This Korean Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe is just the dish you’ll want to add to your weekly rotation. It’s smoky, spicy, filling, and a great way to use up leftover rice. Make your own kimchi or get some from the store.
At its simplest, Korean fried rice is fried with boldly flavored ingredients — onions, garlic, kimchi, kimchi juice, and gochujang, fermented Korean chili paste.
My version is peppered with some smoky bacon. After serving, the rice is drizzled with sesame oil and then topped with a fried egg, scallions, sesame seeds, and roasted strips of seaweed, creating a spicy and satisfyingly filling dish.
It’s a mouthful of flavors and textures — chunks of crunchy rice mixed with soft rice grains are layered with spicy and slightly sour notes from kimchi, and then more spice and sweetness from the Korean chili paste.
It’s an endlessly versatile dish that you can personalize with leftovers, flavors and ingredients from your fridge.
All about kimchi
The longer kimchi sits, the more it ferments and the more sour it can get, and that’s what you want for fried rice.
The best kimchi for cooking fried rice is one that’s been sitting in the fridge for a while, getting sour and weird. You want to use kimchi, which has a complex flavor that you won’t necessarily find from fresh kimchi. Homemade or store-bought kimchi are both perfectly fine.
We are smitten with this Homemade Quick Kimchi on our site. If you’re making it from scratch, you should wait at least three weeks to get the full flavor of this recipe.
How to make kimchi fried rice
Using leftover rice is usually the best way to make fried rice. Not only do they use up leftovers, but the slightly dried rice results in a fried rice that’s less sticky and uses less oil.
However, when a craving overcomes me and I’m not craving rice, I have no trouble preparing a fresh pot of rice and then spreading it out on a baking sheet to cool and dry out slightly, which is what I’ve finished for this recipe.
Follow these tips for perfect kimchi fried rice every time:
Express your kimchi! Wring it out really well. You will be surprised at how much liquid you can dispense. There are two reasons to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. First, you want to caramelize the kimchi a bit, and you won’t have success with soggy kimchi. Second, kimchi needs to be covered with its liquid when stored or it will start to spoil, so you want to keep enough liquid in the jar to keep your remaining kimchi submerged.
For kimchi fried rice, use a short or medium grain rice. Please note that this is not short grain rice like Arborio or Bomba rice. Think more of sushi rice. I prefer a type of rice called Haiga that has the bran layer removed but the germ is intact. It’s not as tough as brown rice, but has more bite than white rice. Use long grain rice like jasmine rice in a pinch.
Don’t keep stirring the rice while frying. Let the rice sit in the pan for a minute or two to allow a crust to form at the bottom, stir, then let sit again. This way you get some crispy bits in the finished dish.
Swaps, Substitutions and Add-ons
This is a super easy dish that doesn’t require much, but if you want to cut it down, omit the seaweed garnish or garlic and/or onions. For meatless fried rice, exclude the bacon from this dish. The fried egg over the rice is optional, but the cracked yolk adds nice richness to the finished dish.
Korean fried rice can also be spiced up with SPAM, hot dogs, and even canned tuna. Alternatively, you can add cooked leftover meat, fresh vegetables such as mushrooms, carrots, celery, peppers, or frozen mixed vegetables such as peas and carrots.
Whatever your add-ins deem reasonable, because the more you cook your fried rice, the more moist and heavy it gets.
How to serve kimchi fried rice
I like my Korean fried rice with a fried egg that has lots of crunchy edges that add different textures to the dish while the side dishes add even more flavor.
The rice can be served alone or with banchan, which are side dishes that may contain pickles or spiced vegetables. Unlike some other Asian cultures, Korean fried rice is usually served with a long-handled spoon, although any spoon will do.
Fried Kimchi Rice (Kimchi Bokkeumbap)
I make fresh rice for this recipe, but I prefer to use leftover rice. You will need either 2 cups of uncooked rice or 6 to 7 cups of leftover rice to make this recipe for 4 people.
ingredients
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2 cups short or medium grain ricewashed and drained
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1 1/2 cups kimchipacked up
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1/2 lb thick cut baconcut into 1/2 inch pieces
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1 small Onionchopped, approx 1/2 Cup
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2 spring onionsthinly cut obliquely, white and green separated
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
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1 tablespoon gochuyang
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1 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
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1 tablespoon rapeseed or other mild foods oilor as needed
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4 big eggs (Optional)
For garnish
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1 teaspoon roasted Sesame seeds
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Roasted seaweed Snack, thinly sliced
method
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Prepare rice:
In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and 2 cups water. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the rice over medium-low heat until the rice grains are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
After about 10 minutes, check the pot to make sure the pot is not splashing. If so, reduce the heat. Stove output varies from stove to stove and my medium to low heat may be your low heat.
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Spread rice on baking sheet:
You know the rice is done when it’s soft and has absorbed all the water. When the rice is done cooking, gently spread it out in an even layer on a baking sheet to allow it to cool and dry a bit.
They should make 6 1/2 to 7 cups of rice. If you’re working with leftover cooked rice, bring it to room temperature and break up any large clumps.
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Squeeze dry kimchi:
While the rice is cooling, prepare your other ingredients. Squeeze the kimchi firmly over a bowl to extract the juice. keep the juice You will use it later.
If you get less than 1/4 cup of juice, scoop some juice out of the kimchi jar for a total of 1/4 cup of juice.
Roughly chop the kimchi and set aside.
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Cook bacon:
Place a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped bacon to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is exuded and bacon is lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. Leave 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in skillet and place remaining bacon grease in bowl; You might want to add a little more fat to the pan later.
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Cooking aromatics and kimchi in bacon fat:
Add the onions and scallions to the bacon grease in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly colored, about 3 minutes.
Add the kimchi and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kimchi is lightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the reserved kimchi juice, salt, garlic, and gochujang and stir-fry until the sauce darkens slightly, about 2 minutes.
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Finished Fried Rice:
Add 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat or oil, if needed. Add the rice in batches, tossing to combine, and evenly coat the rice with the flavors, kimchi, and sauce. Let the rice cook undisturbed until the bottom layer of rice is slightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt.
Add the cooked bacon to the rice and stir. Allow the rice to sit undisturbed again, another 1 to 2 minutes, then stir again.
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Drizzle rice with sesame oil:
Divide the rice among 4 bowls and drizzle each with a little sesame oil.
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fry eggs:
If using eggs, wipe out the pan and return to the stove over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Crack eggs, add one at a time, and cook, sunny side up, until whites are set and yolks are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve the fried rice with the eggs.
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Garnish and serve rice:
Garnish the rice with spring onions, sesame and seaweed. Serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 458 | calories |
| 26g | Fat |
| 32g | carbohydrates |
| 23g | protein |
