Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi fried rice is quick to whip up, uses leftovers, is super flavourful and spicy, and is reasonably healthy! What more could you ask for? This is a great weeknight dinner (or side dish).

This is a super versatile recipe that conveniently uses up leftover rice in the fridge. It’s super easy to adapt to feed more people and is very much about flavouring to your taste. We like kimchi a LOT and we like things spicy, so I use quite a bit of kimchi in this dish. You can use less! Up to you 🙂

I make my own kimchi and it’s amazing (if I do say so myself…). In the meantime, however, if you don’t make your own kimchi, be sure to read labels on the ones in the stores. Oftentimes kimchi has fish sauce in it, so find one that is labelled vegan or has no fish sauce in the ingredients.

Oh! In case you’re intrigued by this recipe but don’t know what kimchi is, kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish that is a staple in Korean cuisine. It’s spicy and bit sour with a hint of sweetness. It could be thought of as a Korean sauerkraut. Its spice comes from Korean chili flakes called gochugaru.

In the meantime, just look at this spicy goodness!

Kimchi Fried Rice

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Calories 318 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 small onion diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup kimchi chopped roughly
• 1/2 cup frozen peas or frozen mixed veg
• 2 cups cooked rice see note*
• 1 tbsp kimchi juice
• 1-2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
• few dashes black pepper
• 1 green onion

Instructions

 

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
• Once hot, saute the onion until beginning to soften.
• Add in the garlic and stir.
• Once fragrant and beginning to brown, add in the kimchi. Stir.
• Add the peas and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute.
• Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add in the kimchi juice, soy cause, oil, pepper, and green onion.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes (until the rice is heated through, the peas are cooked and the flavours a developed).
• Serve hot. You can provide gochujang (Korean hot sauce), sriracha, or soy sauce, if desired.

Notes

This recipe cooks up MUCH better if you use day-old rice, leftover in your fridge. If you use freshly cooked rice, the dish will still taste fine but it may be a bit soggier or stickier.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below! Thanks! 🙂