Spicy Kimchi Fried Rice (Printable Format)

Tangy kimchi meets bold gochujang in this quick, satisfying Korean-inspired fried rice with eggs and aromatics.

# What's Needed:

→ Base Components

01 - 2 cups cold cooked white rice, preferably day-old
02 - 1 cup napa cabbage kimchi, chopped plus 2 tablespoons kimchi juice
03 - 2 large eggs

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 1/2 small onion, finely diced
05 - 2 green onions, sliced with green and white parts separated
06 - 1 small carrot, finely diced

→ Seasonings & Sauces

07 - 2 tablespoons gochujang Korean chili paste
08 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
09 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
10 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
11 - 1 teaspoon sugar to balance acidity

→ Optional Additions & Garnishes

12 - 1/2 cup cooked pork belly, Spam, or firm tofu, diced
13 - Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
14 - Extra green onions for garnish
15 - Roasted seaweed strips gim for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, white parts of green onions, and carrot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are softened and fragrant.
02 - Add chopped kimchi to the skillet and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and slightly caramelized, enhancing the fermented flavors.
03 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, and sugar. Mix thoroughly to coat vegetables evenly and create a unified flavor base.
04 - Push the vegetable mixture to one side of the pan. Crack eggs into the empty space and scramble until just set, then combine with the vegetables.
05 - Add cold rice to the skillet, breaking up any clumps with your spatula. Combine everything thoroughly, then pour in kimchi juice. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until rice is heated through and evenly coated with the spicy sauce.
06 - Drizzle with sesame oil and fold in green parts of green onions plus any optional meat or tofu. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot garnished with sesame seeds, extra green onion, and roasted seaweed strips.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been cooking Korean food your whole life, even if you made it up on the spot.
  • Twenty-five minutes from hungry to the kind of meal that makes you want to text someone about how good it is.
  • Your leftover rice finally has a reason to exist, and those half-forgotten vegetables in your crisper drawer actually shine.
02 -
  • Day-old rice is not a suggestion—fresh, warm rice will turn into glue no matter how much you stir, and no amount of technique can save that.
  • Gochujang can be intense; you can always add more but you cannot take it back, so start with less and build up as you taste.
  • The eggs need to be cooked through but soft enough that they break apart into the rice rather than staying chunky; this is about 90 seconds of gentle scrambling.
03 -
  • If your rice is hot or freshly cooked, spread it on a sheet pan for 10 minutes in the fridge to cool it down; cold rice will stay individual grains instead of turning to mush.
  • Keep your heat at medium-high but not raging—this isn't a stir-fry competition, just a patient dance of warming and coating, which takes longer but tastes better.
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