Use your leftover rice to make this spicy and tangy kimchi fried rice. Topped with a fried egg, sesame seeds, Korean seaweed, and scallion, a delicious dinner is done!
Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokkeumbap in Korean) is quick, easy, and inexpensive to make, yet this humble meal tastes simply marvelous. Kimchi is made of fermented vegetables (napa cabbage, radish, scallion, and cucumber are used) and it’s a staple in the Korean diet. It tastes spicy and sour and has a pungent smell.
If you have never had kimchi before, or don’t like eating kimchi by itself, try this fried rice recipe because once kimchi is cooked, it loses its pungent taste and leaves just delightful spicy, refreshing, tangy flavors.
Watch How to Make Kimchi Fried Rice
Spicy and tangy kimchi fried rice topped with an egg, sesame seeds, Korean seaweed, and scallion.
Unlike other fried rice recipes that use all kinds of ingredients, Kimchi Fried Rice can be simple; with just kimchi and rice. Kimchi is very flavorful so you won’t need any other seasonings.
Though my favorite ingredients for kimchi fried rice include Gochujang, a fried egg, and Korean seaweed (I usually put a lot because I love them, but refrained from putting too much for the photos).
Kimchi Fried Rice is a very simple dish, but the most important tip to make perfect fried rice is to use day-old rice, which is dry and not soft. Use kimchi juice from the jar to season the rice as it brings out delicious umami flavor, and drizzle with sesame oil which gives nice nutty aroma to awaken your appetite.
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Use your leftover rice to make this spicy and tangy kimchi fried rice. Topped with a fried egg, sesame seeds, Korean seaweed, and scallion, a delicious dinner is done!
- 2 green onions/scallions (white ends to cook, green parts to garnish)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup napa cabbage kimchi (drained, see Notes)
- 2 Tbsp kimchi juice (drained from jar) (See Notes)
- 2 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc) (separated)
- 2 tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- ½ Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice (Preferably day old rice at room temperature, see Notes)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (roasted)
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
- freshly ground black pepper
- 5 Korean seaweed (optional, shredded)
- 2 large eggs (1 fried egg per person to serve on top)
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Gather all the ingredients.
- Slice white part of the scallion thinly and cut green parts of scallion diagonally. Also, mince the garlic cloves.
- Using kitchen shears, cut kimchi into bite size pieces.
- In a large wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add scallion (white part) and the minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Add kimchi and kimchi juice and cook for 1 minute to combine with the scallion.
- Add gochujang and soy sauce and cook stirring for 1 minute until kimchi starts to get soft. If kimchi starts to stick to the bottom but not cooked through yet, add a little bit of water or more kimchi juice. You can also add more kimchi juice if you like it spicy. Make sure you cook kimchi thoroughly before adding rice.
- Reduce heat to low and add the rice, stirring thoroughly to combine. Cook until the rice is warmed through, about 1-2 minutes. Toss the wok to keep the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Lastly, sprinkle sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green part of scallion (save some to garnish on top later). Add a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Toss the wok from time to time If the ingredients look like they are about to burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Meanwhile in a non-stick frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat and add the eggs. Turn down the heat to low and cook until egg white is completely cooked. The tip I learned to make a perfect sunny side up is to scoop the hot oil from the pan with a spoon and pour it over the uncooked egg white so that egg white will cook faster without overcooking the egg yolk.
- Serve Kimchi Fried Rice on a plate topped with a fried egg and sprinkled with scallions and shredded Korean seaweed.
You can create your own version by adding ¼ lb protein and/or veggies (cut into bite-size). My favorite choice is pork. Cook the meat as the first step before adding scallion.
Napa cabbage kimchi: Over-fermented (sour) kimchi is ideal for making fried rice, but if you’re using fresh (non-sour) kimchi, you could add a little bit of vinegar to juice up the flavor.
Kimchi juice (drained from jar): If you don’t have enough kimchi juice, season with salt; otherwise salt is not necessary.
Rice: If you know you are going to make fried rice next day, use less water when cooking the rice to make it drier.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
What a lovely meal. I love kimchi although I don’t have it all that often. I love how you added the egg to the dish – great rice dish xx
wow this looks delicious! love the recipe and your beautiful photography – the colours in the dish look awesome. thanks for sharing a great recipe.. i definitely will be recreating this dish!
Even though I’m not a fan of saurekraut or any kind of pickled cabbage, the dish looks very appealing.
Sometimes I find kimchi a bit strong but I love the flavors. I’d love this fried rice and your photos are definitely making me want to try this.
