Easy Kimchi Fried Rice - 15 minutes

Name: Kimchi Fried Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon avocado oil; 2 cups white rice ((leftover works best)); 1 cup kimchi ((sour is more tasty!)); ½ white onion (chopped); 1 zucchini (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon gochujang; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon fish sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; sesame seeds (to garnish); 2 fried eggs

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This Easy Kimchi Fried Rice is a quick and flavorful Korean dish made in 15 minutes! We usually use extra sour and fermented kimchi to give the rice it’s tangy flavor! Mixes with gochujang and my recommended seasonings, you’re in for a flavor bomb.

Kimchi fried rice garnished with a fried egg, green onions, and sesame seeds.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make Kimchi Fried Rice
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
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Kimchi Fried Rice

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This kimchi fried rice is perfect when you have leftover rice and kimchi in the fridge. I’m all about using all my leftover ingredients to make more food. The best part is that most of the seasoning ingredients are from your pantry. No need to buy extra groceries! If you have more leftover kimchi and rice, you can also make my kimchi jjigae or my one pot spam fried rice.

Make this rice all in one pan to make dishes a lot easier! If you want your rice to be extra crispy, you can add more oil and press down on the rice. Add some roasted seaweed for the perfect meal!

Ingredients

Here’s a look at what you need to make this Easy Kimchi Fried Rice. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.

Kimchi, white rice, gochujang, sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, garlic cloves, and a white onion laid out on the counter.

white rice (leftover works best)
kimchi – using extra fermented kimchi is the best because of it’s sour taste. When you pan fry the kimchi, it gets less sour. The acidity mixes with the other seasonings creates a super umami flavor.
aromatics – use chopped white onion and garlic cloves to make the rice extra fragrant! You can also use shallots if you like.
gochujang – the spicy korean fermented chili paste cannot be substituted in this dish! It is sweet and spicy that works well with the kimchi flavor!
soy sauce – since we’re not adding salt, soy sauce is needed to add saltiness. I recommend to use low sodium.
sugar – this is a must to balance the acidity of the sour kimchi. Feel free to add less if you can’t have too sugar.
fish sauce – adds savoriness and umami to the dish. You can skip it if you don’t have it. Adds lots of umami and saltiness! Find this at any asian grocery store and look for the Three Crabs brand.
sesame oil – this is a necessary ingredient as the sesame oil gives the shine and flavor to the rice. Paired with gochujang, this is what makes the rice taste sooo good! It’s not overwhelming, just compliments the acidity and spiciness of the kimchi.
fried eggs – sunny side eggs are usually added at the top of the rice. I recommend breaking the yolk and mixing the egg in the rice when eating.

Substitutions and Variations

Add protein – spam is a very traditional protein you can add to kimchi fried rice! You can also add in grilled pork belly (samgyeopsal) or beef as well!
Add vegetables – I chose to add in zucchini in my dish for color. You can also mushroom, spinach, bean sprouts! Traditionally, you add all your leftover banchan (Korean side dishes) to the rice for a delicious way to use your leftover ingredients.
Use brown rice instead! You can use a medley of grains if that is what you have in the fridge. Just make sure it’s day old rice for the best fried rice results (not soggy!).

How to Make Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi is cut into small pieces and placed in a bowl.

Step 1: Cut kimchi with scissors into small pieces.

Chopped garlic and white onion on a wooden chopping board.

Step 2: Chop your garlic, onion and zucchini (optional).

Chopped white onion and garlic frying in a pan.

Step 3: Heat pan to medium heat. When pan is hot, add avocado oil. Next, add ½ cup chopped onion and garlic.

Kimchi, white onion, and garlic frying in a pan.

Step 4: Then, add kimchi. Fry for 2 minutes until golden.

Step 5: Next, add 2 cups of white rice. Mix together until all the rice is mixed with the sauce.

Kimchi, rice, zucchini, and gochujang mixed together and cooking in a pan.

Step 6: Add gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce in the rice. Mix everything together. Add zucchini (optional) and cook for 1-2 minutes until your desired softness (optional).

Expert Tips

Use Day Old Rice – Cold, leftover rice works best because it’s drier and prevents the dish from becoming mushy. If using fresh rice, spread it out on a plate and let it cool before frying.
Use Sesame Oil at the End – Drizzle toasted sesame oil at the very end to preserve its nutty aroma and prevent it from burning.
Crisp Up the Rice – Press the rice down slightly in the pan and let it cook undisturbed for a minute to develop a crispy bottom layer.

Recipe FAQs

How can I serve this kimchi fried rice?

You can serve the kimchi fried rice with some more protein especially Korean BBQ meats. I recommend this Spicy Pork Bulgogi, tender Pork Bossam, or this Air Fryer Korean Short Ribs. You can also serve with roasted seaweed as a wrap or scrunch it together and add it as a garnish.

What if I don’t have sour kimchi?

No worries! As long as you have kimchi, this recipe still works! The rice won’t have a slightly sharp and sour taste. If this is the case, I would add less sugar.

How do I store this?

Kimchi fried rice can be stored in an air tight container. Make sure that it is air tight, or else your fridge will smell. Store up to 3 days and reheat by frying it in the pan again. Or you can microwave for 1 minute with a wet paper towel on top. This method helps steam the rice!