Kimchi Sausage Fried Rice

Kimchi Sausage Fried Rice features scrumptious short-grain rice stir fried with kimchi, bratwurst sausage, gochujang and aromatics with a crispy fried egg on top and roasted seaweed.

It's an easy fried rice dish made with simple ingredients with minimal effort and little time! Kimchi fried rice is a classic dish in Korean cuisine that conveniently uses up leftover rice and ingredients in the fridge making it great for busy weeknights.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.

• Cooked Short-Grain Rice: ideally leftover cold rice for fluffy fried rice. Or substitute with cold cooked jasmine rice. Avoid using glutinous sticky rice because it'll be too sticky.
• Well-fermented Kimchi: the older the better as it'll be tangier and more flavorful.
• Sausage: ideally bratwurst sausage. Avoid using Italian sausages as the flavors don't compliment this dish as well as plain sausages. Or substitute with breakfast sausage, diced ham or spam, bacon or sliced chicken, beef or pork.
• Shallot: or substitute with ¼ cup diced onion.
• Fresh Garlic
• Gochujang paste: a Korean red chili paste made of red chili flakes, fermented soybean paste, glutinous rice and salt. It's a thick red sweet and spicy paste that comes in a red tub sold at many Korean grocery stores in the sauce aisle varying levels of spice from mild to hot.
• Kimchi juice: from the kimchi jar or package. I recommend buying the kimchi in a plastic package or in large plastic containers because it contains more kimchi juice.
• Sesame oil: for that nutty flavor! If you're allergic to sesame, omit it.
• Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or any heavy scented oils with a low smoke point.
• Sesame seeds: optional garnish. If you're allergic, omit it.
• Fried Egg: this is a non-negotiable when it comes to kimchi fried rice. The runny egg takes the dish to another level!
• Korean seaweed flakes: this is highly recommended even though it's optional. Most Korean grocery stores sell this ingredient in different flavors so pick what you enjoy! I like the soy and/or sesame flavored kind. Or substitute with nori strips or crushed seaweed snack.

Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check Amazon.

Expert Tips

• Use well-fermented kimchi or older kimchi for that tangy taste. To check if kimchi is well-fermented, the cabbage will look red and less white and more tender than crunchy.
• Cut the kimchi in a bowl with clean scissors so you don't stain your cutting board red.
• Prepare the ingredients in advance because the cooking process is fast!
• Use cold day-old rice for fluffy fried rice because the excess moisture causes for soggy fried rice that clumps together.
• Break up the leftover rice with a spatula to expose the separate grains because allows the grains will toast better in the pan.
• If you're making fresh rice for this recipe, use a few tablespoons less water to steam the rice. Make sure to also dry it out by referring to the instructions below in the FAQ section.
• Use medium-high heat for the best fried rice. This temperature toasts the rice and prevents moisture from building in the pan.
• Don't skip the fried egg on top unless you're intolerant to egg! It truly takes kimchi fried rice to the next level.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make sausage kimchi fried rice:

1. First heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Then fry chopped sausage, shallot, garlic and kimchi. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until sausage is cooked through. Push everything to the side of the pan.
2. Next add rice, gochujang paste, and kimchi juice. Then break up the rice and toss everything together until the rice is colored red. Drizzle sesame oil on top. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
3. Then in the same pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and fry each egg sunny side up or easy-over until edges are crispy and the whites are set but the yolk is still runny. Remove and transfer on top of the fried rice.
4. Lastly garnish fried rice with sesame seeds and Korean seaweed flakes. Enjoy hot!

Storage

• Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
• Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing kimchi fried rice because we're using short-grain rice which tends to turn hard even after reheating.

Pairing Suggestions

Sausage kimchi fried rice serves well with Korean side dishes or banchans like:

• kimchi
• Korean cucumber salad
• beansprout salad
• zucchini fritters
• gamja jorim
• Korean spinach
• japchae
• gyeran mari
• fish cake stir fry
• chamchijeon (tuna pancakes)