I like kimchi and been wanting to eat it a bit more regularly (wish it lasted longer in the fridge). I love having your recipe for kimchi fried rice…it looks like a wonderful meal, with that egg on top! Great dish!
Really liked your tip about making the perfect sunny side up! And right when I was just about to ask how you got your eggs to look so perfect. Now I’m contemplating picking up a jar of kimchi on my next HMart run… =)
Hi Kimmi! It’s always successful with this method. Egg white is set and yolk is still runny! Get a jar of kimchi! I’m going to make this as soon as I go back the the states!
Hi Nami, I love love love kimchi fried rice and you cooked it so well!Your egg looks perfect too. 🙂 Happy weekend!
Honestly, Nami, I would just pour that kim chee mixture over some hot rice! Yummy!
Haha! Yes that’s the quick way! My kids think kimchi is too strong when it’s not cooked but they enjoy fried rice with kimchi.
Am just about to make my first homemade kimchi, so this easy recipe came at the right time! So simple, am dying to taste and, yes, shall an egg for interest and flavour! Sincerely hope the typhoon a few days ago did not affect you – it looked pretty grim on our news reports!
Oh I’m so jealous of your homemade kimchi! Please send some over!
I love kimchi and fried rice so this recipe is just perfect and looks so delicious – love the kimchi-esque colour of the fried rice too. Wonderful instructions. I also enjoy eating nori/seaweed and they would make the perfect garnish for this rice, and I like that egg frying trick too. You’re such an amazing cook! 🙂
良い考えですね。キムチの強うさはご飯と合わせると完璧な味でしょう。
いつも通りなみさんのポストは勉強になりました。後ほど次ぎの日のご飯をちゃはんに使います。
Healthy and delicious! This is a wonderful meal.
Cheers,
Rosa
What a great dish! Kimchi is good stuff, and this is a brilliant way to use it. I love fried rice! And with the egg on top, this is such a pretty dish.
One of my all time favorites!
The fried rice looks delicious and completely wholesome! Great post Nami 🙂
I love fried rice with kimchi so much… It’s true what you say about the more delicate taste of kimchi when stir-fried. I have never thought about it! Your kimchi rice looks so cute and I love the idea to add seaweed (I must add it next time).
Hi Nami – I LOVE the new blog layout! I’ve been craving kimchi fried rice for weeks, now! This is perfect! ^_^
Made this tonight and absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
So fast! You are the first person who already cooked and gave me feedback! Thanks so much!! I’m so glad you liked this recipe! xoxo
I have had kimchi a few times, and I don’t like it by itself either, and this looks a great way to have it. Love the addition of eggs.
Wouldn’t mind some fried rice about now, this dish looks absolutely delicious 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
You know what Nami, i always order this in Korean restaurant, but never give it a try at home,
you just inspired me for my next dinner menu……
This looks so good!!! It’s been a while since I last made kimchi fried rice. Will try your recipe next time I make it. 🙂 By the way, thanks for including the tip about cooking sunny side up eggs! <3
Thanks so much! Ironically, we just came home from Hmart & I had guess what? I was telling my family I need to find a recipe for Kimchi Fried Rice & you answered
Hi Judy! I hope you enjoy making this at home and like the recipe! Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂
This looks amazing Nami! My husband loves kimchi fried rice too – love your gorgeous pictures!
I love kimchi fried rice – haven’t made it in a while, but now I am going to. Looks so good!
What a great recipe for fried rice. I have kimchi in my ref right now. Bookmarked this to make for busy weeknights. Thanks for sharing, Nami!
I love the look of this fried rice. And an egg with it is just perfect. I used to make this rice often at home and it is truly delicious. Loved your post and recipe, Nami. Have a good day!
I think this would be my breakfast tomorrow 🙂
It looks so tasty
あっ、これ私もたまに作るよ。まったくの手抜きですけど、、、ガーリックなんて入れないし。 特にご飯作るのめんどうくさ～いと思う時に、チャチャっと出来るじゃない？ まだ日本かな？ いいなあ。JR passとか使ってる？ 私も日本に行く日が待ち遠しいです。 Instagram をちょっくら覗いてみようっと。
日本に来るまで、学期末やら仕事などで忙しく、全くプランなしで日本に来たので、交通費かなり出費が出て失敗しました。次回はJRパスの買った期間内に旅行を詰めたいです。かなりセーブ出来るんだけど、今回は間に合わなかった〜！
We’re having high temps this week in Norcal and decided to try your recipe. We’ve had a large jar of kimchee in our fridge for a few months. I tasted it and the cabbage still had its form so forged ahead to make the kimchee fried rice. So easy to make and delish. I didn’t have any old rice, so I had to cook my rice, but it turned out okay. Yes, I can see that a day old rice would work well for this recipe.
