This simple, simple dish is super, super tasty. It’s just a few ingredients, but it’s a dish much loved by Koreans and a staple of our everyday lives.
This version is simple, but you can dress it up with a bit of beef, chicken, pork, ham, or even spam. Many Koreans also like to put a fried egg on top, but my family prefers this simple version that I’m showing you here. When my son lived in the school dorm, visits with him were rare. I talked to him on the phone before he came and I asked:
“What food do you miss the most? I’ll make it for you when you come.”
I figured I would need some time to prepare and shop ahead of time, but he answered: “I miss kimchi-bokkeumbap.”
“What? That’s it? Is there anything else?”
“Just kimchi-bokkeumbap, Mom.”
As you see in this video, you don’t need to prepare much in advance for kimchi-bokkeumbap if you have kimchi and rice on hand. So of course I made it for him, along with grilled beef and lots of high protein food. As soon as he came home, I was ready to stir fry. He loved it!
A lot of people say making fried rice is best with leftover rice straight from the fridge, or just day-old rice, but I’ve never really tasted the difference in flavor, taste, or texture. I use fresh rice all the time. I just let it cool down a bit before I stir fry, and my kimchi bokkeumbap is always delicious. It’s the best fried rice I have ever tasted, much better than the kimchi-bokkeumbap at a Korean restaurant.
Ingredients
- 3 bowls steamed rice (3 cups)
- 1 cup chopped kimchi (should be aged, well-fermented and sour)
- ¼ cup kimchi juice (spicy red juice from a jar of kimchi)
- ¼ cup water
- 2-3 tablespoons gochujang
- 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
- 1 sheet of gim, roasted and shredded into seaweed strips
Directions
- Heat up a wide, flat pan or skillet. Add the vegetable oil.
- Add the kimchi and stir fry for 1 minute over medium-high heat.
- Add rice, kimchi juice, water, and gochujang. Stir all the ingredients together for about 7 minutes with a wooden spoon.
- Add sesame oil and remove from the heat.
- Garnish with sprinkled chopped green onion, roasted gim, and sesame seeds. Serve right away.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
![[OTTOGI] Delicious COOKED RICE...](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41zYdZ3EWJL._SL160_.jpg)
Hi maangchi, i made kimchi fried rice recently. i added omelette and minced pork for a more substantial dish. It tasted very delicious! it’s on my blog at http://www.meilengloh.com/?p=298. thanks for the recipe!:)
Chuchie,
I’m very happy to be found by you, too. : )
spicy raw squid? Give me more description about the food. If you are interested in stir fried squid dish, it’s already posted. If it’s raw squid dish, why don’t you ask it in Forum under general discussion part. Some other people may give you better answer. Thanks,
Hi Maangchi! It’s my first time to view your website and i’m so glad i found you. I work in a korean grocery store here in the Phils., so I know all the ingredients you use in your recipes. And I really love to learn to cook Korean food coz I really love it! How do you cook the spicy raw squid? It eally looks good!
Nicole,
Thanks for your update!
Hi Maangchi…
I made bulgogi and kimchi rice tonight…it was awesome…I added some of the red pepper paste to the beef and it was yummy! You are so kind for posting all of your recipes!
Thanks so much!
Nicole
샤넨,
I use red and spicy sauce for pork bulgogi.
It’s included in the list of my upcoming cooking videos.
Maangchi, how can i make the marinade for Pork bulgogi?
dori,
Thank you for your request jangjorim (beef side dish)
Yes, I am going to post the recipe on my blog someday.
It’s already included in the list of my upcoming cooking videos.
i just found your website and i love it! do you have a recipe for jang-jo-rim by any chance? thank you for the wonderful tutorials on korean food!
Lydia,
Thank you for your update! Wonderful!
thanks Maangchi!
I made this yesterday and my siblings loved it =)
Jenny!
wow, happy news! Your kimchi already fermented and cooked kimchi stew! Wonderful!
Hi Maangchi.Finally i found hot pepper paste in Singapore.Only 5 minutes walking from Raffles Place mrt.I made kimchi 5 days ago.It turn out great.Last night i cook kimchi stew.Yummmyyyy.thx again
HI Jenny,
where exactly did you get the hot pepper paste?
name of the location would be greatly appreciated!
thanks!
Thx Maangchi
Jenny,
I found this information on the internet.
I will translate it in English.
