Made with leftover short-grain rice and spicy kimchi (and its pungent juices!), kimchi fried rice is a filling, homey and umami-packed Korean dish. Ginger, garlic, onion, green onion and carrots add more flavor, texture and sweetness, and a fried egg, cooked your way, is the crown on each serving. Make this kimchi fried rice recipe as a quick and easy weeknight meal or, better yet, make a large batch for the freezer. Reheat it with other add-ins\u2014mushrooms, protein or even more kimchi\u2014top it with an egg, and you have a full-flavored entree, side dish or snack.<\/p>\n
The most familiar kimchi is a spicy, red, fermented Korean side dish made with Napa cabbage, lots of salt, and a fiery red paste of Korean chili flakes, salted and fermented shrimp, rice flour, garlic, ginger, onions and a touch of sugar. After adding green onion and carrots to the mix, it gets packed into a jar to ferment in the fridge. Depending on how you use it, it can be a pungent condiment, side dish or seasoning.<\/p>\n
But there is a vast world of kimchi. White kimchi can be made without chili flakes. Other vegetables can be used, including different types of cabbage<\/a>, cucumbers and daikon radish. You can eat kimchi in various stages of fermentation<\/a>. For instance, kimchi that hasn’t started fermenting yet\u00a0is deliciously brash with a crisp texture, and can be eaten immediately after seasoning. As kimchi ferments and ripens, the texture slowly softens, and the flavors meld into something much more complex. Keep your kimchi long enough, and it will mature into something fizzy and funky. That’s the best time to use it for cooking.<\/p>\n
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it’s tender, for two to four minutes.<\/p>\n
Add the kimchi, carrots, kimchi juice, garlic and ginger, and cook for two minutes longer.<\/p>\n
Add the rice, green onions, soy sauce and sesame oil and heat them through, stirring frequently.<\/p>\n
Editor’s Tip:<\/em> Break up any clumps of rice with damp hands before adding it to the pan. Use a nonstick skillet since rice and eggs are both notorious for sticking to stainless steel pans. If you cook the kimchi with the onions, you can get some caramelization on the kimchi, which will add more flavor to the final dish. If you like bits of crispy rice for more texture, gently press the rice into a layer in the pan, let it cook undisturbed until the bottom gets a little crispy, then break it up so the crispy bits are mixed with the softer rice.<\/p>\n
In another large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Break the eggs, one at a time, into the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Cook the eggs to your desired doneness, turning them after the whites are set if desired. Serve the fried eggs over the rice.<\/p>\n
Editor’s Tip:<\/em> To save yourself from washing another skillet, dole out portions of fried rice into bowls or plates, then wipe the pan clean. Proceed with frying the eggs.<\/p>\n
If desired, sprinkle the kimchi fried rice with nori, sesame seeds and additional green onion.<\/p>\n
Leftover rice doesn’t last long in the fridge<\/a> and must be stored properly. Within two hours of cooking, cool the rice, transfer it to a zip-top bag or an airtight container and refrigerate it.<\/p>\n
Yes, you can freeze kimchi fried rice. Store the cooled rice in zip-top bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Press the bag flat so you can stack it in the freezer (a flat bag will also thaw faster). Pack smaller bags of rice if you’re serving only one or two portions at a time.<\/p>\n
You can store kimchi fried rice in the fridge for up to four days and in the freezer for up to three months.<\/p>\n
It’s best to reheat kimchi fried to an internal temperature of at least 165\u00b0F before eating. If you reheat frozen fried rice, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.<\/p>\n
Most Korean recipes use short or medium-grain rice, which is stickier than regular white rice. Be sure to use Asian short-grain rice, often labeled as sushi rice, and not Arborio or bomba rice.<\/p>\n
The best way to fry an egg<\/a> depends on how you like your eggs. The basics are the same: Heat oil or butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack the egg into the pan, allowing space between each egg if cooking more than one. Reduce the heat to low. Once the white sets, swirl the pan gently to ensure the egg isn’t sticking to the pan. If it is<\/em> sticking, gently run a rubber spatula under the bottom of the egg to loosen. Then proceed cooking it to your preferred doneness.<\/p>\n
Kimchi fried rice is often served alone. However, it can be paired with other Korean dishes<\/a>, such as bulgogi, Korean spinach salad or wontons.<\/p>\n
It’s best to store kimchi in a glass jar. Plastic containers can be porous, allowing the odor to seep through more easily, stinking up your fridge. I wrap my jars of kimchi in two layers of plastic bags. Some Korean families dedicate small refrigerators solely to kimchi!<\/p>\n
Kimchi can<\/em> go bad if the veggies sit above the kimchi liquid. It will start to taste rancid or “off,” and may even turn slimy and moldy. Make sure the kimchi stays submerged in the kimchi juice. Press it down firmly, packing it until it’s covered by the liquid. If some kimchi peeks out, take some out and eat it! Use any opened jars of kimchi within six months.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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