Kimchi Fried Rice
Day-old rice fried with kimchi until smoky and tangy — a fast, gut-friendly dinner built on a fermented hero.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 300 g Rice
- 200 g Kimchi
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 2 Egg (optional)
- 3 Scallions (optional)
- 1 tbsp Gochujang (optional)
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil (optional)
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)
Method
- Roughly chop the kimchi and slice the scallions, keeping whites and greens apart.
- Fry the scallion whites and kimchi in the oil over high heat until caramelized at the edges, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the gochujang for 30 seconds, then add the cold rice and toss with the soy until hot and coated.
- Fry the eggs in a separate pan until the whites set and the yolks stay runny.
- Top the rice with the egg, drizzle the sesame oil, and scatter the scallion greens and sesame seeds over.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Kimchi Fried Rice
This kimchi fried rice is a leaner, faster take on the Korean classic, built to put the fermented kimchi front and center as its gut-friendly hero. Day-old rice is fried with sour kimchi until smoky and tangy, seasoned with gochujang and a splash of soy, and finished with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a runny-yolked fried egg. The flavor is bright and pungent from the kimchi, with a savory depth from the soy and a gentle chili warmth from the gochujang. It comes together in about fifteen minutes and works just as well as a quick bite as it does a light dinner.
A small technique gives it more finesse than most rushed fried rices: the scallions are split into whites and greens, with the whites fried alongside the kimchi to build a savory base and the greens scattered raw at the end for freshness and color. Caramelizing the kimchi at high heat before the rice joins is what develops that toasty, sweet-sour edge, and the cold rice keeps the grains loose. The runny yolk acts as a built-in sauce once broken and stirred through. Naturally vegetarian and leaning on fermented cabbage for its character, it makes a satisfying, low-effort meal that feels a little virtuous without trying too hard.
Kimchi Fried Rice: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Kimchi Fried Rice?
One serving of Kimchi Fried Rice has about 465 calories, with 13g of protein, 52g of carbs, 24g of fat and 4g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Kimchi Fried Rice gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Gochujang, Soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Kimchi Fried Rice?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out egg, scallions, gochujang — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Kimchi Fried Rice make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.