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Meat, East Asian

Pork kimchi fried rice

Pork kimchi fried rice is a Korean stir fried rice with kimchi, pork, and egg, for 4 people, ready in 25 minutes, very easy, at €2.40 per serving. The key is cold, day old rice that fries without clumping, and kimchi cooked long enough to caramelize and lose its raw sharpness.

Tonight's quick, pork kimchi fried rice, stir fried rice with kimchi and pork, topped with a runny egg, ready in twenty minutes.

Pork kimchi fried rice
Total time
25 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€2.40
Calories per person
680 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring, Summer
The kids
They generally like it

Kimchi fried rice is the classic Korean way to use up leftover rice and a jar of well fermented kimchi. The pork turns crisp at the edges, the kimchi softens into something smoky and sweet as it caramelizes, and the fried egg on top coats every grain once you break the yolk. Nothing exotic to source, everything comes from a regular grocery store.

This is the dish for a weeknight when you have neither the time nor the energy for a long cooking session, one pan does the whole job. Kids tend to love fried rice, and they can control how much kimchi goes on their plate if they prefer it milder. It's also a smart way to use up leftover rice and a kimchi jar that's starting to turn properly sour.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Cold cooked riceoften in the pantry 600 g
  • Ripe kimchi 250 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Sesame oil 1 tbsp
  • Sesame seedsoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Vegetable oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp

Butcher

  • Fresh pork belly 200 g

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Scallion 2 sprigs

Allergens Eggs, Soy, Sesame, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the pork belly into small cubes and the kimchi into pieces, finely slice the onion.

    Save a little kimchi juice, it flavors the rice.

  2. Cook the pork in the vegetable oil until well browned. 6 min

    Sear the pork before adding anything else, otherwise it just boils.

  3. Add the onion and kimchi and stir fry over high heat. 5 min

    Cook the kimchi until it caramelizes and loses its sharp acidity.

  4. Add the crumbled rice, soy sauce, and sesame oil, then stir fry while breaking up any rice clumps. 6 min

    Spread the rice across the bottom of the pan and let it sit undisturbed for a moment to brown.

  5. Fry the eggs in another pan, place one on each plate with the sesame seeds and scallion. 3 min

    A nicely runny fried egg replaces a sauce, the yolk coats all the rice.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a well aged kimchi, fermented for at least two weeks, it tastes more complex once cooked than a fresh batch.
  • Don't add extra salt beyond the soy sauce, the kimchi and pork already bring plenty.
  • Use a wide skillet or a wok, spreading the rice in a thin layer so it actually browns instead of steaming.

The variations

  • Swap the pork belly for diced firm tofu for a vegetarian version, sear it well so it browns properly.
  • For a faster version, skip the browning step and use precooked bacon bits instead of fresh pork.
  • For kids sensitive to spice, rinse the kimchi briefly before chopping it, it keeps the flavor with less heat.

What to serve it with

  • Light miso soup
  • Vinegared crunchy cucumber
  • Green tea or sparkling water

Storage

Keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, without the egg. The fried rice freezes well for up to 1 month, reheat it in a hot pan with a little oil. Cook the fried egg fresh right before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can you make this with freshly cooked rice?

It's not recommended, warm, moist rice clumps and turns mushy in the pan. Rice cooked the day before, cold and slightly dry, separates easily while frying.

Can you use a different cut instead of pork belly?

Yes, bacon bits or diced pork shoulder work just as well. The key is having some fat that renders while cooking to flavor the rice.

Can you prep this ahead of time?

You can cook the fried rice ahead and reheat it in a pan right before serving. Fry the egg at the last minute so the yolk stays runny.

Is kimchi essential to this dish?

Yes, it's what gives the dish its identity, the tang, the heat, and the fermented depth. Without it, you'd just have plain pork fried rice, a different dish entirely.

How long does it take to make a pork kimchi fried rice?

Count 25 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a pork kimchi fried rice?

About 680 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a pork kimchi fried rice cost?

About €2.40 per serving, or €9.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, soy, sesame, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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