Kimchi Fried Rice. Delicious, spicy, savory fried rice with kimchi, garlic and onions with your choice of protein and a fried egg on top. Ready in under 20 minutes with leftover rice!
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What is Kimchi Fried Rice?
Kimchi Fried Rice (or Kimchi Bokkeumbap in Korean) is a delicious, spicy and savory fried rice dish popular in South Korea. Many Korean restaurants serve this as a main dish. Koreans love it as it uses many simple pantry ingredients.
This Korean food features cooked short grain rice, kimchi, onions, green onions, garlic, kimchi juice, gochujang paste or sometimes gochugaru, sesame oil, sesame seeds and protein of choice. It's usually topped off with a fried egg and roasted seaweed flakes.
The best part about this easy kimchi fried rice recipe is that it comes together quickly in one pan! I love making this whenever I have leftover rice and kimchi in the fridge and of course a good Korean drama to watch.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Day-old Cooked Short-Grain Rice: Leftover rice works best for this recipe so the rice grains don't clump together and remains fluffy as you fry it. I also prefer using sushi rice or short grain rice. Or substitute with jasmine rice, brown rice, or any leftover white rice.
- Well fermented kimchi: The one you want is the Spicy Napa Cabbage Kimchi and make sure there's enough juice at the base of the jar as we'll need it for this dish. Get the one that is pre-cut for you. Pre-cut is called "mat" on the jar of kimchi.
- Spam (ideally 25% less sodium): or sub with smoky bacon, pork belly, or hot dogs.
- Onion
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
Seasoning:
- Green onion or spring onions
- Fresh garlic
- Kimchi juice: A red juice that is the byproduct of the kimchi fermentation process.
- Gochujang sauce: a Korean chili paste that is sweet, spicy and smoky in taste. This will give our dish that extra heat!
- Sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
Optional toppings:
- Fried egg: a cooked egg with runny yolk is recommended as it pairs amazingly with the fried rice
- Roasted seaweed flakes or crushed seaweed snack
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry the Asian ingredients.
How to Make Kimchi Fried Rice
Prepare & Cook Spam
Slice spam into small cubes, about 1 cm x 1 cm.
In a large skillet or large frying pan on medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil or any neutral oil. Fry diced spam or bacon for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges. Remove and set aside.
Fry Aromatics & Kimchi
On medium high heat, fry in garlic, white onion and chopped kimchi. Stir fry until onions are translucent and kimchi has released some of its juices, about 45-60 seconds.
Toss in Rice with Seasoning
Add in day-old cooked rice, kimchi juice, gochujang, sesame oil and mix everything together until rice becomes red in color.
Add in Spam & Garnish
Toss in cooked spam, green onions and sesame seeds. Mix altogether. Remove off heat.
Serve with Egg & Seaweed Flakes
Optional: Serve with a fried egg and roasted seaweed flakes.
Storage & Reheating
This dish will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stove top in a pan over medium heat.
Expert Tips
- Small dice the spam. This makes it easier to cook and brown them.
- Use well fermented kimchi. This lends more flavor and more kimchi juice.
- Use clean scissors to cut the kimchi in a bowl so you don't stain your cutting board.
- Use leftover day old cooked rice. This results in a fluffier fried rice.
- Do not over fry the rice. Once it comes together with the seasoning, remove off heat.
- Serve with a fried egg on top! This truly makes kimchi fried rice so good!
FAQ
If you have same day cooked rice, a great way to dry it out is by spreading the hot rice in an even layer on a baking sheet or sheet pan and freezing it for 45-60 minutes. The cold dry air removes some of the moisture content. Once the rice is dryer, use a wet rice paddle or clean wet hands to break up the rice.
Other fried rice recipes you may enjoy!
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Egg Fried Rice
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Tomato Egg Fried Rice
- Spam Fried Rice
- Thai Basil Fried Rice
📖 Recipe
Easy 20-min. Kimchi Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups cooked short grain rice day old (see Notes for how much uncooked rice to use)
- 1 cup kimchi well-fermented kind, chopped
- 7 oz spam or sub with bacon/pork belly/hot dogs. If vegetarian, omit completely or sub with tofu.
- ½ cup onion finely diced
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon kimchi juice (from the kimchi jar)
- 2 teaspoon gochujang
- 2-3 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Recommended optional toppings:
- 1 egg fried sunny side up or easy over
- 3 tablespoon Korean seasoned seaweed flakes or as needed
Instructions
- Slice spam into small cubes, about 1 cm x 1 cm.
- In a large skillet or large frying pan on medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil or any neutral oil. Fry diced spam or bacon for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges. Remove and set aside.
- On medium high heat, add garlic, white onion and chopped kimchi. Stir fry until onions are translucent and kimchi has released some of its juices, about 45-60 seconds.
- Add in day-old cooked rice, kimchi juice, gochujang, sesame oil and mix everything together until rice becomes red in color.
- Toss in cooked spam, green onions and sesame seeds. Mix altogether. Remove off heat.
- Serve with a fried egg and roasted seaweed flakes (optional but recommended).
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I am really loving all the flavor the kimchi adds to your fried rice. What a totally tasty treat for the taste buds!!
Yun
This was super delicious, easy and has become my go to meal when I have leftover rice!
albert
I'm always looking for new ways to use kimchi! This sounds delicious.