Kimchi fried rice with spam is a delightful way to use up leftover advanced kimchi and day honest-to-god rice. Add fried spam and a fry egg to take this to another level !
Kimchi fried rice with spam is a comforting korean dish made with ripe kimchi, leftover rice, and spam. It ‘s a immediate and easily korean meal that ‘s a darling in korean households.
Reading: Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam
Does Kimchi Go With Spam?
Spam pairs well with the spices and flavors of kimchi because they complement each other. They ‘re both piquant, strongly flavored, and the brightness from the kimchi cuts through the adiposity of the spam .
Spam is surprisingly democratic in South Korea because it ‘s a keepsake from the US military presence during the Korean war. As a consequence, spam made its way into several korean dishes and kimchi fried rice with spam ( called kimchi bokkeumbap ) is just one example of this .
Adding gochujang ( korean hot pepper paste ) adds a subtle bouquet that balances perfectly with the piquant bites of spam. Top it off with a cheery side up egg and let the fluid yolk add impressiveness to this dish !
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- It’s a great way to use up leftover ripe kimchi and day old rice.
- It’s versatile enough to add in other veggies and protein.
- There’s a perfect balance of flavors – salty, sweet, sour, umami. Cooking the ripe kimchi mellows out some of the sourness you get from the fermentation without losing its flavor.
- If you like spicy, this is your dish. Add extra Korean red pepper flakes or gochujang to kick up the heat!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Step by Step Instructions
- Fry the spam until it’s brown and crispy. This helps render out the fat and flavor the oil. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
- Add in the chopped kimchi, gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), and the Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru). Stir fry it together for a few minutes.
- Add in the cold, day old rice and break apart any clumps with the flat side of your spatula or spoon.
- Make sure each grain of rice is separated and coated in the kimchi and oil. This step is crucial for making a good kimchi fried rice since you want each grain of rice seasoned.
- Next, add the fried spam back into the pan and add in the kimchi juice and sesame oil. Adding the kimchi juice at this step adds a bit of brightness and fresh kimchi flavor back into the fried rice.
- At this point, taste the kimchi fried rice and see if it the flavors are balanced. If your kimchi was very ripe, it may be too sour. If that’s the case, add a bit of sugar to balance it out. If your kimchi was very mild, it may need more gochujang or a drizzle of soy sauce.
- After adjusting for taste, sprinkle on sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Top with a sunny side up egg for extra protein.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Since all kimchi varies in seasoning and spice, give your kimchi a taste to see how sour, spicy, salty it is.
- If the kimchi is too mild, add in minced garlic, ginger, and chopped onions. You can also increase the amount of Korean red pepper flakes and gochujang.
- If your kimchi is too sour, you can either balance out the flavor by adding in a bit of sugar or you can rinse your kimchi under water to remove some of the juice.
- Crisp up the spam – it flavors the oil and creates a nice crust on the spam.
- Use ripe kimchi – it adds more umami flavor to this dish. The sourness from the fermentation will mellow out from the cooking process.
- Use cold, leftover rice – day old rice is preferred when making fried rice because the grains separate easily. Avoid using warm rice since it’s very easy to mash the grains of rice together.
- Separate and coat each grain of rice with the oil and kimchi. This is the key to making a good kimchi fried rice. You want to flavor each grain of rice so that every mouthful is seasoned properly.
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of spam, you can substitute with chicken, bacon, ham, shrimp or even ground meat. If you’re using ground meat, try marinating it in equal parts soy sauce and sugar for extra flavor!
- Additional veggies: green peas, corn, or carrots. Frozen veggies work great.
- If you don’t have gochujang, you can either leave it out or substitute it with sriracha and a half teaspoon of sugar since gochujang is a sweet and spicy red pepper paste.
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
store leftovers in an airtight container and storehouse it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave for about a infinitesimal. You can besides freeze it for up to one month .
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a sunny side up egg and mix the runny yolk into the rice.
