Name: 1-Pan Vegan Kimchi Fried Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 green onions; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 1 ½ cup kimchi; 1 ½ cup jasmine rice (uncooked); 1 tablespoon tamari (or dark soy sauce); 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 cups water; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; 12 nori sheets (or nori flakes)

This vegan kimchi rice made with just 6 ingredients is exactly what you need on those nights when you don't feel like cooking but also don't want to order take-out. It's ready in 15 minutes, requires almost no prep, and comes together in 1 pan for a minimal dish. Plus, it's super fun to eat with nori and chopsticks.

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Not your typical kimchi fried rice
Key ingredients and substitutions
Step-by-step instructions
Hot tip: Pair it with nori strips
Storage tips
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The recipe

Not your typical kimchi fried rice

This recipe is inspired by the famous Korean kimchi fried rice. It's made with spicy, tangy kimchi (aka cabbage, raddishes, and other vegetables fermented with garlic, chili, and ginger) and leftover rice.

But let's be honest, not everyone has leftover rice sitting in the fridge and no one wants to cook and cool rice before making fried rice.

That's when this 1-pan version comes in handy. Everything cooks together, for an easy (some would say lazy) version of kimchi fried rice. It's even easier to make than my than my 1-pan cashew fried rice or Spanish rice.

I don't even add gochujang (Korean chili paste) or gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) as most kimchi is already spicy enough on its own.

Key ingredients and substitutions

Green onions: They're milder than yellow onions and easier to chop for the shortest prep time possible. Plus, the green tops make the perfect garnish with their chive-like flavor.
Kimchi: Pick your favorite store-bought kimichi, whether it's mild, spicy, or extra gingery. If you've got homemade, go for that. I like a homemade kimchi that's punchy without being too sour or overly fermented (2 week-old kimchi is usually the sweet spot for me).
Jasmine rice: It's sticky texture gives this recipe the perfect texture. If you don't have jasmine rice, make sure to use another kind of glutinous short-grain rice (not basmati rice).
Toasted sesame oil: A drizzle adds a lot of complexity and nutty flavory. But no worries if you don't have it, regular vegetable oil works, too
Tamari: This gluten-free soy sauce adds depth that you'd normally get from gochujan but without making the dish more spicy. Regular dark soy sauce works just as well if gluten isn't an issue for you.
Sugar: A little sweetness is key to balance the acidity of the kimchi. White sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar all work. Even maple syrup or agave will do the trick.
Nori: I love cutting up a nori sheet it strips and using it to scoop up the rice with chopstick (see details below) but you can also use nori flakes as a topping.

Step-by-step instructions

Sliced green onions and orange kimchi in a black cast-iron pan.

Step 1: Sauté the aromatics. Sauté the sliced scallions over medium-high heat in a large frying pan with toasted sesame oil. Then, stir in the kimchi and cook for another 2 minutes until everything smells amazing.

Dry rice and kimchi sauteeing in a black cast-iron pan.

Step 2: Fry the rice. Add the jasmine rice, tamari, and sugar to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the rice can soak up all the flavors.

Rice covered in an orange-red liquid in a black cast-iron pan.

Step 3: Simmer. Cover the rice with water, cover the pan with a lid, and let it simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed.

Orange rice topped with sesame seeds and green onions in a black cast-iron pan.

Step 4: Top and serve. Once the rice is cooked, sprinkle the sesame seeds and the green parts of the scallions on top for a simple, flavorful garnish.

Hot tip: Pair it with nori strips

Hand holding a rice stuffed inside a piece of nori sheet with black chopsticks.

There are 2 reasons you should absolutely eat this recipe with nori: 1) The sweet-salty seaweed pairs SO well with the spicy tangy kimchi rice. 2) Eating it with chopsticks makes it twice as fun.

Here's how to do it:

Stack a few nori sheets on top of each other and cut them lengthwise into long strips with kitchen scisorrs.
Then, cut these strips into smaller bite-sized pieces that you can use the scoop the rice with your chopsticks.
Put a piece of nori on the rice. Place the chopsticks on either end of the nori, pinch them together, and scoop up the rice like a mini edible shovel.