Rice has always been a huge part of my menu, and I love that it is such a versatile food! The innumerable ways it can be prepared are what keeps it interesting, and I’m always down to learn a new one. I’m doing that today with this Kimchi Fried Rice. If you’re thinking it’s too similar to the Chines takeaway you’re used to, think again. There is no egg, pork, or any other animal product to be found in this recipe, although the author does mention topping it with a fried egg if you are so inclined. Honestly, I planned to do that for the photos, but I just plain forgot. Anyhoo, let me tell you all about making it and how delicious this version of fried rice is!
Fresh, bold, and flavorful Kimchi Fried Rice is an easy Korean rice recipe that takes just a few minutes to make. Serve as is or top it with a fried egg or chicken.
The Ingredients
My pre-shopping pantry/refrigerator check yielded a few ingredients for this Kimchi Fried Rice. Salt and pepper, of course, plus yellow onion, Sriracha, gochujang paste, and toasted sesame oil.
That only left me with a few things to buy. I was low on white rice (surprisingly) and soy sauce (also surprisingly) plus the garlic, spring onions, and kimchi. All were easily found at my regular grocery store.
The Process
I made a batch of white rice the day before I planned to make my Kimchi Fried Rice. It only took 20 minutes, and I just popped it into the refrigerator when it was ready. It made about 3 cups, so I ate the leftovers as a snack.
The fried rice itself moves fast, so I had to prep everything in advance. That meant measuring, chopping, and pressing the garlic. I even had the cute little ingredient bowls lined up and ready to go.
The only minor question I had was how much of the spring onions to use. Some recipes specify the white part only or the whole thing. As you can see, I went with whole onions.
Once the ingredients were ready I heated up a large skillet and got to cooking. It did go quickly, but the instructions guided me right through it. I used my wooden spatula to stir and stir and stir (and fry!) until I had this lovely Kimchi Fried Rice just begging to be eaten.
Timing
This recipe listed a prep time of 10 minutes, a cook time of 5 minutes, and a total time of 15 minutes. My times were a little longer, but I think it was because I didn’t preheat the pan as part of the prep work. I forgot and included it in my cooking time. Here’s how it all broke down:
- 9 minutes to prep
- 10 minutes to cook
- 19 minutes total