Kimchi Fried Rice (김치볶음밥 - Kimchi Bokkeumbap)

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Country of Origin

Korea

A popular Korean comfort food made by stir-frying aged sour kimchi and day-old rice with garlic, pork or spam, gochujang, and sesame oil, topped with a runny fried egg and toasted seaweed.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Served directly from the pan or on a plate, topped with a fried egg and crushed gim (seaweed sheets). Eaten warm with a spoon, breaking the egg yolk over the spicy rice.

Ingredients

• 3 cups day-old cooked short-grain white rice

• 1 cup well-fermented sour kimchi, chopped

• 100g (3.5 oz) pork belly or canned Spam, diced

• 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

• 1 tbsp kimchi juice

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 eggs

• 2 scallions, sliced

• Crushed roasted seaweed flakes for garnish

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Sear Meat & Kimchi: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over high heat. Fry diced pork or spam until lightly crispy. Add chopped kimchi and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until translucent.

2. Season: Stir in gochujang, kimchi juice, and sugar. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

3. Add Rice: Lower heat to medium, add day-old rice, breaking up clumps with a spatula. Stir-fry vigorously until rice absorbs the kimchi sauce evenly.

4. Finish & Serve: Drizzle sesame oil and scallions over rice and toss. Fry two eggs sunny-side up in a separate pan. Plate rice, top with eggs and seaweed flakes.

Cooking Tips

• Use Sour Kimchi: Aged, well-fermented kimchi gives the dish its signature bold tanginess. Fresh kimchi lacks the required depth of acid.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving)

• Calories: ~480 kcal

• Total Fat: 18g

• Saturated Fat: 5g

• Cholesterol: 215mg

• Sodium: ~920mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 64g

• Dietary Fiber: 3.5g

• Sugars: 5g

• Protein: 16g