Move over Chinese fried rice, this Korean fried rice dish is loaded with flavor and quickly gaining in popularity. Once a month, I drive 30 minutes across town to my favorite Korean restaurant just to get it. And now, you can easily whip it up any night of the week in just under 15 minutes. It can be a side dish to chicken or it can be a main dish. I love it by itself with a gooey fried egg on top!

Watch my quick & easy video on how I made it here.

What is kimchi?

Kimchi is a spicy, pickled and fermented napa cabbage. It is flavored with garlic, green onion, ginger, and Korean chili (gochugaru). In Korea, kimchi is a staple – served with almost every meal. It is used as both a side dish and a condiment. Note: your Kimchi fried rice will be as spicy as the Kimchi you are using – so choose wisely! I got this from my local Asian market and it had a bit of kick.

What is gochujang?

Gochujang is a fundamental ingredient in Korean cooking. It is so popular in Korea that the American equivalent to gochujang has to be ketchup. Gochujang is a spicy paste used in Korean cooking, made from red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, rice, and salt. It has an umami, savory flavor and a little heat. I just use a little bit in this recipe to build flavor!

Day old rice?

Just trust me here. All fried rice is better when its made with that day old rice from yesterday that has lost some of its moisture. You want crispy fried rice, not mushy. If you want to make this recipe and didn’t cook rice last night, here’s a hack: Make the rice, spread it in a thin layer on a sheet tray and leave it in your fridge or freezer for a couple of hours to dry out. If you freeze your rice, you will need to let it thaw before frying.

I hope you enjoy my easy, no fuss, flavor-packed recipe below!

Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe:

3 cups cooked, day old white rice

1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped

1/4 cup kimchi juice

1 tablespoon gochujang (korean chili paste)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon neutral oil for frying

2 garlic cloves

2 green onions (whites and green separated)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Optional toppings:

Fried egg

Black or toasted sesame seeds

Nori strips

Step 1.

Mince garlic and thinly slice green onions separating the green parts from the white parts. Roughly chop your kimchi.

Step 2.

Using stainer placed inside of a bowl, strain out the kimchi liquid reserving the 1/4 of the juice. It’s ok to push down on the kimchee to squeeze out some of the remaining juice, which will also make it easier to fry later.

Step 3.

Heat neutral oil in a non-stick large fry pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the minced garlic and the white parts of the green onion and fry for 1 minute. Add in the gochujang and toast it for 30 seconds, stirring it around and breaking it up.

Step 4.

Add the chopped kimchi to the fry pan and cook for 1 minute. Add in white rice and kimchi juice. Mix them together thoroughly and cook for additionally 1-2 minutes, until the rice becomes red and the gochujang is thoroughly combined. Top with toasted sesame oil and toss to combine.

Step 5.

Garnish with the remaining green parts of the green onion and toppings of your choice. Enjoy!