[2] Ikan goreng are usually deep fried in ample extremely hot coconut oil until the fish turns golden and crisp.

This method is often used with carp, gourami and milkfish in order to turn the fine fishbone crumbly, crisp and edible.

Some recipes of ikan goreng might add additional bumbu (spice mixture) mixed with or poured on top of fried fish, such as bumbu acar kuning (yellow pickles), made of turmeric, garlic, and other spices paste with sliced cucumber, carrot, chili, and round shalots, or chopped tomato with vinegar.

Almost all kind of edible fish and seafood can be made into ikan goreng, the most popular are freshwater gourami, bilis (mystacoleucus), patin (pangasius), nila (nile tilapia), mujair (mozambique tilapia), lele (clarias), gabus (channa striata), and ikan mas (carp).

Seafood fried fishes are bandeng (milkfish), tongkol or cakalang (skipjack tuna), tuna, bawal (pomfret), tenggiri (wahoo), kuwe (trevally), baronang (rabbitfish), kerapu (garoupa), kakap merah (red snapper), Ayam-Ayam (Starry triggerfish), teri (anchovy), belanak (bluespot mullet), todak (swordfish), hiu or cucut (shark) and pari (stingray).