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Korean

Kimchi fried rice

Non-vegetarian

김치볶음밥 · kimchi-bokkeumbap

Day-old rice fried with chopped ripe kimchi and a little pork until tangy and savoury, then crowned with a runny fried egg.

Kimchi fried rice is a Korean rice dish from South Korea, ready in about 22 minutes and made with short-grain rice and kimchi. It serves 2 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Tantalizing Korean Kimchi Fried Rice served in a ceramic bowl, showcasing vibrant colors and textures.
Photo: makafood / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
12 min
Total
22 min
Serves
2
Level
Beginner
Calories
457

Uses cooked, cooled rice.

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a wok (opens in a new tab) and fry the pork (if using) until it renders some fat. Add the onion (opens in a new tab) and cook until soft.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the kimchi (opens in a new tab) and chilli flakes (opens in a new tab) and stir-fry until the kimchi softens and smells toasty.

    • 3 min
    • medium-high heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the rice, kimchi (opens in a new tab) juice, soy sauce (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) and fry, pressing and tossing, until the rice is hot and evenly red. Stir in the sesame oil (opens in a new tab).

    • 4 min
    • high heat

    Food safety: Use rice that was cooled quickly and refrigerated within an hour; reheat until piping hot.

  4. Step 4

    Fry the eggs (opens in a new tab) sunny-side up in a separate pan. Serve the rice topped with an egg, spring onion (opens in a new tab), nori (opens in a new tab) and sesame seeds (opens in a new tab).

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
South Korea · Well documentedMore food from South Korea
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Stir-fried, Pan-fried
Taste
tangy, spicy (chilli heat), umami, savoury
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: Pescatarian, Pork-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Uses leftovers · Budget-friendly · One-pan
Cook more with
Short-grain rice · Kimchi · Onion · Red chilli flakes · Soy sauce · Sugar
Techniques
Pan-frying · Stir-frying

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Fishfrom kimchi
  • Contains: Crustaceansfrom kimchi
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

457 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 274 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 11%
  • Carbohydrate 59%
  • Fat 30%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy457 kcal167 kcal
Protein13 g4.8 g
Carbohydrate67 g24.4 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars1 g0.4 g
Fibre——
Fat14.9 g5.5 g
Saturated fat2.6 g1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol186 mg68 mg
Sodium728 mg266 mg
Salt equivalent1.8 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
369 mg
Calcium
77 mg
Iron
4.3 mg
Magnesium
45 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
4 mg
Vitamin D
1 µg
Vitamin B12
0.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
91 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: pork belly, nori, sesame seeds.
  • Red chilli flakes: Ground cayenne (FDC 170932) used as a stand-in for dried chilli flakes such as pul biber or Aleppo pepper.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Cold rice fries better — fresh rice turns mushy.

Common mistakes

  • Using freshly cooked rice, which turns mushy; day-old rice fries better.
  • Using young kimchi — older, sour kimchi gives the dish its depth.

Serve with

  • Serve with a simple soup such as miyeok guk.

Storage

  • Refrigerate within an hour and eat within 1 day.

Reheating

  • Reheat until steaming hot throughout.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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