Korean Fried Rice is a flavorful, one pot meal that you can make in minutes for that weekday dinner when you are in a hurry.
The older I get, the more I like to try different cuisines. There is a phethora of foods out there from the many countries in this world and although my world is small, I like to get the range of ethnic foods a try. I am blessed to live in a part of the country that is quite diverse so I probably have a lot more varieties than a lot of places but still there is so much more out there.
I really enjoy Korean food lately (Kimchi is the exception). The Koreans dishes use such a variety of meat and vegetables. And who doesn’t like eggs? The spicy and the sweetness that comes from there dishes are a perfect balance. And I have to say, most of the dishes are pretty quick and easy to make. Korean Fried Rice is one of those dishes.
What is Fried Rice?
Fried Rice is a Chinese dish of cooked rice, vegetables, aromatics (garlic and/or ginger) , meat and/or egg and soy sauce.
Korean Fried Rice is obviously not a Chinese dish but it is a spicy Korean influenced meal. In this recipe, I make a soy based sauce using not only soy sauce but sesame oil, sugar and gochujang sauce.
What is Gochujang sauce?
Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste made from rice, fermented soybeans, red chili pepper and salt. It is intense in flavor so I suggest using a small amount while cooking. The sauce I use is the perfect blend of spice and sweetness.
What Do You Need to Make Korean Fried Rice?
You will need a large skillet or wok, spatula, cutting board, knife, measuring cup (for liquids and solid), measuring spoons, whisk, large bowl, and the following ingredients:
Mama Fawn’ Tips. . .
- Season to taste with extra soy sauce, if desired.
- I used jasmine rice but feel free to use any rice you have on hand, except minute rice.
- You can substitute cole slaw mix for the carrots/cabbage. Use three cups of it.
- Have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before you begin cooking.
- Make sure you have a very large skillet or wok for this dish.
- You can substitute ground beef for this dish.
- If you prefer ground chicken or turkey for this dish, you will have to add a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil to the pan before frying the rice.
- Day-old cooked rice is the best for this dish.
- If you want a spicier fried rice, add an extra tablespoon of the gochujang sauce.
- Mince the ginger finely, you don’t want to eat large chunks in your fried rice.
Korean Fried Rice
Course: DinnerCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy4-6
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp gochujang sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp sugar
1 lb ground pork
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
½ c. onion, chopped
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cup shredded cabbage
3 cups cooked rice
3 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vegetable oil
Directions
- In a small glass measuring cup, mix soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil and sugar. Set aside
- In a large skillet, (or wok) cook ground pork, mushroom, and onion over medium high heat until pork is no longer pink, (breaking up the pork) and the vegetables are soft.
- Add the minced ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the shredded carrot and cabbage and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Stir occasionally.
- With a slotted spoon or spider, remove the meat and vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Set aside. Do not remove fat or liquid from the skillet.
- Add the cooked rice to the remaining fat and fry for a few minutes, breaking up any clumps, until the rice has absorbed the fat.
- Slide the fried rice to the sides of the pan, leaving a well in the middle of the pan. Add the vegetable oil. Pour in the beaten eggs, and mix until cooked soft. Combine the rice and egg until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the meat and vegetable mixture to the pan and combine until well mixed.
- Pour over the soy sauce mixture and mix well. Enjoy!
I’m not an Asian food fan, but I must admit Korean Fried Rice was really tasty. I ate it along with a slice of your cheese quiche (I know…egg overload 😋). So good!!