Name: Gochujang Korean Fried Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. sesame or avocado oil; 1 lb. lean ground beef (85% lean preferably); 1 red pepper (diced); 1 onion (diced); 8 oz. mushrooms (sliced); 2 eggs; ¼ cup chopped cilantro; ¼ cup sliced green onion; 3 cups day old cold cooked rice with any rice clumps broken up into smaller pieces (rice should be drier texture, not mushy); 1 teaspoon sesame seeds; 1 tsp. minced ginger; 2 tsp. minced garlic; 3 T packed coconut sugar (or brown sugar); 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari; 1 tsp. sesame oil; 1 Tbsp. gochujang (or more if you want it spicier); 1 Tbsp. mirin

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This one-pan Korean Fried Rice recipe is loaded with ground beef, fresh veggies, fluffy rice, and egg tossed in a delicious Gochujang sauce. It’s full of umami flavor with a hint of sweetness and a little punch of heat! You’ll have a fully-loaded, flavorful fusion style Korean meal that is better than any restaurant takeout, on your table in just 30 minutes.

Chopsticks in a bowl of Korean fried rice.

This recipe will take your day-old rice to new heights! This Korean-style fried rice has everything you need for a hearty lunch or dinner- from the savory beef, meaty mushrooms, crunchy peppers, rice, and scrambled eggs all doused in a bulgogi style soy-sesame gochujang sauce.

Keep this quick and easy recipe in your back pocket for hectic weekday meals, when you’ve got leftover rice and odds and ends to use up. I specialize in 30-minute dinner recipes and this is one that I love to whip up. So full of flavor and surprisingly delicious plus it’s loaded with veggies in a way that adds to the dish’s overall flavor and texture.

You can enjoy it on its own or as a filling for guchujang lettuce wraps for the ultimate meal. I like serving it alongside some spicy kimchee but it’s delicious on it’s own too. This Gochujang Korean fried rice has all the elements you need for a compete meal so there’s no need for sides.

Skillet of fried rice next to a bowl of kimchee and two servings of the Korean rice in small white bowls.

Ingredients you need for gochujang Korean fried rice

This is the perfect dish to use up day-old rice or even leftover rice from takeout! The sauce is made of easy to find ingredients. Here’s the list of ingredients and possible substitutions:

Oil– you can use sesame, avocado, or any other neutral flavored high-smoke point oil you like best.
Ground beef– use 85% lean to get juicy, tasty beef that is not too greasy. You can use lean if you prefer (90-95%) but you may need to add more oil. If you prefer, you can use ground bison, ground turkey, chicken, pork, or pork belly chunks instead of beef but keep in mind you may need to adjust seasoning if making this swap.
Vegetables– you will need red pepper, onion, mushrooms, cilantro, and green onions for this recipe. You can add or replace these with other veggies like green beans, peas, napa cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, bok choy, or spinach. If using longer cooking veggies like carrots, make sure to cut them thin so they cook as quickly as everything else.
Eggs– add flavor and make the dish heartier and more filling.
Rice– use up day-old cooked rice. In fact the rice NEEDS to be old and dry since fresh rice will just stick and not sear. I normally use leftover jasmine rice or another short-grain rice but medium-grain rice or even long-grain varieties like basmati work fine. Using brown rice adds extra nutrition too. because they cook up drier and are not mushy.
Sesame seeds– for pops of nuttiness and crunch. You can use toasted sesame seeds to add a smoky undertone.

