Kimchi Fried Rice
June 22, 2023
Fried Rice Korean Recipes
Homemade KIMCHI FRIED RICE comes together in minutes and is packed with flavor! You’ll never need to order this at the restaurant again once you start making this at home!
Watch the Kimchi Fried Recipe Video Below!
This is a weeknight dinner MVP – it uses leftover rice, is versatile (can use different proteins OR make it vegetarian) and is PACKED with flavor!
Ingredients for Kimchi Fried Rice
- 1.5 cups rice at least one day old
- 1/4 lb pork belly thinly sliced, cut to 2″ pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped kimchi
- 2 tbsp kimchi juice
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 scallion chopped, whites and greens separated
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp msg optional
Optional Garnishes
- roasted sesame seeds
- nori
- fried egg, sunny side up
INGREDIENTS TIPS
USE DAY OLD LONG GRAIN WHITE RICE
I’ve made fried rice many times (some amazing, some very mushy), but drying out the rice uncovered in the fridge for a least a day will help reduce the moisture content in the rice. Using long grain rice helps even more, as long grain rice has less moisture content than short grain rice.
MSG
As always, this is optional 🙂
NEUTRAL OIL
My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.
RECIPE TIPS
SUCCESS IS IN THE PREP!
For a recipe that comes together extremely quickly, the key to pulling this recipe off successfully is having your ingredients prepped and in bowls right next to your wok or pan! Have your rice, shrimp, seasonings, and aromatics ready and easily accessible during the cooking process.
ADJUST THE PROTEIN TO YOUR LIKING!
While this dish traditionally uses shrimp, you can also do this with sliced chicken or steak!
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Kimchi Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups rice at least one day old
- 1/4 lb pork belly thinly sliced, cut to 2" pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped kimchi
- 2 tbsp kimchi juice
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 scallion chopped, whites and greens separated
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp msg optional
Optional Garnishes
- roasted sesame seeds
- nori
- fried egg, sunny side up
Instructions
- Mix gochujang, water, kimchi juice to form a slurry, then chop your onions, kimchi, garlic, and scallions and set aside.
- Over high heat, fry your pork belly for 2-3 minutes until crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove the pork and set aside leaving the reserved fat in the pan.
- In the same pan, sauté your garlic for 15 seconds followed by your scallion whites, onions, and kimchi and stir fry for 2 minutes. If making vegetarian, use 2 tbsp of butter or oil instead of reserved fat.
- Add your day old rice and kimchi slurry and mix to combine. Continue cooking over high heat until the slurry has absorbed into the ingredients and the rice is relatively dry (about 5-6 minutes).
- Add your pork belly and scallion greens and mix to combine. Add 1 tsp of sesame oil and mix, then season with salt, pepper, and msg. Top with sesame seeds, nori, and a fried egg and enjoy!
Just made this for lunch as we had left over Kalbi from last night. I chopped up the Kalbi instead of using the pork belly. Super yummy and super easy to make as I had everything on hand already! This one’s a keeper!!