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Fried rice with kimchi topped with green onion in a white bowl with a black and white patterned background

weeknight kimchi fried rice

This fried rice is easy and on the table in 20 minutes, start to finish. Kimchi packs in the flavor, making this an easy weeknight go-to for when you just don't want to cook.
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Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 3 cloves garlic sliced thinly
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup kimchi and its juices chopped if not already in bite-sized pieces
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 2 cups leftover refrigerated rice
  • 1/4 cup frozen peas
  • 3 green onions sliced thinly
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prep your ingredients. Chop the onion and carrot and slice the garlic and green onion. Beat the eggs and gather the other ingredients. Things will move fast once you start cooking!
  • Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it starts to get crispy and brown at the edges, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the onion and carrot and sauté until starting to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add the kimchi and juices and cook 2-3 minutes, until the juices have stopped bubbling and the kimchi is warmed through.
  • Move everything to one side of your skillet or wok and add the beaten egg, constantly stirring and shifting the egg around the open space until it is cooked through and is in small pieces. Mix everything together once the egg is cooked.
  • Add the rice and cook, gently breaking up the clumps, until no clumps remain, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and stir to coat everything. Cook for a minute or so and add the peas and green onion. Give everything a stir and cook until the peas are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper if you’d like. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

Notes

  1. You can find kimchi in most grocery stores, usually in the refrigerated health food section. You can also easily make your own!
  2. I used bacon fat instead of a neutral oil, and it added a welcome smokiness. Try it if you have bacon fat on hand!
  3. Use leftover, refrigerated rice. It’s drier and firmer than freshly made rice, which keeps your fried rice from being a soggy mess of mush.
Keyword fried rice, kimchi fried rice, weeknight