Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe
A quick and flavorful Korean comfort food made by stir-frying rice with tangy kimchi, smoky bacon, and kimchi juice. Ready in under 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3 cups steamed short or medium grain white rice day-old preferred
- 1 cup kimchi cut into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup kimchi juice liquid from the kimchi container
- 150 g 5.3 oz bacon, cut into small pieces
- 4 eggs cooked sunny side up
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- ½ Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp gochujang Korean chili paste, optional for extra heat
- 2 scallions green onions, thinly sliced — for garnish
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds — for garnish
Instructions
- Heat cooking oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add minced garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds.
- Add bacon pieces and cook until half-done, stirring continuously.
- Add chopped kimchi to the pan and stir-fry until about 80% cooked and slightly caramelized, about 3–4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the rice and pour in the kimchi juice and soy sauce. Mix everything thoroughly, breaking up any clumps.
- Stir in sesame oil and mix well. Remove from heat.
- Plate the fried rice and top each serving with a sunny-side-up egg. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
Notes
- Day-old rice works best — freshly cooked rice tends to be too moist and can turn mushy. If using fresh rice, spread it on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.
- For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and use vegan kimchi (most commercial kimchi contains fish sauce).
- Add gochujang for extra spice, or omit it entirely for a milder dish.
- Well-fermented, aged kimchi produces the deepest, most complex flavor.
