I have made this kimchi fried rice recipe 1000 times in my restaurant kitchen. It is scaled down here to serve two people as a side or one person as a big meal. I am calling it a “recipe” but really, the amounts can change as you like. If you follow it, it will be delicious. But, if you like more of one ingredient and less of another, adjust as you like. Kimchi and rice are the only must haves. The important thing is that it is hot and it tastes good and that there is enough for everyone.

This will turn out best with day old, cold rice. If you plan to cook rice the same day, spread it on a plate, cool it and refrigerate it uncovered until it is completely cold and a bit dry. This doesn’t take more than an hour or two. Doing this will allow the starch in the rice to firm up. The drier the rice is, the more kimchi juice it will be able to absorb without getting mushy. If you use hot rice right out of the rice cooker, the texture of the finished rice will be mushy and sticky.

Gochujang is fermented Korean chili paste which you can buy at any Korean grocer. Lately, I have seen it at most regular supermarkets as well. It will add some spice and funk to this dish but it is optional. It always comes in a little red rectangular plastic tub. Just like this:

Roasted Korean Seaweed (aka Gim or Laver) can be found at any Asian grocer and maybe at your local supermarket too. It comes in bigger sheets or little packets which I prefer because they work as one serving. Looks something like this:

The big packs are ok too but make sure to wrap the leftover sheets tightly. Humidity will destroy them in a day.

The older and more sour your kimchi, the better the end flavour of this rice dish.

Vegans, this will work just fine with no meat. Mushrooms are very good in this recipe as well.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked white short grain rice chilled in the refrigerator
• 1 cup sour kimchi with juice
• 1 teaspoon gochujang (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted Korean seaweed (laver)
• 1 egg per person
• 1 cup chopped protein of your choice (I have used summer sausage and chicken here because I have it on hand. My first choice would be a nice smokey bacon)
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Process:

Cook sausage (or bacon or mushrooms) in olive oil until it starts to brown..

Add sliced chicken… (all of these proteins are optional)

Season with salt and pepper and cook all the way through…

Stir in kimchi with juice and gochujang if you are using it…

Meanwhile, fry up an egg in a separate pan…

When kimchi is heated through, add cold rice, chop and stir it until kimchi and liquid is incorporated. It should be HOT…

This looks good, even colour, no chunks of white rice, steaming…

Add sesame oil and mix through. Check for seasoning now and adjust salt and pepper…

Plate the rice and top with crushed seaweed and toasted sesame seeds…

Add fried egg and garnish with green onion…

That’s it! A portion this size with enough meat/mushrooms in it should feed one person as is. Or, you can use this as a side for any other dish like fish, steak, pork chop, kebabs, chicken, grilled veggies..almost anything.

A good recipe for homemade cut cabbage kimchi can be found in this post.

For other ideas on what to do with kimchi at home check this post.

If you have any questions or or comments please leave them below.