If you’re looking to transform your leftovers into a spectacular new weeknight meal, you’re going to love this Korean-inspired BBQ Pork Fried Rice with kimchi. Made with fewer than 10 ingredients and ready in under 40 minutes, this cheap and easy gochujang fried rice recipe has a perfect balance of spicy, bright flavors all wrapped up in a deliciously carb-y package.

Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Spicy Kimchi & BBQ Pork Fried Rice Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make BBQ Pork Gochujang Fried Rice
- Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Expert Tips
- Storage Instructions
- Serving Suggestions
- FAQs
- More Recipes To Stretch Your Meat
- BBQ Pork Fried Rice With Kimchi & Gochujang
- 💬 Reviews
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Kimchi & BBQ Pork Fried Rice Recipe
Now that the weather is steadily rising, we’ve been grilling up a storm. But meat isn’t cheap, so we stretch it where we can. Inexpensive grains and legumes are one of my favorite ways to make a filling, flavorful meal out of very little meat. (Remember my single-steak chili?)
After making my Hawaiian pineapple and pork chop sliders last week, we had a single leftover BBQ pork chop that I wanted to transform into a full meal for two very hungry adults. This easy pork fried rice recipe came to the rescue.
All it took was a few pantry staples and a quick spell in the wok to yield 4 heaping helpings of this pork kimchi fried rice. And y’all? It was SO GOOD. This kimchi rice hits all the right fiery, umami, comforting notes, and will definitely be in our permanent rent week rotation.
Aside from being the perfect bowl of goodness to tuck into after eating a few adult gummies, this BBQ pork fried rice recipe is also:
- Quick & Easy - Spend 15 minutes (max!) prepping your meat and setting up your mise en place, then quickly stir-fry this BBQ fried rice to perfection. Dinner will be on the table in 35 minutes or less!
- Budget-Friendly - Magically transforming a single pork chop into a meal that’ll fill 4 bowls is the ultimate act of thrifty dinner alchemy. I personally paid a little more than $1 per serving to make this easy pork fried rice — and that’s counting the leftover pork chop.
- Easily Customizable - Don’t eat pork? Swap in leftover chicken. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, there’s an easy fix for that, too. Need to make it gluten-free? I’ve got you covered! Read on below for tons of ideas to make this meal work for you and your family, no matter your needs or preferences.
- Perfect For Meal-Prep - Any meal whose crux is using leftover ingredients is a winner in my book. If you’ve got plain cooked rice and some meat in the fridge, you’re ready to rock n’ roll!

Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, most of the ingredients you’ll need for this kimchi fried rice with pork are pantry staples. Here’s what to grab:

- Cooked White Rice - If possible, opt for short grain, starchy rice. Otherwise, any cooked rice will do the trick.
- Butter - For rich flavor that coats every grain of kimchi rice goodness.
- Yellow Onion - You’re also welcome to use white or red onion, or swap in shallots.
- Kimchi & Kimchi Juice - I friggin’ LOVE kimchi. For the uninitiated among you, this spicy fermented cabbage is a traditional Korean dish. It’s inexpensive to buy, lasts for ages in the fridge, and is a surefire way to add big flavor to anything it touches.
- BBQ Pork Chop - Feel free to use pork tenderloin, grilled chicken breast, or even fried chicken instead. Alternatively, pressed firm or extra firm tofu would also be tasty here.
- Soy Sauce - For salty, umami goodness. You can also use tamari, coconut aminos, or Bragg’s liquid aminos instead.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - For rich, nutty flavor. If you don’t have any, Tahini makes a great substitute for the flavor and fat.
- Gochujang - This spicy-smoky-sweet Korean hot sauce is an utter delight. Feel free to dial it up or down depending on your family’s heat preference. Sriracha or sambal oelek are great swaps if you don’t have any gochujang on hand. You can also look to your spice cabinet for dry gochugaru instead.
Optional Toppings
Feel free to bulk up your bowl with extra flavor boosters. Here are some of our favorites:
- Fried Eggs - Adding an egg with a runny yolk gives the kimchi rice extra protein and heft. Plus, an egg turns this fried rice into a totally acceptable breakfast that just so happens to be my preferred hangover cure.
- Gochujang, Sriracha, or Chili Garlic Paste - For adding an extra pop of fiery flavor. Gochujang is my preference here since it pairs so naturally with the kimchi, but any Asian hot sauce like sriracha or sambal oelek will also do the trick. You’re also welcome to drizzle on some spicy-sweet BBQ sauce if you’re inclined!
- Toasted Sesame Seeds - If you like a little crunch and some visual appeal, toasted sesame seeds are the way to go.
- Chopped Scallions - Use both the whites and the greens for the best mix of flavor and flair. PRO TIP: slice the whites horizontally, then rotate the greens 45 degrees to get pretty oblong pieces.
- Cilantro - I like to pick off all the leaves, then finely chop the flavorful stems to get the absolute most from my produce.
- Nori Furikake - This delectable Japanese condiment-meets-spice blend is always in my pantry, ready to flavor up some popcorn or add flavor to my canned tuna “sushi” bowls. If you love seaweed and sesame seeds, it’s right up your alley.
How To Make BBQ Pork Gochujang Fried Rice
This quasi-Korean fried rice comes together in a flash. Here’s how:
Step 1: Sauté Onions in butter over medium heat until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.