- Optional: sprinkle on some crushed toasted seaweed for more umami flavor
Frequently Asked Questions
What does kimchi fried rice taste like? It ‘s a poise between piquant, salty, slightly sour from the fermented kimchi, and tons of umami season. The gochujang adds a bite of pleasantness and extra zest to this dish.
Although ripe kimchi can be sour, cooking it in electrocute rice mellows out the flavor and creates a delightful umami relish. Can you make kimchi fried rice without gochujang? Yes ! I know a set of korean people that actually prefer it without gochujang. You can either leave it out or you can substitute it with extra kimchi juice or replace it with sriracha and a pinch of carbohydrate since gochujang is a sweet and piquant loss capsicum paste. Can you freeze kimchi fried rice? Yes ! You can keep it in the deep-freeze for up to one calendar month. memory it in a deep-freeze safe container and cover the surface with formative wrap before closing the hat. This prevents deep-freeze burn off and keeps your dish sample fresh.
More Fried Rice Recipes to Try:
More Korean Recipes:
Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam
Kimchi fried rice with spam is a delicious way to use up leftover ripe kimchi and day old rice. Add fried spam and a fried egg to take this to another level!
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Prep Time
8
mins
Cook Time
12
mins
Total Time
18
mins
Course
dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine
Asian, Korean
Servings
☑ Ingredients
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2 Tablespoons avocado oil
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2 cups ripe kimchi – drained and chopped into bite size pieces
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3 Tablespoons kimchi juice
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8 oz spam cut into ½ to 1 column inch cubes ; 8oz is about ⅔ of a tin of spam
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3 cups cooked rice – it ‘s best to use leftover cold rice
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1 teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes
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1 tablespoon gochujang – Korean red pepper paste
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1 tablespoon sesame oil
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2 stalks scallions – chopped ; for garnishee
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1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
– for garnish
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½ to 1 teaspoon sugar – optional
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4 large eggs – optional – cook cheery english up
Cook Mode
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Instructions
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Heat a pan over medium high heat and add about a tablespoon of the oil and the cubed spam. Fry the spam until it’s browned and crispy on one side and them flip it over and brown the other side. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
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Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the kimchi, gochujang, and Korean red pepper flakes. Stir fry it together for about 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add the day old rice to the pan and break up any large clumps of rice by pressing down with the flat side of your spatula or spoon. Keep stirring together to make sure each grain of rice is coated with the kimchi and oil.
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Add the spam back into the pan along with the kimchi juice and sesame oil. Stir fry everything together. Give it a taste at this point to see if the flavors are balanced. If your kimchi is very ripe, it may be too sour and may need a bit of sugar to balance out the flavors. Add ½ teaspoon of sugar if needed and taste again. Otherwise, leave out the sugar (see notes below for additional information). Remove from the heat and portion out the servings.
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Optional: Top with a sunny side up egg and garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
✎ Recipe Notes
- If your kimchi is very fermented and sour – you can balance out the flavor by adding a bit of sugar to the fried rice. Or you can rinse your kimchi under water to remove some of the juice. You can also skip adding the kimchi juice if you prefer and substitute with soy sauce if it needs extra seasoning.
- If your kimchi is mild and lightly seasoned, add in minced garlic, ginger, and chopped onions. These are all ingredients in making kimchi so add as much as you prefer. You may also need to add more gochujang and Korean red pepper flakes to give it more spice.
- If you don’t have gochujang, you can either skip it or substitute it with the following: extra kimchi juice OR sriracha sauce with a pinch of sugar since gochujang is sweet and spicy.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or keep it in the freezer for up to one month.
Nutrition
Calories:
439
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
37
g
|
Protein:
17
g
|
Fat:
24
g
|
Saturated Fat:
8
g
|
Cholesterol:
226
mg
|
Sodium:
873
mg
|
Potassium:
359
mg
|
Fiber:
1
g
|
Sugar:
1
g
|
Vitamin A:
330
IU
|
Vitamin C:
1
mg
|
Calcium:
44
mg
|
Iron:
2
mg
Tried this recipe ?Let us know how it was and give it a 5 star rating! Tag @drivemehungry to show off your creations! I love seeing your photos! *Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using on-line tools .