Bowls of uncooked ingredients to make gochujang Korean fried rice

For the sauce

Ginger– freshly grated or just use prepared ginger in a jar to cut a few minutes out of your prep time.
Garlic – as with the ginger, fresh is best but jarred garlic is fine too.
Coconut sugar – you can also use coconut sugar or even honey or agave syrup to give it a deep, caramel-like sweetness.
Soy sauce or reduced sodium tamari– adds that rich umami flavor. Using Tamari makes it gluten free and you can even substitute for coconut aminos if you prefer.
Sesame oil– this authentic flavor and the oil helps with the overall texture of the dish. Use toasted sesame oil for a more pronounced flavor. If you don’t have sesame oil, substitute for avocado oil and if you don’t have that, just leave it out.
Gochujang– this Korean fermented red chili paste adds a hint of spice and traditional Korean flavor. I only used 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, but you can add more if you want it spicier. You used to have to go to Asian markets to find this but it’s at most local grocery stores now. The one I linked to is gluten-free but most brands aren’t so keep that in mind if you need that. If you don’t have it you can use some garlic chili sauce or another Asian hot sauce but might need to adjust the amount.
Mirin– this rice wine is used various types of Asian dishes to add a touch of sweetness and depth of favor. If you don’t have it, you can substitute cooking sherry or another very dry white wine or leave it out.

How to make it

Once you have prepared all the ingredients, it will take only take you 20 minutes to cook this one pan Korean fried rice. This is a quick and easy recipe that you will make again and again for sure!

Preparations:

Wash and chop the veggies.
Whisk eggs together with a fork.
Break up rice clumps with your hands until you they are loose and fluffy.
Make the sauce by whisking all sauce ingredients together.

Steps for cooking the fried rice

Cook and season the beef in a large skillet over medium heat in a tablespoon of avocado oil, breaking it up as it cooks. Pour half of the sauce in to make sure each bite of beef is full of flavor! Remove beef and set aside.
Sauté onions and bell peppers at increased medium-high heat.
Add mushrooms and when they are done cooking, push to the side to make room for the rice.
Cook the rice in more oil flipping it over after a few minutes to get it nice and crispy.
Break the rice up and stir in with the veggies, pushing over to the side to make room for the eggs.
Add the eggs and let them cook before breaking up into pieces and stirring into the rice mixture.
Add the cooked beef and remaining sauce and stir to let the flavors meld.
Garnish each finished dish top with cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Variations of Korean fried rice

Use Kimchi. Kimchi fried rice is an authentic recipe you’ll find in Korean restaurants. I find the tangy flavor it adds absolutely delicious and I’m not even a huge kimchi lover! Add kimchi while cooking or on top when serving. To add when cooking, drain kimchi juice and stir kimchi into vegetables during the last minute of cook time before pushing it to the side of the skillet to add the rice.
Try it with a sunny side up fried egg to the top of the rice. Skip the scramble step.
Make it kid-friendly by chopping the veggies smaller so they won’t notice them as much and just use whatever veggies they prefer. My daughter likes it with pineapple and carrot! Also reduce the amount of Korean chili paste to make it less spicy and just add chili crisp oil, sriracha, or Gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes) to your portion after serving if you’re craving extra heat.
Gluten-free. To make it gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten-free gochujang and Tamari instead of soy sauce

chopsticks holding up bite of veggies and rice with sesame seeds and food in background

Pro tips

Recipe Tips

Since this is a quick stir-fry recipe, make sure all the ingredients are prepared before you start cooking.
The oil has been enough every time I’ve made this but some pans will cause more sticking. If your rice is sticking to the bottom of the pan, you may need to add more oil to get a good fried rice texture. You can also use a spatula with a thinner edge for scraping and flipping the rice.
Rice has to be from the previous day and dry, not mushy. Cold rice makes the best fried rice, just make sure to break up any clumps. Fresh rice is too sticky and won’t get crispy.
Use a large skillet or wok since it gives more surface area for the ingredients to sear instead of steaming. This is how you get that extra flavor from caramelization.

Make Ahead and Leftover Storage

Once the Gochujang fried rice has cooled down, you can transfer it to an airtight container. You can keep it stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, reheating leftovers in the microwave or stovetop in a pan with a little bit of oil. You can sprinkle a little bit of water on top to revive it if the rice has become too dry.

It freezes well too! If freezing, use a freezer safe container with most of the air removed. Store in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and then heat in the microwave or stovetop. It isn’t the same as fresh but holds up surprisingly well after freezing.

For meal prep, you can do the chopping and prep the sauce up to 2 days in advance. Just store the vegetables and herbs in airtight containers in the refrigerator with the sauce in a separate container.

Gochujang Korean Fried Rice