I think most people can say they’ve had fried rice at some point in their lives. It is just one of those dishes that I automatically equate with a good Chinese takeout. There have been countless renditions and re-makes, however, this kimchi version stands out.
The addition of kimchi and bacon adds completely different layers of flavor to a classic fried rice. Kimchi is a Korean fermented cabbage full of tangy, sour and spicy flavors. It can be found in most grocery stores, I found mine at Whole Foods and there were tons to choose from. It is usually near the sides of the produce area!
Bacon also takes this dish up a notch by adding salty, smoky flavor. Little bites of crispy bacon offset the soft cabbage. The bacon fat which I do not drain, helps to really fry the rice and permeate the rice with its flavor.
This dish is completely flexible, any vegetables or protein options of your choice could be added. This is just a starting base so don’t be afraid to get creative and really tailor it to your tastes.
The whole dish comes together in less than 20 minutes, making it perfect to a last-minute weekday dinner. Everything is cooked in one pan with the exception of the sunny side up eggs. However, if you didn’t want a sunny side up egg, you could add the eggs to the same pan as the rice and scramble them!
Kimchi Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Jasmine Rice cooked
- 3 Slices Thick Cut Bacon cut into lardons
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Cup Kimchi
- 3 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
- 4 Eggs
Instructions
- In a a medium size frying pan over medium heat add the bacon lardons. Cook until the fat has rendered and they are crispy. Add in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Next, add the cooked rice, sesame oil, soy sauce, kimchi and salt to the pan. Fry everything for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
- In a medium frying pan over med-low heat add a tbsp of olive oil. Once melted crack in one egg at a time and cook until the egg white has whitened and is no longer runny and the yolk is uncooked (about 3 minutes).
- Serve the rice topped with the sunny-side up egg and sprinkled with scallions.