Kimchi Fried Rice
It’s time for another “sweep the kitchen” recipe! You know how I love these recipes. Food is not only expensive, but it’s also the number one contributor to landfills, so I always try to keep my food waste to a minimum. To help keep my food waste down, I wanted to design another recipe where leftover vegetables can be “hidden” into the mix. Not only did I pack this Kimchi Fried Rice with leftover rice and vegetables from my fridge, but I even tossed in some of my “scraps” to add extra hidden vegetable goodness. Yep, I saved an entire broccoli stem from the garbage by shredding it right into the vegetable mix for this dish. Imagine all the other places you can “hide” shredded broccoli stems!
“This is something I love ordering at our local take out place, so glad to have a healthier and delicious homemade option. I know you mentioned ham, I love bacon in this…so if I have a straggler strip or 2 of bacon, I’ll throw it in. Thanks for the recipe!”
Lindsay
Easy Recipe for Kimchi Fried Rice
If you’ve never had kimchi fried rice, it has a wonderfully tangy and spicy flavor, which can help marry the flavor of any leftovers you may want to throw into your fried rice. You definitely want to use day-old rice for this recipe because the rice grains will be a little on the firm side, which keeps them from getting mushy while you’re stirring them together with the rest of the ingredients. If you don’t have a full four cups, that’s okay; just use as many as you have. It’s all about using those leftovers. I also opted to use both the white and green ends of the green onion to avoid having to use a separate yellow onion. Budget-friendly win!
Kimchi Fried Rice
Cost $5.63 recipe / $1.40 serving
Ingredients
- 6 inch broccoli stem (optional)* ($0.76)
- 1 carrot ($0.12)
- 4 green onions ($0.43)
- 1 cup kimchi** plus 2-4 Tbsp kimchi juice ($2.00)
- 2 large eggs ($1.34)
- 2 Tbsp light cooking oil ($0.08)
- 4 cups cooked, day-old rice ($0.75)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.05)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.10)
Instructions
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Use a vegetable peeler to peel the broccoli stem and carrot. Use a large-holed cheese grater to grate the broccoli stem and carrot. You should have about 1 cup of each after shredding.
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Slice the green onions, separating the white ends from the green ends. Roughly chop the kimchi, making sure all the pieces are about bite sized. Place the eggs in a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork.
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Heat a large skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add the white ends of the green onion and sauté for about one minute, or just until slightly softened.
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Add the shredded broccoli stem and carrots to the skillet and sauté for about one minute more. Finally, add the chopped kimchi and 2-4 Tbsp kimchi juice (depending on how strong you want your kimchi flavor) and let it simmer until the juice reduces and the skillet is fairly dry again.
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Add the day-old rice to the skillet and fold it together with the vegetables. Allow the rice to heat through. Push the rice off to the sides of the skillet and pour the eggs in the center. Gently scramble the eggs until they are set, then fold them into the rice.
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Finally, turn the heat off and sprinkle the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil over the fried rice. Gently fold the rice until the soy sauce and sesame oil are incorporated. Taste the kimchi fried rice and adjust the saltiness to your liking by adding more soy sauce if needed. If you want more tanginess or heat, you can add more kimchi juice. Finally, top with the sliced green ends of the green onions just before serving.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
**You can use any type of kimchi you like. If you’re not into spicy foods, you can opt for mild kimchi, which still has a wonderfully tangy bite. Personally, I always opt for a vegan kimchi because regular kimchi is a little too fishy for my tastebuds. You can also make your own homemade kimchi.
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Kimchi Fried Rice Step-by-Step Photos
Prep your veggies: Prepare all of your vegetables and add-ins before you begin cooking, because fried rice cooks quickly, so you won’t have time to double task. I used one large broccoli stem, which I briefly peeled and then shredded.
Also peel and shred one large carrot. Slice four green onions, separating the white ends from the green ends. I had about one cup of shredded broccoli stem and one cup of shredded carrot, once finished.
This is the kimchi I used. I always go for a vegan kimchi because the regular kind is too fishy for my delicate taste buds (haha), but I will admit that this brand wasn’t quite spicy enough for me. Either way, I used about one cup, or 1/3 of this 16oz. jar.
Roughly chop the kimchi so that all the pieces are bite-sized.
Whisk the eggs: Add two large eggs to a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork.
Sauté the veggies: Now that all the ingredients are prepped, it’s time to start cooking. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp of any light flavored oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add the white ends of the green onions and sauté for just one minute. Next add the shredded broccoli stems and carrots and sauté for a minute more.
Add the chopped kimchi, plus 2-4 Tbsp of the juice from the jar (depending on how strong you want that kimchi flavor, you can always add more later). Sauté the kimchi with the other vegetables until the juice reduces and the skillet is fairly dry again.
Fry the rice: Add 4 cups of day-old cooked rice and fold it into the vegetables until they’re well incorporated. Allow the rice to heat through.
Add the eggs: Push the rice off to the sides and pour the whisked egg into the center. Gently scramble the eggs until they are set, then mix them back into the rice.
Finally, turn the heat off and sprinkle 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil over the rice. Gently fold the rice in the skillet until the soy sauce and sesame oil are incorporated. Taste the Kimchi Fried Rice and adjust the soy sauce if you want it saltier, or add more kimchi juice if you want it tangier or spicier.
Serve: Sprinkle the green ends of the sliced green onions over top just before serving.
Tangy and with so many hidden vegetables! Woot!
What Else Can I Add?
Speaking of leftovers, if you have leftover ham from the holidays or even some leftover deli ham that needs to be used up, ham is awesome with kimchi fried rice. Just dice it up and fry it in the skillet until the ham gets nice and crispy on the edges. Bacon would work here, too! Remove it from the skillet before cooking the vegetables, then stir it back in at the end. You could also add some chicken to make this a kimchi chicken fried rice! YUM.
Serving Suggestions
I do love this kimchi fried rice with a crispy fried egg on top and a generous drizzle of sriracha—it’s just about the only way I eat it these days. The runny yolk mixes into the rice and adds the most luscious texture. I think it would also be delicious topped with a little extra toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds instead. Add a side of air-fried tofu if you want to add protein, make it a meal with a vegetable stir fry, or go all out with the kimchi and make these kimchi spring rolls!
Storage & Reheating
Store any leftover kimchi fried rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to reheat, warm it gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to help loosen up the rice. For single servings, just sprinkle a little water over the top and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until it’s heated through.
Try These Stir Fry Rice Recipes
- Tangy kimchi and nutty sesame oil give Kimchi Fried Rice loads of flavor with very little fuss.
- My Vegetable Fried Rice is an easy takeout-inspired dinner that can change depending on what’s already in the fridge.
- Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil make this Chicken Fried Rice extra savory and flavorful!
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