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KIMCHI FRIED RICE

Kimchi Fried Rice is one of the first Korean dish I learned to make for myself as a college student. It is a very satisfying dish and yet it’s really easy to make. 

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 2
Calories: 377 kcal
Course: Main Course , Lunch
Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

  • 2 cup cooked rice (leftover cold rice is best)
  • 1 1/2 cup old kimchi (신김치 shin kimchi)
  • 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
  • 1-2 tsp korean red chili paste (고추장 gochujang, optional)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (볶은깨 Bokeun Kkae)
  • 1 sheet dried seaweed or nori (김 Kim, optional)
  • 1 egg (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut up kimchi into bite size strips.
  2. Measure about 1 1/2 C of cut kimchi (more or less to taste) and 2 C of leftover rice.
  3. If you want to add eggs to your fried rice, cook them first. Just add little oil (1 tsp) and an egg to pan, break it up and cook until they are done. Set aside.
  4. Heat 2 T of oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Add kimchi, sugar and gochujang and stir fry for 5 min. or until the kimchi becomes soft and a slightly translucent. Omit gochujang or use less to make it less spicy.
  5. Turn heat to low and add rice to pan. Break up and press down the rice with a spatula or spoon to mix it with the kimchi.
  6. Once kimchi and rice are all mixed in, add the scrambled egg. Taste a bit of the rice – you can add more rice if it’s too salty or spicy. Be sure to add a bit more oil if you add more rice.
  7. Add toasted sesame seeds and torn pieces of toasted seaweed/nori to rice mixture. Use plain, unsalted dried, toasted seaweed(kim) if you can. The roasted seaweed with oil and salt can make the fried rice too salty so be careful not to use too much. Increase the heat back to medium and leave it unturned for 3-4 min to make the bottom part a little burnt.

Notes

  • Variations
  • Top Tips
  • Tuna - Just drain tuna from can and add it after adding rice.
  • Bulgogi - if you have leftover bulgogi, stir fry bulgogi with kimchi first then add rice. This version will taste a bit sweeter and richer but very yummy.
  • Pork  - you can also stir fry raw pieces of beef or pork and kimchi together before adding rice. 
  • Spam - cut up some spam and stir fry with kimchi. Note, Spam is quite salty so you may want to add more rice to balance the flavor.
  • Bacon - add bacon with kimchi and you have got a great dish because you know..bacon just makes everything better. Cut bacon into small pieces and saute with kimchi first then add rice. Remember to reduce or omit oil since you will get quite a bit of oil from the bacon.
  • Cheese - make it as usual then add a slice of cheese (mild cheddar or mozzarella) on top and let it melt on top while the rice is getting browned on the bottom. YUM!
  • Don't make it SOGGY - Don't add too much kimchi liquid because it will make it soggy. Keep it on the dry side.
  • Use leftover cold rice that comes cold from the refrigerator. The cold rice breaks apart easily with your hands. When cooking rice, just use 2-3 T less water when cooking the rice.
  • Use old sour Kimchi - If you don't have well ripened sour kimchi, you can add a bit of maesil syrup or even a little vinegar to add some tartness to it.
  • Cook your favorite EGG style - everyone has a different preference for eggs. Hard cooked, soft or runny..if you like runny eggs, then instead of scrambling the eggs like I do here, top the rice with an over easy or sunny side-up pan-fried egg. The runny yolk will make the fried rice extra yummy!
  • STORAGE/REHEATING - you can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week and just reheat in the frying pan on medium heat or in the microwave. You can also freeze it and it reheats well.

Nutrition Information

Calories 377kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 47g (16%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 81mg (27%) Sodium 34mg (1%) Potassium 85mg (2%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 185IU (4%) Vitamin C 0.5mg (1%) Calcium 38mg (4%) Iron 0.8mg (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 377

% Daily Value*

Calories 377kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 47g 16%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 34mg 1%
Potassium 85mg 2%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 185IU 4%
Vitamin C 0.5mg 1%
Calcium 38mg 4%
Iron 0.8mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.