Looking to spice up your fried rice game? Say hello to Spam and Kimchi Fried Rice with Radish (스팸 깍두기 볶음밥)! This dish combines the savory flavor of Spam with the tangy flavor of kimchi, but wait, the texture of radish kimchi also creates a delicious bite of flavors that will have you coming back for seconds!
In case you didn’t know, you can make kimchi fried rice with endless variations to suit your needs.
This version uses pantry staple Spam and radish kimchi, known as kkakdugi! I opted for radish kimchi over the typical napa cabbage variety to maintain the diced appearance of the dish. Plus, the delicious crunch of radish adds an extra bonus!
Suggestions and choices
- Rice: Using day-old rice is key to getting the best texture, as freshly cooked rice is too wet and can make the dish soggy. However, you can make it work with freshly cooked rice too. Simply spread the rice on a large plate and let it cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. This method has worked for me every time.
- Make it your own: I chose Spam and radish kimchi for this version of kimchi fried rice and they work really well. Other popular protein alternatives include bacon and canned tuna. For a fancier flavor, you can use diced sirloin or ribeye. Likewise, if you don’t have radish kimchi, you can use regular kimchi. However, I recommend trying the fried rice with kimchi and radish kimchi sometime!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice (short-grain rice, such as sushi rice)
- 1 cup radish kimchi (kkakdugi), use slightly aged ones, such as those aged for 3 to 4 weeks, and cut them into smaller cubes if they are large.
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (such as rice bran oil, canola oil)
- 20 g green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (such as Kikkoman brand, naturally fermented, or Korean yangjo ganjang)
- 2 tablespoons kimchi juice (ideally from a container of radish kimchi, but if you don’t have enough, you can use juice from your regular napa cabbage kimchi)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (such as raw sugar or brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- (optional) 2 eggs, sunny side up
- (optional) sesame seeds and seaweed strips for garnish
*1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 cup = 250ml
** If you want to know more about Korean ingredients, check out my list of essential Korean ingredients.
*** The cooking technique of this recipe is inspired by the famous Korean chef Baik.
Instructions
1. Prepare your ingredients: Start by cutting up the radish kimchi and dicing the spam. If the rice is freshly cooked, spread it on a large plate or tray and let it cool and dry for about 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. This helps prevent it from becoming mushy when fried.
2. Cook the green onion and spam: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the green onion and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add the diced spam and cook until golden and crispy.
3. Cook Kimchi: Add the chopped kimchi and sauté for another 2-3 minutes to release its flavor.
4. Add soy sauce, kimchi juice, sugar, gochujang and water. Mix well.
5. Combine the ingredients: Add the cooked rice to the pan, breaking up any lumps with the spatula. Distribute the rice evenly in the pan. Cover with lid and sizzle until the moisture has evaporated from the rice and the bottom of the rice has become a little crispy.
6. Season and garnish: For a finishing touch, drizzle with sesame oil and mix well. Serve in a wide-sided serving bowl. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and seaweed strips on top and add the egg sunny side up. Enjoy!
More delicious fried rice recipes
Below are some of my fried rice recipes that I think you will like. Try them soon!
Do you like Korean food? Explore our site for more authentic Korean recipes, including how to create the perfect Korean BBQ at home or other simple Korean recipes. Plus, never miss a new recipe by signing up for our newsletter and join us in celebrating Korean cuisine!
- 2 cups cooked rice (short grain rice, such as sushi rice)
- 1 cup radish kimchi (kkakdugi), use lightly cured types, such as those aged 3 to 4 weeks, and cut them into smaller cubes if they are large.
- 100 G Spam cut into cubes similar in size to radish kimchi
- 1 table spoon cooking oil (such as rice bran oil, canola oil)
- 20 G green onions sliced thinly
- 1 table spoon I’m willow (like the Kikkoman brand – natural beer, or the Korean yangjo ganjang)
- 2 table spoon kimchi juice (ideally from a container of radish kimchi, but if you don’t have enough, you can use the juice from your regular napa cabbage kimchi)
- 1 table spoon sugar (such as raw sugar or brown sugar)
- 1 table spoon gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1/4 cup waterfall
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 egg sunny side up (optional)
- sesame seeds (optional)
- strips of algae (optional)
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Prepare your ingredients: Start by chopping the radish kimchi and dicing the spam. If the rice is freshly cooked, spread it on a large plate or tray and let it cool and dry for about 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. This helps prevent it from becoming mushy when fried.
-
Cook the green onion and spam: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the green onion and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add the diced spam and cook until golden and crispy.
-
Cook the kimchi: Add the chopped kimchi and sauté for another 2-3 minutes to release its flavor.
-
Add soy sauce, kimchi juice, sugar, gochujang and water. Mix well.
-
Combine the ingredients: Add the cooked rice to the pan, breaking up any lumps with the spatula. Distribute the rice evenly in the pan. Cover with lid and sizzle until the moisture has evaporated from the rice and the bottom of the rice has become a little crispy.
-
Season and garnish: For a finishing touch, drizzle with sesame oil and mix well. Serve in a wide-sided serving bowl. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and seaweed strips on top and add the egg sunny side up. Enjoy!
Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 58G | Protein: 18G | Fat: 27G | Saturated fat: 7G | Polyunsaturated fats: 5G | Monounsaturated fats: 14G | Trans fats: 0.04G | Cholesterol: 199mg | Sodium: 1563mg | Potassium: 484mg | Fiber: 2G | Sugar: 8G | Vitamin A: 407UI | Vitamin C: 3mg | Soccer: 71mg | Iron: 3mg
The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.
