Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokkeum Bap)
If you have some kimchi and rice, try this easy kimchi fried rice recipe! It's so versatile that you can add any protein you like or omit it entirely. It'll become one of your go-to easy meals.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 3 (or 4) strips of bacon, diced (or about 4 ounces ham or spam, or 1 can of tuna, drained) See note 1 if using uncooked meat
- 3/4 cup diced kimchi See note 2
- 1/4 small onion, diced
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped - optional
- 3 tablespoons (or 4) juice from kimchi, if available
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste) See note 3
- 2.5 cups cooked rice See note 4
- oil for stir-frying
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 eggs, fried to taste
- 1 sheet roasted gim (dried seaweed sheet)
Instructions
- If using bacon, heat a lightly oiled large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces. Cook until the bacon is slightly browned. If you don't want all the rendered fat, remove it from the pan and add a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil. If using ham, spam or canned tuna instead of bacon, you can add it in step 2.
- Add the onion and scallion and stir-fry quickly over high heat. Add the kimchi, optional carrots, juice from kimchi, soy sauce and gochujang. Stir fry until the kimchi turns soft and deep in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Take the time to do this step so the rich flavors develop. If using ham, spam, or canned tuna, mix in now and continue to stir-fry for a minute or two.
- Add the rice and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir until everything is well incorporated, and the clumped up rice is broken up, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once the rice is evenly coated with the seasoning, turn up the heat high and continue to fry the rice, turning occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the sesame oil and the optional sesame seeds at the end.
- Top with the optional fried egg, and garnish with the optional sesame seeds, gim (dried seaweed) strips and/or chopped scallion and serve.
Notes
- If you are using raw meat, season it with salt and pepper. A small amount of garlic and/or ginger to flavor the meat will be great too. Cook the meat before stir-frying with the kimchi.
- Whenever you cook with kimchi, it is best to use well-fermented kimchi for the rich and robust flavor it develops. No exception here.
- For spicier fried rice, add gochugaru instead of more gochujang. Too much gochujang will make the dish too salty.
- If the leftover rice is hard after being in the fridge, heat it up in the microwave to soften it a little and break it up before stir-frying with the kimchi mix.