Chef Kim’s kimchi fried rice is spicy, delicious comfort food made right. Learn the right ingredients, ratios, and techniques to use for the best fried rice you’ve ever had.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 2 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups day-old, cooked white rice; or use any leftover white rice
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, divided
- 1 bunch Chinese chives
- 1 medium onion
- 4 ounces beef fillet, sirloin or wagyu
- 1 wedge napa cabbage kimchi; or use store-bought
- 1 large egg, plus 1 additional egg, optional
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 scallion, green and white parts, thinly sliced into rounds
Instructions
- Rice: You will need day-old, cooked white rice (freshly made rice has too much moisture and will stick to the pan). Start by spreading freshly cooked rice on a tray to let it cool and dry out, 15 minutes. Divide cooked, cooled, and dried rice into 1-cup portions; store individually in zip-top plastic bags and freeze until ready to use. When you’re ready to cook, place 2 cups frozen rice in a bowl; put on rubber gloves, and pour 1 tablespoon oil onto your gloved hands. Then crumble the rice in the bowl so the kernels separate and absorb the oil. Set aside.
- Ingredient prep: Dice Chinese chives; place in a bowl and set aside. Peel and trim onion, then finely dice so the pieces are the size of a rice kernel; place in a bowl and set aside. Dice beef into small cubes; place in a bowl and set aside. Place kimchi on a flat surface. Cut away and discard the core and separate the layers; then spread out the kimchi and dice. (Kimchi dice should be larger than other ingredients.) Place in a bowl and set aside.
- Fried rice: Preheat a wok over high heat until it starts to smoke, 7–10 minutes. While the wok is heating, preheat a small cast-iron skillet to cook the eggs, 1-2 minutes. When the skillet is smoking, add ½ tablespoon oil. Crack egg into skillet, season with a pinch of salt, and take skillet off the heat to finish cooking, 2 minutes. (Optional: If you want an egg for each serving, repeat with second egg and more oil.)
- When the wok is smoking, add 1 tablespoon oil and the beef. Season with a pinch of salt. Do not toss or stir, so the beef can sear on one side, 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the onions and 1 cup of the kimchi; toss for 30 seconds. Push the mixture to one side of the wok and add the rice, flattening it gently against the bottom of the wok; season the rice with salt, and allow to rest, 30 seconds. Flip kimchi mixture on top of the rice and let the rice cook for 1 minute; then add about half of the chives. After about 30 seconds, a light crust will form on the bottom of the rice (similar to socarrat in paella); when it does, vigorously toss and mix the fried rice, moving the wok around and breaking up rice clumps with your spatula, 30 seconds.
- Move the fried rice to one side and tilt the wok; add the soy sauce by letting it trickle down the side of the wok and pool at the bottom. Allow it to reduce by ⅔; then mix everything together until thoroughly combined. Add sesame oil, most of the sesame seeds, and half the scallions; toss and mix until combined.
- Remove wok from heat and transfer fried rice to a serving bowl. Top with fried egg, garnish with additional scallions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 2 servings |
| Calories | 1201 |
| Total Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 163 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Cholesterol | 217 mg |
| Sodium | 1423 mg |