Kimchi bacon fried rice is comforting and full of flavors yet incredibly easy to whip up in under 15 minutes. This mildly spicy fried rice will be your go-to dish on busy days!

Incorporating kimchi into my food is one of my favorite ways to cook. It is versatile with so much flavor that I can keep the seasonings to a minimum. It has the sourness, saltiness, umami, and the plenty of garlic chili flavor that gives a perfect amount of kick.

This recipe can be made in a single pan, requires only 5 ingredients, and is also a great way to use up leftover rice in the fridge!

Jump to:

• Best Rice for Fried Rice
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice
• Extra Seasoning
• How to Store Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice
• More Quick & Easy Rice Recipes...
• Recipe

Best Rice for Fried Rice

You may have heard that it’s always good to use rice that is a day or two old. This is because freshly cooked rice has too much moisture to make fried rice, making the dish soggy and sticky.

However, if you are cooking some rice for this purpose, try cooking rice with slightly less water than usual. It will do a perfect job. Also, some rice cookers have a measuring line that says ‘sushi rice’ which guides you to add less water.

This applies to whether you are using short grain rice (such as Japanese or Korean brand) or longer grain rice (jasmine, basmati).

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Sesame oil
• Bacon
• Kimchi - ripe kimchi will have more intense flavor! If you are using long kimchi, make sure to chop into a bite size pieces.
• Cooked rice - short or medium grain preferred such as Japanese or Korean brand
• Large eggs

Optional toppings:

• Scallions
• Chili threads
• White toasted sesame

How to Make Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice

This fried rice is just so easy to make! Here are the simple steps.

1. Bacon + kimchi - Cook the bacon in a large pan, then add in the kimchi as well.

2. Add in the rice - Stir fry over high heat until the kimchi and bacon are well distributed into rice.

3. Add in the egg - Make a space on the edge of the pan. Pour in the eggs and whisk to make scrambled eggs.Once the eggs are semi-cooked, mix into the fried rice.

*See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

Extra Seasoning

Although the bacon and kimchi themselves give so much flavor already, you can adjust with extra kimchi juice (add 1-2 teaspoons at a time), salt and pepper.

How to Store Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice

Cooked fried rice can be refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Microwave or cook on the stovetop again to reheat.

This fried rice can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To avoid the kimchi smell spreading in the freezer, make sure to store in an airtight container or cling wrap tightly.

Recipe