Kimchi tastes great and adds plenty of zing on the side of any dish. I have to confess that I always keep a huge jar of kimchi in my fridge. I love the stuff, plus it contains natural probiotics which are excellent for gut health. Sometimes when I want to fix a quick and lazy meal, I simply top kimchi on steamed rice with a fried egg. And if I feel like spending an extra 5 minutes fixing lunch, I’ll make kimchi fried rice. Kimchi fried rice, or Kimchi Bokkeumbap, is a great way to use your kimchi and jazz up leftovers. It’s so quick and easy, you can whip it up in no time, even on a crazy day.
Ingredients
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have the ingredients below.
PRO TIP: Best rice for fried rice
Whenever I mention leftover rice or day-old rice, it means steamed rice that has been left in the fridge (or freezer) for a while. When the steamed rice is less fresh and stored in a cooled environment, the grains lose moisture and become less starchy. So the grains will separate and brown more easily during the stir fry. There are a few steps to making the best rice for fried rice:
If you plan to make fried rice, you can use slightly less water or use the “cook hard rice” function on your rice cooker to make chewier steamed rice in the first place. Once your rice is cooked, use a rice paddle to fluff it and spread it out to release the steam. Whenever I use fresh rice to make fried rice, I spread the rice into a thin layer on a big plate and let it air dry for 1 to 2 hours. This will help reduce the moisture.Leave the rice in the fridge (or even the freezer) for a few days before using it, to let it firm up a bit more.
If your steamed rice is slightly dehydrated, it’s less preferable to serve it by itself, but it will be perfect for making fried rice.
Simple formula
My recipe for kimchi fried rice is left simple, and it’s more of a guide on how you can structure your own rice bowl. You can:
Add a protein to it to make it more filling. Try leftover stew or roast meat, rotisserie chicken, or ground meat (brown the ground meat at the beginning of the cooking). If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you could use vegan kimchi with tofu as your protein.You can use frozen vegetables or any other fresh produce you have on hand.
Cooking process
Cooking kimchi fried rice couldn’t be easier.
PRO TIP: how to make better fried rice
Be generous with the oil: it will produce crispier rice. If you do not use enough oil, the fried rice will somehow taste dry.You don’t have to stir constantly: letting the rice sit on the hot pan and stirring less frequently will help the rice brown better. This is especially helpful in a home kitchen when the stove is less powerful than a commercial one.
BONUS TIP
My ultimate guilty pleasure with kimchi fried rice is to add a slice of cheddar or mozzarella cheese to the top. It’s so good, trust me! You can use shredded cheese too if that’s what you’ve got. I also throw a fried egg on top of that and it creates a filling and satisfying meal. Plus, with that hot rice and the hot egg on top, it melts the cheese and renders a wonderful texture for your kimchi fried rice. Kimchi fried rice makes a great quick meal for lunch or dinner, or even a snack when you want something to really fill you up. Give it a try!
Other delicious Korean recipes
Make a full Korean meal at home using these recipes:
Korean Seafood Pancake (Haemul Pajeon)Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim)Korean Fire Chicken (Cheese Buldak)Japchae (Korean Sweet Potato Noodles)Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae)Fried Chicken Wings in Asian Hot Sauce
Want to learn more about Chinese Cooking? Sign up my newsletter to receive the 5-Day Chinese Cooking Crash Course and recipe update! If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
More easy one pan meals
Sweet and Sour Salmon with Bok ChoyOne-Pan Chinese Chicken and RiceChicken Fried RiceVegetable Lo Mein15-Minute Korean Noodle SoupInstant Pot Lentil Soup (Chinese Style)
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
