Crispy Indonesian Banana Fritters (Pisang Goreng)

Pisang Goreng, or fried banana fritters, are a popular Indonesian snack with a crispy, golden exterior and a soft, naturally sweet banana filling.

Pisang Goreng means “fried bananas” in Indonesian, and is a much-loved, and easy-to-make street food snack. If you enjoy fried desserts like churros or funnel cake, you will like Pisang Goreng for its crispy batter and caramelized banana flavor.

Love Pisang Goreng? You’ll find a variety of fritters in my complete guide to Indonesian appetizer snacks.

How to Make Pisang Goreng

Coat ripe bananas in a simple batter of rice flour, regular flour, cornstarch, salt, and ice-cold water. Once battered, deep-fry the bananas until they are perfectly golden brown and crispy.

You’ll find that recipes for Pisang Goreng can vary quite a bit. Some people stick to just rice flour, while others might use only regular flour. Personally, I like to mix the two. It’s how I was taught, and it creates a light, crunchy batter that I’ve grown to love.

Serve the fritters as is or pair them with powdered sugar, palm sugar syrup (gula jawa), honey, or coconut glaze.

For the full recipe with ingredients and step-by-step instructions, continue reading below.

Tips for Making Crispy Batter

Getting the batter perfectly crispy comes down to three key factors: hot oil, ice-cold water, and minimal stirring.

Avoid Overmixing: Stir the batter just enough to combine the ingredients. Too much stirring encourages gluten development, which can result in a heavy, less crispy coating.

Use Hot Oil: Heat the oil to 350–360°F (180°C) before frying. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the batter will absorb the oil, making it soft and soggy instead of crispy.

Add Ice-Cold Water to the Batter: Cold water helps prevent too much gluten from forming when mixing the batter. Less gluten means a lighter, crispier crust.

Tips for Choosing the Best Bananas

To get the best flavor, make sure your bananas are ripe, but not too ripe. Overripe bananas can get too mushy and affect the texture.

Use whatever bananas you have on hand as long as they’re sweet and just firm enough. They shouldn’t be too green or overly soft.

If sweet bananas aren’t available, you can substitute with plantains or another type of banana. I also sometimes add a little vanilla or cinnamon to the batter for extra flavor. A small step that makes a big difference!