Kimchi Fried Rice

Medium Spice.

Your new favorite way to enjoy leftover rice.

Just the Recipe | 4 Servings

Ingredients

4 Cups leftover White or Brown Rice

4 Strips of Thick Cut Bacon

2 Eggs

1 Cup Yellow Onion, diced

1/2-1 Cup Carrots, diced

2 Cayenne Peppers, diced

2 Garlic Cloves

1 1/2 TBS Fish Sauce

1 TBS Soy Sauce

2 Cup Spicy Kimchi

Kosher Salt

Garnish Ingredients

2-4 Green Scallions

2-3 TBS Cilantro

1-2 tsp Sesame oil

1-2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

2 tsp Sesame Seeds

Kosher Salt

Steps

Make the garnish:
- Finely slice the scallions, cut in half and then cut into short strips on the diagonal.
- Chop the cilantro and add with the scallions to a bowl.
- Top the greens with the sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, a pinch of kosher salt and the toasted sesame seeds. Stir to combine and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
Prepare the vegetables: dice the carrots, garlic, onion, and cayenne peppers.
Prep the kimchi. Drain the kimchi in a sieve, catching the juices in a bowl. Chop the kimchi finely. Squeeze gently in the sieve so that excess juices come out. Reserve the juices for later.
Cook the bacon. Dice the bacon. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked bacon to a small bowl or plate and set aside. You should be left with about 3 TBS of oil.
Cook the vegetables on medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and carrot to the hot bacon grease. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cook for 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic, cayenne pepper, and fish sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, being careful to not burn the garlic.
- Add the kimchi and cook, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick but not so much that it doesn’t crisp. The goal is for the kimchi to just start to crisp on the edges.
Add the eggs. When the kimchi has started to crisp, crack one egg into the pan at a time, scrambling into the mix.
Add the rice and bacon. Crumble the rice into the pan and mix. Add the cooked bacon back in, stir to combine. Cook for about 2-3 minutes to warm the rice and then remove from the heat. Drizzle with the soy sauce and reserved kimchi juice. Taste and adjust the flavors as needed.

Divide into four bowls and top with the garnish. Enjoy!

Homemade kimchi or store bought, use what works for you!

#Kitchen Acumen Tips:

This recipe is supposed to be an easy and fun way to use up leftovers. Don’t sweat it. If you don’t have fish sauce, skip it. If you forget to add the eggs, oh well! It won’t make or break the recipe.
Feel free to mix up the vegetables and add what you need to use up. Corn, bell peppers, mushrooms, even frozen succotash work nicely.
If you don’t like spice, buy a mild kimchi and skip the cayenne peppers.
If you want to make your own Kimchi give this recipe from the Kitchn a try. Note: takes at least two weeks to cure.
Making this in a cast iron pan achieves a nice crisp to the rice.