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.
Hello! Thanks for the recipe. Tried it today, without gim, but it was amazing.
Hi Maangchi!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I didn’t know anything about Korean cooking, but was able to make a delicious dinner following your video. Since I don’t have a lot of experience, I was wondering if you could help me out with something. I tried to fry the rice so that it was a little crispy on the outside, but my rice kept sticking to the bottom of the pan, and when I tried to scrape it up, the soft part of the rice pulled free, leaving the layer of crisp on the pan. I was unable to achieve any level of crispiness in the final product. Does this have to do with pan heat? Oil? Type of pan? Something else?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Oiled cast iron on medium high heat usually works the best for me, and stainless steel the worst.
I’ve attempted this several times before but without gochujang… I didn’t know what I was missing. Gochujang is magic.
I doubled everything in the recipe and added eggs, spam, and chinese sausage. GLORIOUS. This will last me a week (if I have self-control).
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Mouthwatering! “I didn’t know what I was missing. Gochujang is magic.” You are very right! : )
Hi Maangchi, thanks for your comment. I made this again, but with some small adjustments.
1. Before cooking, I spread the newly-made steamed rice on a baking sheet and set it in front of a room fan for 5 minutes, which dried it out very quickly. This made a huge difference in the end result compared to using rice straight out of the rice cooker.
2. I removed the kimchi from the pan after stir frying it and put the rice in the pan by itself for a couple minutes, which gave it a really nice crispy texture on the outside.
3. I didn’t add the 1/4 cup water mentioned in recipe. I only added the kimchi juice.
With these changes, the rice was less mushy and even better this time (I didn’t think that was possible).
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I just got back to the states after a short trip in Korea. I’m planning on moving to Korea after I graduate, in order to travel the world and teach. After my short trip, I had the wildest cravings and even though there are a lot of Korean restaurants where I live, I wanted to try my hand at cooking something myself. While I was away one of my favorite comfort dishes was kimchi fried rice, and after I found your recipe and this amazing website, I was easily able to make it myself! I’m really happy that you have such detailed videos and I even went out and bought your book as well, thank you for making this amazing website! :)
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Thanks for sharing your story! Yes, kimchi fried rice is one of the easiest and most delicious one-pot meals. When you have some old kimchi in the fridge, you can just stir fry it up with some rice and hot pepper paste. By the way, your kimchi-bokkeumbap photo looks wonderful, I’m going to Tweet it!
Wow you can cook very deliciously which makes my mouthwatering. I love all of the recipes that you had directed in Korean ways. Like every receipts!! :D
I’ve made this 2 days in a row and I’m already thinking about making it again tomorrow! I LOVE it that much!
I just made it omg its sooooooo good i still cant eat raw kimchi but fried with rice is just heaven!!!
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I want to cook this for my husband but I don’t know if how much ingredients for 2 servings .can you help me maangchi? Thankyou in advance!
Well, I just made this whole recipe and ate all of it for dinner by myself. Oops! So much for saving it for tomorrow’s lunch!
Hi Maangchi,
My wife and I love kimchi bokkeumbap. My wife spent a year living in South Korea about ten years ago and learned how to make a version of this recipe. We use marinated chicken breast (similar to bulgogi), and we create a well of mozzerella in the middle that can melt inside the crispy rice. We love it!
Your crispy kimchi bokkeumbap sounds very delicious!
Hi Maangchi ^^ I added some beef strips and scrambled egg to this Kimchi Fried Rice.. A hearty (and sinful hehehe..) meal for breakfast on Saturday morning.. ^^ have a great weekend to you ! ^^
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I love this dish. Whenever I have some leftover bulgogi I like to add that, or chicken that I cook in more or less the same way. But really, add kimchi and gochujang to almost anything and it will be good! ;)
I also like to make it with leftover red cargo rice. Not a very Korean thing to do I guess but it comes out very substantial, chewy and delicious.
Hi Maangchi….I am slowly making my way through your recipes…I have a question.
Can I use Fresh shitaki mushrooms instead of dried? Is there a difference is taste or texture?
You can use fresh shiitake mushrooms in this recipe.
I didn’t see mushrooms listed in this recipe. Am I missing something? Would they be a good addition?
I’m half Korean so this may sound crazy, but I am trying to stay away from carbs for a while to lose some weight but I am majorly craving kimchi bokkeumbap. Is there a reasonable substitute for rice? I know, crazy. Thanks! Tracy
I actually came across a recipe for cauliflower “rice”. I think I am going to try it tonight!
Thank you Maangchi!!! I just made this quick dish for the first time, and couldn’t believe how flavorful and satisfying it is. I served it with a store roasted chicken, and with homemade baek kimchi (also your recipe) on the side. This will become a family favorite.
Baek-kimchi is a perfect choice for roasted chicken and kimchi bokkeumbap! Smart cook! : )