Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice (2023)

Kimchi fried rice is on another level. Made without meat, this dish is bursting with flavor and is perfect for customizing. It requires just 15 minutes, making it the perfect dish for busy evenings.

I’m a huge fan of rice dishes for multiple reasons. They’re hearty and filling, but they’re also simple and very versatile. Add your favorite vegetables to a nice, warm bowl of rice, and you have a complete meal!

When done well, fried rice can be an incredibly flavorful dish. And kimchi fried rice? Well, that’s on another level! By adding kimchi to fried rice, you’re left with a dish that’s unlike your standard rice meal. Kimchi adds an element that you simply cannot find anywhere else! It has completely changed the rice game for me.

If you’re unfamiliar, kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish that’s both spicy and sour. It adds the perfect amount of zing to many different recipes. On top of being delicious, kimchi is quite healthy. It’s filled with probiotics and is a great source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate!

Follow this recipe to make the perfect kimchi at home.

Ingredients for vegetarian fried rice

As with most stir fry recipes, this kimchi fried rice requires a longer list of ingredients than some of my other recipes. But, have no fear! All of the required ingredients are simple and easy to locate. You won’t be searching your grocery store for obscure items, I promise!

• Oil: Oil will be used to cook the veggies. If preferred, feel free to use butter instead.
• White Onion: We’ll be using about ½ of a chopped onion. I like white, but red will work too!
• Garlic: Minced garlic cloves will add flavor to this delicious combo.
• Kimchi: This dish isn’t complete without the kimchi! I used this easy recipe to make my kimchi from scratch.
• Vegetables: Feel free to get creative and use your favorite vegetables! I’m using frozen peas and carrots, but many different options will work.
• Rice: Rice provides the oomph in this recipe. Use your favorite type! I’m using white.
• Kimchi Juice: Kimchi juice will add some extra kimchi flavor to this dish.
• Eggs: We’ll be using 2 eggs for this recipe. If you’d like to add extra protein, feel free to add another egg or two.
• Soy Sauce: Soy sauce gives this dish the perfect dash of saltiness!
• Toasted Sesame Oil: Similarly, toasted sesame oil provides the final touch of flavor.

This fried rice is made without meat (pork or spam are often used), and is perfect for vegetarians. Leave out the egg, and it’s vegan-friendly! If you’re looking for a low carb rice idea check out my cauliflower fried rice.

How to make fried rice

Vegetarian fried rice with kimchi is an incredibly easy dish to prepare. It only consists of four different steps. In total, this dish only requires 15 minutes, making it great for even the busiest of week nights! I love to make this dish when I don’t feel like cooking and need something that’s quick, easy, and filling.

Step 1: Prep the base
First, in a large wok, heat oil or butter over medium/high. Next, add onion and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Then, add the kimchi and the veggies, cooking until the veggies are cooked through. This first step creates the bulk of the flavor.

Step 2: Add the rice
Next, add the rice and kimchi juice, stirring to evenly coat. Continue cooking until the rice is warm.

Step 3: Cook the eggs
Make a hole in the middle of the rice so you can see the bottom of the pan. Then, crack the eggs in the hole and cook them until scrambled, then stir to evenly combine with the rice.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy
Lastly, stir in soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve warm.

Tips for making kimchi fried rice

There are a few tips that will help take your rice to the next level! Be sure to incorporate these tricks for the best kimchi friend rice.

Use cooled rice: The recipe card reads cooled rice, and for good reason! Cooled rice fries infinitely better than rice that’s straight out of the pot. When it’s cooled, it’s able to soak up the butter or oil and brown up perfectly. When it’s still warm, the rice gets clumpy and just doesn’t work nearly as well. After cooking, give your rice a solid 30-40 minutes in the fridge. To save time, you can even cook it the day before!

Be generous with the veggies: My recipe calls for one cup of veggies, but feel free to use as little or as much as you’d like! After all, extra veggies have never hurt anyone!

Use just the right amount of soy sauce: You don’t want to overdo the sauce. Too much, and your dish will be too salty, and that’s never good. Therefore, if your dish becomes brown, you’ve used too much! By rule of thumb, 2 tbsp should be just right.

Use a large skillet: I recommend using a large skillet so that everything can cook evenly and at one time. Plus, this will speed up your cooking process!

Heat the pan first: Before you add the contents of your fried rice, you should have the pan prepped, heated, and ready to go. If you cook at a medium temperature, your rice will take longer to cook, which can actually cause it to overcook and get mushy.

Try these tasty kimchi dishes!

I am all about kimchi lately. I love the flavor. I love the health benefits. I love everything about it! If you’ve found that you love kimchi as much as I do, you’ve got to try these kimchi recipes.

• Kimchi Bibimbap
• Udon Noodles with Kimchi
• Kimchi Fries
• Tempeh Tacos with Kimchi

P.S. This fried rice is great with crispy tofu in this Fried Rice Meal Prep!