weeknight kimchi fried rice

This kimchi fried rice checks all the boxes for me — it’s tasty, on the table in 20 minutes (including ingredient prep time!), and uses leftovers. This is my go-to when I don’t feel like cooking. If I’m making rice, I always make a little extra so I can have some on hand for fried rice. Don’t feel like cooking? Don’t worry — this easy meal is here for you.

ingredients

• Neutral oil like avocado, canola, or vegetable allow us to fry garlic and sauté vegetables without imparting any flavor.
• Thinly sliced garlic gets crispy and and adds crunchy texture and packs flavor into each bite.
• Onion helps us build layers of flavor in this fast-cooking meal.
• Carrot adds texture and flavor.
• Kimchi and its juice star in this dish and elevate it from regular fried rice (which is great, too!)
• Beaten eggs add a little bit of protein.
• Leftover, refrigerated cooked rice is drier than freshly cooked fried rice, so the grains separate and work better for fried rice.
• Frozen peas add pops of texture and green to the dish.
• Green onions add some of the flavor you expect from a fried rice.
• Soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt and pepper add flavor and color to this meal.

how to make weeknight fried rice

step one

First things first: prep your ingredients! Chop the onion and carrot and slice the garlic and green onion. Beat the eggs and gather the other ingredients, making sure everything is easily available. Once you start cooking, things move quickly!

step two

Next, crisp up the garlic slices. You’ll cook the garlic in oil in a wok or large skillet over medium to medium-high heat until it starts to get brown at the edges. Then, you’ll add the onion and carrot and sauté until they start to soften.

step three

Then, you’ll move everything to one side of the skillet or wok. Make sure the empty space has plenty of oil on it so the egg doesn’t stick. Add the beaten egg, constantly stirring and shifting it around the open space until it’s cooked through and is broken up into tiny bits. As soon as the egg is cooked, mix everything back together.

step four

Add the rice and cook, breaking up the clumps until none remain. Then, add the soy sauce and sesame oil, stirring to coat everything. After cooking for a bout a minute, add the frozen peas and green onion and cook until the peas are warmed through. Finally, give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy!

tasting 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.

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 mins

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