of us loved the fresh flavors! Thank you for sharing recipes like these are keepers :)

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      June 21, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  8. Avatar for Natalie RappNatalie Rapp says

    June 20, 2019 at 4:53 pm

    So good!!!! I love the name of this dish! I skinned my sweet potatoes, brushed olive oil on them, and put them in the oven for 27 minutes because they were still too soft along the edges at 25 minutes for my liking. I also used store bought peanut sauce and used my rice cooker to make the rice! Overall, this was a super low maintenance meal and tasted awesome : >

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      June 21, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      Yay! Thanks, Natalie!

      Reply
  9. Avatar for PippPipp says

    June 18, 2019 at 9:43 am

    Made this for dinner tonight, minus cilantro as we had none in. Absolutely delicious and Im over the moon that I have an extra portion to take to work for lunch tomorrow :) will absolutely make again.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      June 18, 2019 at 11:34 am

      Thanks for sharing, Pipp!

      Reply
  10. Avatar for Cassie Autumn TranCassie Autumn Tran says

    June 15, 2019 at 7:53 am

    Never tried Gado Gado before, but HOLY SMOKES does it look fantastic. Sweet potatoes, peanut sauce, and roasted vegetables sound perfect together. I want to try out the peanut sauce with almond butter one day, just out of sheer curiosity. I know it would be a lit grittier, but the flavor would still be lovely!

    Reply
  11. Avatar for LauraLaura says

    June 14, 2019 at 11:39 am

    I followed the sauce recipe for the most part, except I had to replace cashews for the peanuts due to an allergy in our home. It was delicious. We poured it over sauted veggies I had in the fridge and brown rice noodles. I have one very particular eater and he ate two bowls. The whole family loved it.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      June 14, 2019 at 3:10 pm

      Thanks, Laura!!

      Reply

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