Easy Kimchi Fried Rice

5 from 1 vote

Easy Kimchi Fried Rice is a zesty, one-pot rice dish that's perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Rice is cooked with kimchi, garlic, onion, and flavorful sauces, and topped with a yolky egg. It is surprisingly simple to make, customizable, and perfect for sharing!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Sides

Cuisine: Korean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 399kcal

Author: Kathleen Higashiyama

Equipment

Ingredients

1½ cups Japanese short grain rice
2 cups filtered water
Or 4 cups cooked Japanese short grain rice
1 tablespoon cooking oil (avocado, etc.)
1 yellow onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 scallions chopped
1½ cups kimchi
4 tablespoon kimchi juice
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon furikake
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Egg

2 teaspoon butter
4 eggs

Toppings

scallion
sesame seeds

Instructions

Rice

Stovetop instructions - Place rice in a saucepan and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine washed rice and filtered water in a medium saucepan. Bring the rice to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
1½ cups Japanese short grain rice, 2 cups filtered water, Or 4 cups cooked Japanese short grain rice
Rice cooker instructions - Place rice in the electric rice cooker pot and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice and filtered water in the pot and cook per the rice cooker directions.
Optional - Once the rice is finished cooking, transfer to a sheet pan and let it dry out while you start the next steps.

Kimchi Fried Rice

Cook vegetables - While the rice cooks, prepare the vegetables. In a large skillet, add cooking oil and warm on medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add minced garlic, scallions, and chopped kimchi. Stir to incorporate the ingredients and cook for 3 minutes, or until some of the kimchi juice cooks off.
1 tablespoon cooking oil (avocado, etc.), 1 yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 scallions, 1½ cups kimchi
Add rice - Add in the cooked rice one cup at a time and the reserved kimchi juice, folding the ingredients into the rice. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the rice absorbs the juice, stirring occasionally. Pour the soy sauce over the rice and fold the ingredients until all of the rice is evenly coated with soy sauce. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and stir. Stir in black pepper and furikake. Use a wooden spoon to scrape some of the fond (the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan) and mix it into the rice. Turn the heat down to low and allow it to cook.
2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoon furikake, 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, 4 tablespoon kimchi juice
Cook eggs - While the rice cooks, heat butter in a skillet over low-medium heat. Once the butter is melted and slightly foamy, crack the egg onto skillet. Cook for about 2 to 2½ minutes. The eggs are ready when the egg whites go from clear to white and the edges start to crisp.
2 teaspoon butter, 4 eggs
Assemble - Quickly plate the rice and top with the fried eggs. Add scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
scallion, sesame seeds

Notes

Storage

Refrigerate leftover fried rice in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Reheat leftover rice in a pan on the stove over low heat or in a microwave in a microwave safe container until hot.

Top Tips

Don't use too much water when you initially cook your rice. You want the rice a little drier to soak up all the fried rice juices.
If you are using a rice cooker and the outside of the rice gets hard or crispy, use a fork to fluff the rice and add moisture back into those crispy bits.
Make sure your store-bought kimchi aligns with your spice tolerance and how spicy you want your fried rice.
If your store-bought kimchi comes in bigger chunks, chop it up into bite size pieces.
If you add animal protein, cook the meat first, remove it from the pan, then follow the rest of the recipe steps.

Nutrition