Kimchi Garlic Chili Rice (Printable)
Spicy Korean-style fried rice with tangy kimchi, garlic, and crispy scallions. Quick and satisfying.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Rice
01 - 2 cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably day-old and chilled
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
02 - 1 cup napa cabbage kimchi, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons kimchi juice
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
05 - 1 medium carrot, diced
06 - 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
07 - 1 red chili, thinly sliced (optional, for extra heat)
→ Sauce & Seasoning
08 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste)
10 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Eggs
13 - 2 large eggs
→ Oil
14 - 3 tablespoons neutral oil (canola or vegetable), divided
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the white parts of the sliced scallions and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant and just softened.
02 - Add the minced garlic and diced onion to the pan. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently, until the onion turns translucent and the garlic is aromatic.
03 - Stir in the diced carrot and cook for approximately 2 minutes, tossing occasionally, until just tender but still retaining a slight bite.
04 - Add the chopped kimchi and sliced red chili if using. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to release the kimchi's tangy aroma and deepen the flavors.
05 - Push all vegetables to one side of the pan, creating an open space. Crack the eggs into the empty area and scramble until just set, then fold them through the vegetable mixture. Omit this step for a vegan preparation.
06 - Add the cold jasmine rice, breaking apart any clumps with a spatula. Drizzle in the reserved kimchi juice, soy sauce, gochujang, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing vigorously, until every grain is evenly coated and heated through.
07 - Taste the fried rice and adjust with additional soy sauce, gochujang, or black pepper as needed to balance the savory, spicy, and tangy elements.
08 - In a separate small pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the green parts of the sliced scallions and fry for 1 to 2 minutes until crispy and lightly charred. Transfer immediately to a paper towel to drain.
09 - Mound the hot fried rice into bowls or onto plates. Top generously with the crispy fried scallion greens and additional fresh chili slices if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The tangy punch of well aged kimchi transforms ordinary rice into something you would pay good money for at a restaurant.
- It comes together in under thirty minutes with ingredients that last forever in your fridge.
- Those crispy scallions on top will ruin you for plain garnishes forever, and I am not exaggerating.
02 -
- Do not skip the day old rice step because fresh rice holds too much moisture and will steam instead of fry, leaving you with a clumpy mess.
- The kimchi juice is liquid gold in this recipe, so tip the jar carefully and pour every last drop of that tangy brine into the pan.
03 -
- Your wok or skillet needs to be genuinely hot before anything goes in, because a pan that is merely warm will steam the rice instead of frying it, and that is the difference between takeout quality and disappointment.
- A tiny drizzle of sesame oil right at the very end, off the heat, blooms the flavor in a way that adding it during cooking never will.