Hi Mae! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I hope you enjoyed it. 🙂 Yes, a day old rice is a bit more firm/hard and less moisture, so the fried rice doesn’t get as soggy (but it depends how much kimchi juice you add etc too). Thank you so much for writing your feedback! 🙂 xo
I think adding the egg on top elevates it to a whole new level!
Nami, this rice looks really delicious! And that egg on top of it? So yummy!
Getting addicted to watching your videos 🙂 … Love the color of your kimchy fried rice, and the sunny side up egg looks perfectly cooked too.
Whoa, Kimchi in a rice! I bet this tastes heavenly 🙂
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
I bet the flavor in this rice is unbelievable! I can’t even stand it!
Oh yea! One of those dishes that require very little but taste is amazing! To-go dish! I tried to imagine smell and aroma when you were stirring it on the video…now i crave it! Egg is a must haha…
Fantastic job Nami!
Nami, you have done a great job with this recipe! I love the addition of gochujang and seaweed. So delicious! I love your video tutorial as well. Keep up the good work! Cheers!
I love kimchi and of course I love fried rice but I never had both in one plate. This is going to be on the must try list. Thank you, Nami. 🙂
I never eat kimchi, in fact, it’s totally new for me, but looks like it has a lot of flavour. And you know something? I like fried egg with rice!!!
Nami, you have made me SO hungry now! hahaha I loooove this stuff!
I saw your post on Facebook, love how this post looks. I still have not tried kimchi, but I am curious. This recipe sounds fabulous, so many lovely flavors together! Gorgeous, Hugs, Terra
Kimchi is one of my favourite things and this fried rice is exactly what I want to eat right now. Another fantastic recipe, Nami!
I have to admit I’ve never been a kimchi fan, but after seeing this post and your video, I picked up a jar so that I can try this out. Looks delicious and we are trying to eat more fermented food so it was helpful that you said it is not so pungent when cooked.
Thank you Julie! Wonderful! I hope you enjoy this dish. My husband doesn’t like raw kimchi but he loves it when it’s cooked! Let me know what you think. 🙂
Oh, and the egg and (salty) Korean seaweed are must, if you want less “kimchi” taste. 😀
Hi Nami, just wanted to let you know I did try this and it was great. As I suspected, since I love fried rice I loved it even though I don’t like kimchi! (I used Japanese seaweed; I didn’t even know there was a Korean seaweed.)
Hi Julie! You’re not the only one who doesn’t like kimchi but enjoy this kimchi fried rice! So happy you liked this recipe! Thank you for trying this recipe!!
Korean seaweed: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/gim-gui (you can buy one in Korean/Japanese/Asian store). 🙂
YUM! My family and I are obsessed with kimchi fried rice. It’s such a great way to use up leftover kimchi – I always buy a huge tub when I’m at Asian stores (I tend to get overly excited whenever I’m at Asian stores because my closest one is a bit of a trek away) and then I’m always scrabbling around trying to figure out what to do with the leftovers before it goes sour. Thanks for this recipe!!
This fried rice looks irresistible, especially with that perfectly cooked egg! My husband would want this for dinner! I will try this soon.
I’ve tried kimchi rice ages ago and liked it very much.
Now, thanks to your recipe, I can prepare it at home.
im seeing kimchi fried rice everywhere, cant wait to try!
I LOVE kimchi fried rice and this looks amazing! I’m drooling!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos. They really bring your recipes to life.
Thanks for this post, Nami-san. My whole family LOVED IT, and I can’t believe how simple and quick it is to make! This will be a big help when I come home tired at night and still have to cook dinner 🙂 I would definitely recommend to everyone to get your kimchi from a Japanese grocery store. I’ve noticed there is a difference, and this is the only Kimchi my husband likes.
Hi Amanda! Yay! I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for your feedback. Your comment made my day! 😀
Great timing. We bought a BIG jar of Kimchi recently and need some extra uses beyond adding it to sandwiches. Fried Rice is a great idea. I think I might pair that with a nice grilled fish.
When I saw that egg on top, I knew I was going to be loving this dish!!! I’ve put kimchi on top of rice, but now I love the idea and mixing up in a fried rice even more. This is going into my Meatless Monday board. I know that Bobby would love it as well! Thanks Nami!
That egg on there is killing me! I want this for breakfast!
Your fried rice looks so delicious and that egg is just perfect!
