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Kimchi Bokkeumbap (김치볶음밥)

Rice & Porridge

Kimchi fried rice, best with a fried egg on top.

Korean name
김치볶음밥
Spice level
Medium
Flavor
spicy · savory
Typically contains
egg
Vegetarian / vegan
Sometimes — vegetable-forward, but anchovy broth, fish sauce or meat garnish is common. Ask first
Typical price
₩7,000–₩10,000 per person checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know
Beginner-friendly ●●●●○ Solo dining ●●●●● Kid-friendly ●●●○○
Also written as
kimchi fried rice, kimchi bokumbap, kimchi bokkeumbap

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

Kimchi Bokkeumbap (김치볶음밥)

What is Kimchi Bokkeumbap?

Kimchi-bokkeumbap is the dish Koreans cook when the fridge is 'empty' — old kimchi, cold rice, whatever protein exists, fried hard and crowned with a runny egg. It's the unofficial final exam of Korean home cooking: three ingredients, no recipe needed, endlessly personal.

How to eat it

  1. Break the fried egg and mix the yolk through before eating.
  2. Good versions have slightly crisped rice at the bottom — scrape for it.
  3. Eat with extra kimchi on the side anyway; that's not redundant, that's Korean.

Cooking it at home

  1. Fry chopped sour kimchi (and spam/pork if using) in oil first — this step makes or breaks it.
  2. Add day-old rice, press and fry rather than stir constantly; season with a little kimchi juice and sesame oil.
  3. Top with a fried egg and crumbled gim.

Good to know

  • Fresh kimchi and fresh rice both work against you — sour kimchi, dry rice.

The canonical use of samgyeopsal-pan leftovers: fry the rice in the rendered pork fat.

Nutrition

Calories167 kcal
Carbohydrate15.74 g
Protein5.32 g
Fat9.18 g
Sodium470 mg

Per serving (~330g): ≈551 kcal · sodium ≈1,551 mg (78% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 330g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 볶음밥_김치, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.

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