Fried rice is one of my go-to formulas for a quick and easy dinner. It’s always easy to make, super customizable, delicious, and comes together in a flash. I have a zillion and one different ways of cooking up fried rice, from classic vegan fried rice to pineapple fried rice, but vegan kimchi fried rice is one of my absolute favorites. Kimchi packs a real flavor punch, so it always turns out delicious! Traditional kimchi fried rice recipes generally include a fried egg, which we’re obviously not going to use here. Instead, I’ve worked in some pan-fried tofu for protein, along with some baby bok choy for texture variation. You could absolutely leave either one out for a simpler dish (say, if you’re just serving it as a side), or switch things up by using your favorite stir-fry veggie and/or plant-based protein, like seitan or tempeh in place of the tofu.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Napa cabbage kimchi. Make sure you’re using vegan kimchi. Many brands contain anchovy paste or fish sauce. Mother In Law’s makes a vegan variety that’s nice and spicy and carried by my local supermarket. You can also use homemade vegan kimchi. Gochujang. This is a spicy Korean fermented chili paste. It will add so much flavor to the dish! Look for it in the international section of your supermarket, or in an Asian market. Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos will also work. Toasted sesame oil. This should also be available in the international aisle of the store. Peanut oil. You could substitute just about any neutral high-heat oil here. Vegetable oil, canola oil, and avocado oil will all work fine. Tofu. I’m using super-firm tofu, which is easy to work with and requires minimal prep. Extra-firm tofu will also work, but will need to be pressed first. Learn how to press tofu here. Onion. Garlic. Cooked rice. Leftover rice that’s at least a day or two old works best. This is because rice dries out while its being stored in the fridge, and slightly dry rice crisps up better when fried. Just about any variety of rice will work, but I’m partial to jasmine rice for this particular recipe. Baby bok choy. Regular bok choy works as a substitute if needed. Or substitute your favorite greens, keeping in mind that tougher greens might take a few more minutes to cook, while more tender greens will cook faster. Scallions. Also known as green onions. Toasted sesame seeds.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by roughly chopping and measuring out your kimchi. Squeeze the kimchi to remove excess juice as you measure it. Transfer the juice to a small bowl. Now add the gochujang, soy sauce, and sesame oil to the bowl with the kimchi juice. Stir it up. This is your sauce.
Pan-fry your tofu next. Heat some oil in a wok or nonstick skillet, then add your tofu cubes in an even layer. Cook the tofu pieces for a few minutes on each side, until they’re golden brown and crispy. Transfer them to a plate when they’re done.
Add some more oil to the wok, give it a minute to heat up, then add diced onion. Cook the onion for just a couple of minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook it with the onion for about one minute, until it becomes very fragrant.
Now add your kimchi. Keep cooking everything over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring the mixture frequently, until the kimchi starts to dry up a bit.
Crank up the heat. We want our wok to be very hot when we stir-fry our rice. Add your rice to the wok. Your rice should be cold when you add it, straight from the fridge. Now add the baby bok choy and your sauce to the skillet.
Start flipping everything with a spatula. Make sure to mix it up well! Keep cooking and flipping the mixture over high heat. After a few minutes the rice should start to dry up and crisp in spots. It’s done cooking when you’ve got lots of crispy bits. The baby bok choy should have wilted by this point as well. Return the tofu to the wok or skillet and flip everything a few more times to incorporate the tofu into the mixture.
Take the skillet off of the burner and sprinkle your vegan kimchi fried rice with some chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
Serve and enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan kimchi fried rice will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Vegan Korean Recipes
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