Kimchi Fried Rice with gochujang and fried eggs is a Korean spin on classic fried rice that is sweet, sour, a little spicy and powerfully flavorful! Whip it up as a meal or as a side dish to a meal for a show-stopping culinary adventure!

Fried rice has such a stronghold over my soul fibers that I have to put time and space between posting my fried rice recipes, as I have a fear of saturating you with them and run the risk of you becoming allergic to me.

Pivotal question: How much fried rice is too much fried rice? I ask myself regularly.

This time around, we’re taking a Korean spin on fried rice and let me just tell you, if you like food bold in flavor, you’re going to go BONKERS over this vibrant dish!

Let’s dive on in!

What is Kimchi?:

Kimchi is probiotic-rich fermented vegetables made most typically with napa cabbage and radishes. It usually includes ginger, garlic, onions and sometimes spices for additional flavoring. Kimchi has a very distinct flavor – it is sour and briny, much like sauerkraut, and the vegetables are nice and crunchy.

In my experience, most people either love or hate kimchi, with not many opinions in between. Before setting out to make this dish, you may want to first confirm that you actually like kimchi.

What is Kimchi Fried Rice?:

Kimchi Fried Rice is exactly how it sounds! It’s a classic fried rice recipe with chopped up kimchi mixed in it for an ultra flavorful Korean spin on fried rice. The ingredients used to make this recipe may be some with which you aren’t familiar, so let’s discuss the ingredients in detail.

Ingredients for Kimchi Fried Rice:

Kimchi: Kimchi is what makes this kimchi fried rice sing! It’s tangy, a bit spicy, briny, and adds a ton of flavor to the fried rice. If you’re ever looking for an easy way of making a dish flavorful, kimchi is at your service. I use store-bought kimchi, but if you’re a fermentation maven, you can absolutely use homemade.

Rice: White basmati rice gets soaked and cooked before starting anything else in this recipe. You can easily use leftover cooked rice or go with brown rice.

Avocado oil: Used to “fry” the fried rice. Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than most other oils, so it won’t burn under the high heat of stir frying the rice.

Vegetables: yellow onion, garlic, carrots, ginger, peas, green onion

Sauces: liquid aminos (or coconut aminos), gochujang sauce or paste, and if desired, a little liquid from your kimchi. If you taste the fried rice and feel at all like it is lacking in flavor, just add more gochujang sauce!

For Serving: Fried eggs, chopped green onion and sesame seeds. In addition to the gochujang sauce, going with fried eggs instead of scrambled gives this dish a Korean flair

I find gochujang really makes kimchi fried rice POP. In case you aren’t familiar, it is a Korean fermented chili paste that is sweet and sour. You can find it at most grocery stores, an Asian market, or online. It reminds me of a Korean-style BBQ sauce…so you know it’s good 😉

If you don’t already have it on hand and you’re unconvinced you’ll be into gochujang sauce, you can replace it with BBQ sauce. I know, sounds weird. Just trust me!

How to Make Kimchi Fried Rice:

Begin by cooking 1 cup of white rice according to package instructions. I always soak my rice before using it, but if you’re in a hurry, just get straight to the cooking.

While the rice is cooking, heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the yellow onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, carrot and peas and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until garlic is very fragrant.

Stir in the cooked white rice and add the remaining liquid aminos (or soy sauce), gochujang sauce, and chopped kimchi. Continue cooking, stirring regularly, until piping hot and rice begins to stick to the pan or become golden-brown.

Serve fried rice with fried eggs, chopped green onion, and sesame seeds.

A Note About Kimchi and Probiotics:

Does the kimchi maintain its probiotics when cooked? In a word, no. Because we are mixing the kimchi into hot fried rice, the probiotics most certainly die from the heat. In this sense, this dish does not contain any gut health benefits, but the kimchi does add marvelous spunk to it.

Recipe Adaptations:

Replace gochujang with barbecue sauce.
Omit the onion, garlic, and/or ginger if you’re sensitive to or don’t like any of them…the kimchi will have plenty of flavor.
Replace liquid aminos with coconut aminos or soy sauce.
Add your favorite vegetables – broccoli, bok choy, and/or cauliflower work great.
If you’re looking to make a meal out of this, add your favorite protein – chicken or shrimp are my favorites!

More Fried Rice Recipes:

May all thy rice be fried 😉

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