Korean Egg Roll Kimbap. A delicious seaweed rice roll stuffed with a savory ham omelette. Perfect as a meal, snack or for breakfast. A Korean recipe ready in 30 minutes with cooked rice.
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What is Korean Egg Roll Kimbap?
Korean Egg Roll Kimbap is a Korean style seaweed rice roll that contains gyeran mari, which is a rolled omelette packed with ham, carrots, garlic chives. Gyeran Mari on it's own is actually a very popular Korean side dish. Â With innovation, the Koreans took this popular egg roll and stuffed it into kimbap.Â
In general, kimbap or gimbap is a popular Korean food sold in many Korean restaurants and convenient stores. There are many variations of kimbap such as tuna mayo, spam, bulgogi, crab meat and more! Hungry students and commuters love a good kimbap roll as it's the perfect food for commuting, travel, as picnic food or in a lunch box. The version we're making today is an egg with ham version. It's savoury and so delicious especially if you love eggs! I love making this version of Korean kimbap when I have a lot of eggs in the fridge and some sliced ham.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Gim or nori: these are roasted dried seaweed sheets
- Sesame oil
- Neutral oil
Kimbap Rice
- Cooked short grain rice: aka sushi rice or calrose rice. Do not replace with long white rice, it's not sticky enough. Medium grain rice could work but it won't stick as well.
- Salt
- Sesame oil
Egg Mixture
- Eggs
- Garlic chives: or sub with green onions
- Ham: or replace with spam
- Carrots
- Salt
How to make Korean Egg Roll Kimbap
Prepare Cooked Rice
To your hot cooked short grain rice, add sesame oil and salt and mix with a rice paddle. Keep covered and warm.
Make Egg Mixture
In a glass pouring jar, beat eggs and add chopped ham, carrots and garlic chives. Season with a pinch of salt.
Pour Thin Layer of Egg Mixture
Then in a large nonstick pan set over medium low heat, lightly grease with vegetable oil and wipe any excess with a paper towel. Pour a very thin layer of the egg mixture into the pan and quickly spread it into an egg pancake by rotating the pan and using your chopsticks to spread the chopped ingredients evenly. The egg pancake should reach the edge of the pan.
Roll 75% of the Way
Pan fry until the omelette is mostly cooked and the edges lift away from the pan. Gradually roll it 75% of the way and gently flatten the egg roll with two spatulas so the layers can stick together.
Add More Egg Mixture
Push the egg roll to the midway point of the pan, then fill the pan again with another thin layer of the egg mixture. Allow this to cook until the edges lift away from the frying pan.
Finish Rolling Egg Pancake
Then roll it all the way through.
Mold the Egg Roll into a Round Shape
Transfer to the rolled egg to a sushi roller. Roll it tight to mold it into a circular log. Set aside. Repeat this process until you have 3 egg rolls.
Assemble Kimbap
On a bamboo mat or sushi mat (or use plastic wrap set on a cutting board), place your a sheet of nori horizontally rough side up, shiny side down. Evenly spread 1 cup of seasoned rice leaving a ½ inch border at the ends.
Position Egg Roll & Roll Away
Place the egg roll in the center of the rice.
Begin rolling it away from you until you reach the end.
Allow the Kimbap to Rest
Once it’s rolled, set aside so the bottom of the seaweed sticks to the rest of the kimbap.
​Brush Sesame Oil
Brush sesame oil onto the kimbap and a sharp knife.
Slice & Enjoy
Slice it into 8 pieces. Repeat process for remaining two rolls. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Storage & Reheating
This dish is best consumed immediately or same day. However if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and to reheat, microwave for a few minutes. Or dip the kimbap in beaten egg and pan fry until golden until the rice is warmed through.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh warm rice or you may use day old rice (that has been stored in an airtight container) and reheat in the microwave.
- Finely chop your ham, garlic chives and carrots. This is so important to ensuring that your egg roll doesn’t fall apart.
- Add all the omelette ingredients into a large measuring cup or a cup with a lip. This will ensure a cleaner more efficient process when you pour the omelette into the hot pan.
- Use a non-stick pan. This is crucial for your egg kimbap.
- Only pour a thin layer of the omelette into the pan. This will give you a perfectly cooked omelette that will be easier for you to roll.
- Once you see that the omelette has formed a crispy edge, begin rolling.
- Use two spatulas to help you roll and flatten the omelette so the roll sticks.
FAQ
What is kimbap vs sushi?
Kimbap originates from Korea and usually contains cooked ingredients and the gim is brushed with sesame oil and garnished with sesame seeds. On the other hand, sushi comes from Japan and is stuffed with mostly raw ingredients and sometimes cooked ingredients. The nori is not seasoned with sesame oil or sesame seeds.
What's the difference between kimbap and gimbap?
Kimbap and gimbap are the same Korean dish featuring a seaweed rice roll. The only difference is in the spelling.
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📖 Recipe
Korean Egg Roll Kimbap
Ingredients
- 3 sheets gim or nori
- 9 large eggs
- ½ cup garlic chives finely diced
- â…” cup ham finely diced
- ¼ cup carrot finely diced
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1.5 teaspoon sesame oil
Rice:
- 3 cups cooked short grain rice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- To your hot cooked short grain rice, add sesame oil and salt and mix with a rice paddle. Keep covered and warm.
- In a glass pouring jar, beat eggs and add chopped ham, carrots and garlic chives. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Then in a large nonstick pan set over medium low heat, lightly grease with vegetable oil and wipe any excess with a paper towel.
- Pour a very thin layer of the egg mixture into the pan and quickly spread it into an egg pancake by rotating the pan and using your chopsticks to spread the chopped ingredients evenly. The egg pancake should reach the edge of the pan.
- Pan fry until the omelette is mostly cooked and the edges lift away from the pan. Gradually roll it 75% of the way and gently flatten the egg roll with two spatulas so the layers can stick together.
- Push the egg roll to the midway point of the pan, then fill the pan again with another thin layer of the egg mixture. Allow this to cook until the edges lift away from the frying pan. Then roll it all the way through.
- Transfer to the rolled egg to a sushi roller. Roll it tight to mold it into a circular log. Set aside. Repeat this process until you have 3 egg rolls.
- On a bamboo mat or sushi mat (or use plastic wrap set on a cutting board), place your a sheet of nori horizontally rough side up, shiny side down. Evenly spread 1 cup of seasoned rice leaving a ½ inch border at the ends.
- Place the egg roll in the center of the rice. Begin rolling it away from you until you reach the end.
- Once it’s rolled, set aside so the bottom of the seaweed sticks to the rest of the kimbap.
- Brush sesame oil onto the kimbap and a sharp knife.
- Slice it into 8 pieces. Repeat process for remaining two rolls. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Ellie
Made this for a quick lunch for my toddler and they were a HUGE hit! I just made mini versions using the snack pack size seaweed you can buy. I had the left overs my self and it was perfect 👌
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Ellie! I am so happy they were a huge hit for you and your toddler!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I loved your idea to use pork belly. That would be so tasty good!