1.Korean grocery market:
20 North Canal Road
Phone : 6538－9801∼3(delivery possible)
2. Koreana Youtong:
163 Tras Street #01-01, Lian Huat Building
Phone : 6324-5016/5017(delivery possible)
3.samjin shik poom (shik poom means grocery)
37 MALAN Road
Phone: 6777－4988(delivery possible)
Good luck with finding a good grocery market there!
Maangchi,i love ur website.Does anyone know where i can buy hot pepper paste in Singapore ? thx
Melbourne Chic
Yes, they are the same. I have never used Chinese soy sauce, so I can’t tell you the difference. Probably it’ll be alright. Thanks!
Hi Maangchi
I love your site!
I was just wondering if the Korean sesame oil and the Chinese sesame oil are the same? What about Korean soy sauce and Chinese soy sauce?
Thanks :)
hi, DolsotBibimbap.com
I checked out your website and found it’s very informative. Thank you very much.
Nothing better than the combination of the two most traditional Korean food.
thank you adjuma im aznshrimp by the way oh i accidently deleted ur message sry can u resend
jo^rose,
oh, you made it, gratz!
Hello Maangchi!
I cooked bulgogi today and it was delicious. You’re right, the recipe you gave was very easy. :)
Happy weekend!
Hi, anonymous,
Finest Glutinous rice flour sounds like sweet rice powder. You can use it. And also you can use plain flour to make porridge for kimchi making. That’s what I’m doing sometime.
Regarding bulgogi marinade,
yes, you can replace beef with chicken or pork. However, in the case of pork, we usually use some hot pepper paste.
Thank you
Hi Maanchi,
great thanks for teaching us how to make the korea food.i went to korea once n try the dish similar with Bulbogi at restaurant, but they using pork instead. i’m happy that i found this blog so that i can try to make the kimchi as well as the kimchi fried rice myself, but,i cant find the “Sweet rice flour “(for kimchi)that you recommended,as you mentioned in your video,we can use normal flour, Can i replace it with ” Finest Glutinous rice flour” or i should use “plan flour” instead? Besides, if i don’ take beef, the marinate ingredient for preparing bulbogi can it be change to either pork or chicken?
lillian,
Congratulation! Your bulgogi making was successful! If the side dish soy beans are too hard, soak it longer time than 8 hours. Maybe 10 hours? Thanks for your update!
My bulgogi turned out great! I meant the pepper paste you suggested as a sauce on the side (ssam jjang). In the end I forgot it, and everything was still great. The soybeans turned out a little dry, but I’m not sure if that’s how they’re supposed to be or if I didn’t soak them long enough. They taste good though. Thanks again Maangchi! I think my next project will be jja jaang myun, once I get the bean paste and noodles.
hi, anonymous,
You made successful kimchi, kimchi stew, and jja jang bap? wow you must be good at cooking!
Regarding kimchi pancake, I’m sure you saw the vegetable pancake video. You can replace the vegetables with chopped kimchi.
Anyway, I will include kimchi pancake in the list of my upcoming videos. Thanks!
Hi,Sandy
Writing recipes and making cooking videos are the things that I’m doing these days. Problem is that my time is limited.
Thank you for your advice. I will keep it in mind.
Hi Maanchi,
Your cooking videos are excellent! You present us not only the food recipe itself, but the Korean culture. Thank you for so many ones.
One particular characteristic of Korean food which attacts me most is its wide variety of side dishes. If you’re willing to, could you write for us some easy recipes for a list of side dishes? Just like this one, this doesn’t need to make a video. I think you can also make another blog, like the section of Ingredients, which particular focuses on side dishes.
Thank you again!
Sandy
Hi Maangchi,
I watched Korean drama yesterday and they were having Kimchi pancake. Really mouth watering and it made me want to make it. Can you teach us someday. Hope it’s really soon. Thanks in advance.
Your recipes are really good. I tried making kimchi, kimchi chige and blackbean paste rice. Really delicious.
Lillian!
Which sauce are you talking about?
For bulgogi and kimchi fried rice, you don’t need hot pepper flakes.
When you stir fried rice, you need hot pepper paste, so you don’t have to worry.
I don’t have any red pepper flakes, but I have the paste…can I make the sauce with that, maybe just reducing the liquid?
Mmmm I’m making this tonight! I’m also going to have the sweet soybeans on the side. Thanks Maangchi!
Yay! Thanks Maangchi for the recipe! Will make bulgogi this weekend. Maybe I can also add kongnamool in the dish? Or I’ll just cook a separate dish for kongnamool but using the ingredients for the marinade sauce. :)