This should be delicious! Korean food is my new favorite food, so I will have to try this fried rice 🙂
Kimchi and fried rice. Both are a wonderful combination – I love the tanginess, the heat, and the flavors. I made a kimchi fried rice before and the dish brings a beautiful reddish color but had to add a bit more heat using fresh chiles or dried chili flakes. The kimchi I used was organic and locally sourced, but not spicy (I notice some of them are not that spicy in the U.S.) I want to make my own kimchi someday, have you made it before? Ah, I miss fried rice right now. I’ve been eating loads of pasta and bread lately and still in Turin at the moment. I can’t imagine eating Italian food everyday. ❤
Made this tonight and added some pork. Couldn’t find gochujang so used Sriracha instead. Turned out great! The fried egg really makes the dish.
Hi MS! I’m so glad to hear Sriracha worked too! Thank you very much for your kind feedback. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this dish. 🙂
Can you use radish kimchi?
Hi Zharina! Hmmm… I’ve never used radish kimchi for this recipe. However, if you chop the radish to smaller pieces I think it’ll work – it’ll give a nice crunch in the rice. Same savory flavor from kimchi juice. Give it a try and let us know! 🙂
Last night I made kimchi fried rice and my family love it. They want me make it again. Thank you very much!! I love your recipe!
Hi Michelle! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Yum! You have inspired me. I have a jar of Kimchi in the fridge that I do love but I really need to be in the mood to eat it if you know what I mean. I think adding it to rice would be a terrific idea. An egg on top like you have here (or some diced cooked chicken) would make it extra delicious.
Dear Namiko!
I just made this tonight. It was so easy to make and the taste of the yummy kimchi shined through. It had just enough kick of spice, but not the true Korean level that brings me to tears lol!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! 🙂
Hi Alex! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so happy to hear you liked it! Haha, I can’t eat too spicy either (before I couldn’t eat ANY spice). Thank you for your kind feedback, Alex!
This is so easy and yet so delicious! I made it tonight and the flavors are just the perfect balance! Nami, thank you for the recipe. My tummy’s very happy : )
Hi LayChin! YAY! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks so much for writing your kind feedback! xo 😉
I used the leftovers from your chashu pork recipe to add to this for a quick lunch and it was divine! Thank you for this web site.
Hi Chloe! Ah I can totally imagine the flavor! Thank you for trying this recipe! 🙂
What would you recommend a substitute for gochujang? Will it still taste right without it?
Hi Natasha! If you can’t get it, it’s okay to skip – it has nice umami and savory taste… so if you really enjoy the kimchi fried rice without it, then I highly recommend getting one online etc. It will elevate to next level with gochujang. 😉
I want to make this tonight. I love kimchi fried rice. Would it still be good without the gochujang? Trying to skip going to the grocery store. 🙂
I ended up getting the gojuchang and made it. I added pork belly. It was really good. Thanks again for another great recipe.
Hi Mydao! I am so sorry for my late response. I usually respond sooner, but I’ve been very busy. 🙁 Hope I won’t let you down next time.
I’m glad you could purchase gochujang. I was going to say that you can make it without it, but the fermented paste has so much umami flavor that even a little bit helps to create a better dish. 🙂
This is such an easy dish to make!! I usually make this after I’ve made a lot of bulgogi. When that starts to run low I cut up and use the extra meat in this. I also add in shredded parmesion cheese at the end. I like this dish because it’s not too spicy! If u like it really spicy, just follow her advice. So yummy
Hi Katie! I haven’t had this for a while and your additional ingredients like bulgogi and cheese made me drool… so good!!! Thank you for your kind feedback, Katie!
I just made this delicious recipe and look forward to making again. Thank you!
Hi Carmen! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this dish! 🙂 Thanks for leaving your kind feedback here. xoxo
This recipe is fantastic! My significant other and I absolutely love it!I recommend this recipe to anyone who loves a bit of spice in their meal! If you want to add a twist add a bit of bacon! Its divine!
Hi Jeanna! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! It’s my favorite and hard to stop eating. 😀 Thank you for your kind tip on bacon! Yum!
This was fabulous! We just came back from Hawaii and had kimchi rice several times. I really wanted to try to recreate it at home. Thank you so much for being able to help us relive a great dish from our vacation!
Hi H. Borgeas! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed recreating your favorite meal from Hawaii! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂 xo
I made your kimchi fried rice with the leftover homemade kimchi (my first batch) and it was a huge hit! My husband who doesn’t like kimchi had 2 servings! My guests loved it too! I also made your cucumber recipe (sunomono), another hit!
Hi Mary! Congrats on your homemade kimchi! It must be so good (and I’m jealous!). So happy to hear your husband enjoyed this dish. This is one of my favorite quick meal and I now have to make it this week! I’m hungry thinking about this dish… thanks for trying Sunomono recipe too! xo