Easy Kimchi Fried Rice (2 Ways)
Kimchi fried rice (kimchi bokkeumbap) is a super easy recipe with kimchi for when you want some quick, comforting Korean food. It's perfect for using up leftover rice and tangy kimchi — ready in about 20 minutes. Make it the classic way with a fried egg on top, or go for the fun UFO version with a golden ring of cheesy, fluffy egg around the rice.
Yield: 2
Calories: 1054kcal
Equipment
- Non-stick frying pan , or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1½ rice cooker cup short-grain rice (Note 1) , cooked day old rice (Note 1)
- 3 green onions , chopped
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 100 g bacon slices , cut in bite size | or Vienna sausage, Frankfurt sausage, Korean spam or pork belly (Note 2)
- 375 g kimchi , cut into small pieces (Note 3)
- cooking oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp gochugaru (Note 4)
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce (Note 5)
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp kimchi juice (Note 6)
Garnish (fried egg version)
- 2 fried eggs
- sesame seeds
- kim (Korean roasted seaweed) , thinly sliced
- green onions , chopped
Garnish (egg ring version)
- 2 eggs
- 50 g mozzarella
Instructions
- Prepare the rice and ingredients – Cook the rice ahead of time and let it cool completely, or use day-old rice (Note 1). Break up any large clumps. Chop the kimchi into small pieces and separate the white and green parts of the green onions.
- Cook the aromatics and meat – Heat a little cooking oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the white parts of the green onions and garlic until fragrant. If using meat, add it and cook until browned and, if using bacon, slightly crispy (Note 2).
- Stir-fry and season – Add the kimchi and sugar and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until the kimchi softens and starts to caramelize slightly (Note 3). Add the gochugaru, soy sauce and oyster sauce and stir briefly.
- Add the rice – Add the rice and 1 tablespoon of kimchi juice. Stir-fry over medium-high heat, breaking up any clumps, until everything is well combined and the rice is evenly coated. Add more kimchi juice as needed (Note 6).
- Finish – Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil and most of the green parts of the green onions.
- Serve (fried egg version) – Divide between two plates and top each serving with a fried egg. Finish with sesame seeds, roasted seaweed and the remaining green onions.
- Serve (egg ring version) – Divide between two plates. Shape the fried rice into a dome in the center of the pan. Lightly beat the eggs so the yolks and whites aren’t fully blended. On low heat, heat some oil around the kimchi fried rice dome in the pan. Pour the beaten egg around the rice dome, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the egg. Cover the pan and cook until the cheese melts and the egg sets gently.
Notes
- Rice – Use day-old rice, or cook the rice ahead of time and let it cool completely before using. Freshly cooked rice contains more moisture and can make your fried rice mushy. For Korean fried rice, I recommend Korean short-grain rice, which has a different texture from long-grain rice.
- Meat – Meat is optional, but you can add some if you like. Bacon and Vienna sausage are my favorites, but Korean Spam or pork belly also work really well.
- Kimchi – Use well-fermented, sour kimchi for the best flavor. Fresh kimchi is milder and won't give the fried rice the same depth of flavor.
- Gochugaru – Adjust the amount depending on how spicy your kimchi is and how much heat you like. If your kimchi is already quite spicy, reduce the gochugaru or leave it out altogether.
- Soy sauce and oyster sauce – The saltiness of kimchi and sauces can vary considerably between brands. If your kimchi is particularly salty, reduce the soy sauce and oyster sauce slightly and adjust to taste.
- Kimchi juice – Start with 1 tablespoon and add more as needed. The amount depends on how juicy, flavorful and salty your kimchi is. If your kimchi is on the dry side, a little extra juice adds more kimchi flavor and helps coat the rice. If it's particularly salty, use less or skip it.
- Nutrition – Calculated for the fried egg version. The egg ring version (with mozzarella) will be higher in calories and fat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 1054kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 377mg | Sodium: 2337mg | Potassium: 898mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1162IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 9mg
