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kimchi fried rice with bacon topped with fried egg in bowl
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5 from 2 votes

Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi Fried Rice with bacon and fried egg is an outstanding flavorful Korean stir fry recipe that is fantastic for breakfast.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces uncooked bacon chopped (see note)
  • ½ small onion diced
  • 1 cup kimchi about 6 ounces, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons kimchi juice or to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 2 cups cooked short-grain white rice cooled
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • roasted seaweed and sesame seeds for garnish I used Trader Joe's Nori Komi Furikake

Instructions

Cook the bacon:

  • In a large wok (recommended) or nonstick sauté pan, cook bacon pieces over medium high heat, gradually reducing the heat as the bacon cooks and the fat renders. Stir as needed to promote even cooking. When done, transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Keep about a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan and reserve the rest for when you fry the eggs.

Make the Kimchi Fried Rice:

  • Heat the tablespoon of bacon fat in the wok pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, stir to coat, and allow to cook, stirring only to prevent burning. Once browned, add kimchi and kimchi juice, and garlic. Stir until it comes to a boil and cook until sauce is nearly dried out, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a separate plate.
  • Add butter along with the sesame oil to the hot pan. Add the cold rice, smashing down into a uniform layer to maximize the amount touching the pan. Allow to cook for a few minutes to get the rice slightly browned and crispy. Use wooden spoons to break up the rice and toss it. Add cooked vegetables and bacon to the rice and stir it to incorporate. Turn heat to medium. Add soy sauce, cook and stir until everything is heated through. Taste, and adjust with more soy sauce, sesame oil or kimchi juice if desired. Turn heat down slightly, but let the rice continue to cook, untouched, to lightly brown while you cook the eggs.

Fry the eggs:

  • Using a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, add the reserved bacon fat. When oil is hot, add eggs and fry to your desired doneness. In order to avoid flipping the eggs, continuously spoon hot oil over the white part of the eggs and cover pan with a lid for about a minute to help cook the top portion of the egg while leaving the yolks a vibrant orange. Serve rice topped with fried eggs, nori and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Notes

Instead of bacon, you can use Spam or leftover ham. Since those don't need to be cooked, you would skip the step where the bacon is cooked.
Recipe makes two large servings with one egg each. Can easily make four small servings if eggs are cut in half or you can make two additional fried eggs and serve over four small servings of fried rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 842kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 250mg | Sodium: 1131mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 619IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 4mg