Kimchi Fried Rice with Bacon

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With tangy, spicy, kimchi and smoky, crisp bacon, this Kimchi Fried Rice with Bacon and eggs is an Asian-American inspired dish packed with strong flavors, but easy enough to pull together on a busy weeknight. Ready in under 45 minutes!

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How I came to make this easy and fast Kimchi fried rice recipe

On a recent visit to the 9th wonder of the grocery world, known as H Mart, I picked up a big basket full of amazing ingredients- one of which was a jar of Country-Style Premium Kimchi with Oyster.

After going back and fourth on a number of recipe ideas for my new jar of goodness, I decided on using the kimchi for a fried rice. Rice is such a sponge for flavor- making it the perfect pairing for this tangy, sour, and spicy kimchi.

To up the ante in flavor town, I also decided to add bacon into the mix. Next, I tossed in some basic aromatics, a little miso, some rice vinegar, and a few eggs- and finished off the pan of crispy goodness with fresh herbs and scallion.

The result was an easy, ultra-satisfying fried rice with “out-of-bounds” (my Guy Fieri references know no bounds…yes, that was another one right there) flavor and a crispy/creamy texture. It’s great as a meal all by itself, or as a side to compliment a meaty main dish like Korean BBQ beef.

What goes into the spicy Kimchi fried rice with bacon and eggs?

To make the fried rice, you will need:

• Cooked, chilled (or leftover) white rice.
• Kimchi. I used oyster kimchi, but any of your favorites will do the trick!
• Bacon, chopped into small pieces.
• An onion.
• Some fresh garlic cloves.
• A few eggs. (Plus more if you plan to top the fried rice with a gooey fried egg.
• Canola oil, or another neutral oil, such as avocado oil.
• Toasted sesame oil.
• Low-sodium soy sauce.
• Rice vinegar.
• Miso paste.

This recipe comes together very quickly, and works best with day old or leftover rice. If I know I’m making this for dinner, I plan ahead. I’ll cook the rice the night before so it’s ready to go the day of.

Looking for more Asian Inspired Recipes?

Why not try my Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice, Mongolian Beef Ramen Egg Rolls, Chicken Cashew Stir Fry, or Oven Baked Veggie Tempura Sushi Bowls!

Tips for making fried rice easy and stress-free:

Make sure all of your ingredients are prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

Once you get going with cooking the Kimchi fried rice with bacon and eggs, you will have very little time for any prep without risking burning something. Make sure all ingredients are washed/chopped/peeled etc, before you even turn on the burner, and your fried rice will be smooth sailing.

Cook ingredients in batches, and have a big bowl handy.

Since you’ll be cooking ingredients in stages, it’s important to have somewhere to put things as they cook. I like the keep a large metal mixing bowl right beside the pan so I can easily transfer cooked ingredients to the bowl as I go.

Use leftover rice, or cook your rice in advance.

For fried rice, you’ll want to use leftover rice, or rice cooked a few hours prior that has had time to chill in the fridge. Hot, fresh cooked rice will not crisp up as well when frying.

Serving suggestions for the Kimchi fried rice with bacon and eggs

To serve this Kimchi fried rice, I like to sprinkle the top with thinly sliced scallion, cooked bacon and cilantro leaves. If I’m looking to make the dish extra indulgent and delicious, I’ll top it with a sunny side up fried egg, and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. It’s also delicious with a bit of Sriracha mayo!

Print Recipe

Kimchi Fried Rice with Bacon

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Dinner

Keyword: bacon, fried rice, kimchi

Servings: 8

Equipment

• Food Processor (optional)

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked, chilled (or leftover) white rice
• 12 oz kimchi (I used oyster kimchi)*
• 6 strips bacon, cut into 1/4” strips
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced thinly
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, divided (see instructions)
• 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp miso paste

Garnish

• fresh cilantro leaves
• thinly sliced scallion
• reserved crumbled bacon

Instructions

• Add kimchi to food processor and pulse until finely chopped/pureed, or roughly chop.

  2. Set a large bowl close to your stovetop/workstation.

  3. Heat a large, deep frying pan or wok over medium-low heat and cook bacon, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

  4. Remove all but 2 tbsp bacon fat from the pan. Add onions, and cook over medium-low heat until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Remove to bowl.

  5. Add eggs to pan and scramble, 1-2 minutes until just set, and remove to bowl.

  6. Turn heat up to medium-high, and add 1 tbsp canola and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil to the pan. Add cooked rice, and spread into an even layer. Fry rice over medium-high until crisp, 2-3 minutes. Flip the rice over (it’s OK if it breaks up, you just want to brown both sides) and cook the other side an additional 2-3 minutes until crisp and well browned.

  7. Once rice is crisp, stir in sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  8. Add the eggs and onions back in to the pan.

  9. Add the kimchi, reserved 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, miso paste, and soy sauce to the pan.

  10. Stir to combine all ingredients well and spread into even layer.

  11. Cook, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook 2-3 minutes more.

  12. Garnish with thinly sliced scallion, fresh cilantro leaves, and crumbled bacon.

*Notes/Substitutions:

I used a Country-Style Oyster Kimchi I picked up at H Mart for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite prepared kimchi!

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