Ikan bakar differs from other grilled fish dishes in that it often contains flavorings like bumbu, kecap manis, sambal, and is covered in a banana leaf and cooked on a charcoal fire.

[3][4] As an archipelagic nation, ikan bakar is very popular in Indonesia and is commonly found in many places, from an Acehnese beach to a restaurant perched over Kupang's harbour in East Nusa Tenggara, to the center of Jakarta's business district.

The spice mixture may vary among regions and places, but usually it consists of a combination of ground shallot, garlic, chili pepper, coriander, tamarind juice, candlenut, turmeric, galangal and salt.

[3] The ikan bakar of Minangkabau (Padang), most of Sumatra and also Malay Peninsula are usually spicier and yellow-reddish in colour because of the generous amount of chili pepper, turmeric and other spices, and the absence of sweet soy sauce.

[13] There are many variants of ikan bakar, differ from the recipes of marinate spices, dipping sauces or sambals, to the species of fishes being grilled.