Kimchi Fried Rice is deliciously flavorful and quick to prepare! Day old rice is tossed with garlic, ginger, kimchi and gochujang for a slightly spicy yet majorly addictive fried rice.

kimchi fried rice

Kimchi fried rice might just be your new favorite.

The first time I had kimchi was at a Korean bbq restaurant a few years back. I ordered bibimbap and with it came little bowls of different condiments and extra toppings. I’m pretty sure I ate everyones kimchi that night. What can I say? It was love at first spicy bite.

kimchi fried rice in black bowl with chopsticks

So when I discovered kimchi fried rice (two of my favorite things) I thought I had died and went to heaven.

To Make This Kimchi Fried Rice You Will Need:

  • light olive oil
  • yellow onion
  • green onions
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • kimchi – make sure you use a good quality
  • gochujang
  • white pepper
  • low-sodium soy sauce (or low sodium tamari)
  • toasted sesame oil
  • day old cooked jasmine rice

Optional Toppings and Garnishes:

  • fried eggs
  • sesame seeds
  • green onions
  • sliced nori

kimchi in white bowl

What Is Kimchi?

Kimchi is salted and fermented cabbage, traditionally Napa cabbage with Korean radish. It can be flavored by green onion, korean chili pepper, ginger and garlic. 

Not all kimchi are created equal.

When testing this recipe I tried 5 different kimchi from 3 different grocery stores. Three of them were different brands and 2 were different kinds of the same brand. One was shelf stable (strongly disliked) while most were found in the refrigerated section near produce. Only 1 brand stood out and was beyond delicious. I’m sure there are other brands out there, I’ve heard King’s was really good, I just couldn’t find it anywhere.

The winning kimchi was the brand Mother In Law’s. I tried their “spicy” and the traditional recipe with Napa cabbage. While I LOVED the spicy, I felt the less spicier one would work better for this recipe. I add gochujang to it and so I didn’t want it to be overly spicy. With that said, do what you like.

If you have the perfect kimchi recipe PLEASE send it my way!

oil in wok

Start by heating a wok with 1 tablespoon light olive oil on meidum-high heat.

onions added to wok

Once the oil is shimmering, add in 1/2 cup diced yellow onion and the white and light green parts from 6 green onions. Thinly slice the leftover dark green parts of the onion and set aside for garnish.

garlic and ginger added to stir-fry veggies

Once the vegetables are tender, add in 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 2 cloves grated garlic. Stir and cook 1 minute.

kimchi in wok with veggies

Add in 1 cup roughly chopped kimchi.

soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, white pepper and gochujang added to wok

Next, measure and add 1 tablespoon gochujang, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper.

heat the kimchi through

Stir and cook until heated through.

rice added to wok

Lastly add in 4 cups leftover cooked jasmine rice.

toss the rice with kimchi stir fry

Toss to coat and heat through.

kimchi fried rice in wok

Smells amazing!

close up of kimchi fried rice

I may or may not have shoveled this spoonful into my mouth. But I’ll never tell.

Serve as is or keep scrolling for toppings!

kimchi fried rice in black bowl with fried egg, black sesame seeds, green onion and nori

Kimchi fried rice is delicious as is, but with a fried egg on top with sliced green onions, black sesame seeds and thinly sliced nori is how I like it!

We’ve also had it as the base to these korean bbq beef bowls. SO good.

kimchi fried rice in black bowl with toppings and gochujang hot sauce.

Break the yolk and toss it in with the rice. So much flavor is packed into this one little recipe it’s beyond incredible. 

kimchi fried rice with chopsticks and fried egg

Enjoy! And if you give this Kimchi Fried Rice recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

Kimchi Fried Rice with runny yolk

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Yield: 8 servings

Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe

Kimchi Fried Rice is deliciously flavorful and quick to prepare! Day old rice is tossed with garlic, ginger, kimchi and gochujang for a slightly spicy yet majorly addictive fried rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon light olive oil
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, grated
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
  • 1 cup kimchi, that has been coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang paste, a fermented Korean red chili paste
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 4 cups cooked jasmine or white rice (leftover

FOR SERVING:

  • the dark green parts sliced on the bias
  • eggs, for frying
  • nori, thinly sliced
  • black sesame seeds
  • gochujang hot sauce

Instructions 

  • Heat olive oil in a large chefs pan or wok over hight heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the yellow onion and the white and light green parts from 6 green onions. Thinly slice the dark green parts of the onion and use for garnish.
  • Once the vegetables are tender, add in 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 2 cloves grated garlic. Stir and cook 1 minute.
  • Add in kimchi, gochujang, low-sodium soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and ground white pepper. Stir and cook until heated through.
  • Lastly add in 4 cups leftover cooked jasmine rice and toss it all together.
  • For crispy rice: spread the kimchi fried rice in an even layer and let cook undisturbed for a few minutes until crispy and brown in spots.
  • Serve with a fried egg ontop and garnish with sliced green onions, black sesame seeds, thinly slice nori and gochujang hot sauce (not paste).
Calories: 177kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 563mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g