Step 2: Add kimchi and kimchi juice to skillet, cooking for about 3-4 minutes until kimchi begins to sweat. Add pork and cook until warmed through and juices are mostly evaporated.


Step 3: Add rice to skillet, breaking up the grains. Stir to coat, then continue cooking until all sauce is absorbed.


Step 4: Add sauces. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and Gochujang. Adjust seasoning as necessary — soy sauce for salt, sesame oil for toasted nutty flavor, kimchi juice for umami funk, gochujang for sweet heat.

Step 5: Continue to cook, stirring only occasionally, until parts of rice become browned and a little crispy.

Step 6: Assemble the bowls, adding any toppings you prefer. Enjoy!

Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
As much as we love this BBQ pork and kimchi fried rice just the way it’s written, there are plenty of ways to customize it to suit your preferences. Here are a few ideas to get your creative wheels turning:
- Gluten-Free - Opt for tamari or coconut aminos and double-check that your BBQ pork is gluten-free.
- Soy-Free - Coconut aminos or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos are both soy-free options to use in place of soy sauce.
- Extra Veggies - Have some extra veggies languishing in the fridge? Feel free to add them to bulk up your meal even more. Some good options include shredded or finely diced carrots, frozen peas, and chopped, cooked broccoli florets. You could also add some small cubes of pineapple for a fun Korean-Thai fusion.
- Korean Steak Fried Rice - Feel free to use any leftover steak from these Korean-inspired tacos instead of pork.
- Chicken Kimchi Fried Rice - Chicken is a perfect swap for the pork. I personally prefer using dark meat like BBQ chicken thighs since it doesn’t dry out as easily as breasts.
- Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice - Skip the pork entirely for a vegetarian meal. (Go a step further and swap the butter for a plant-based alternative to make it vegan.) You’re welcome to keep things simple with just the onions and kimchi, or you can feel free to replace the pork with pressed and cubed firm tofu and/or extra veggies.

Expert Tips
- If you’re in a rush and don’t have any cooked rice, you can buy a few cartons at your favorite local Asian takeout restaurant. They generally run about $1/cup, so more expensive than making it yourself, but not terrifically spendy either.
- If you like to rely on your pantry like I do, consider keeping a few bowls or bags of 90-second microwaveable cooked rice on hand. It works perfectly in recipes like this!
- You can also make starchy rice yourself and quickly cool it on a parchment-lined sheet pan. This will add about 30-ish minutes to the total time from start to finish, but only about 2 minutes of active cooking time.
- Make sure you have all your ingredients ready to go. Once you start stir-frying, the process goes very quickly.

Storage Instructions
Let the fried rice cool down to room temperature before storing it to prevent condensation from forming and making the rice mushy. Transfer the fried rice to an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag, making sure to label and date it. It should keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you plan on freezing the rice, use a freezer-safe bag, pressing out as much air as possible to prevent oxidation and freezer burn. Freeze it flat for easy storage, then store it upright like a book. It should keep well for 2-3 months in the coldest part of your freezer.
I think it’s easiest to reheat fried rice in the microwave or on the stove. To reheat in the microwave, cover the container with a damp paper towel and zap in 45-second increments, stirring between each for even heating. To reheat it on the stove, add a little oil or water to the pan and stir-fry the rice until it is heated through.
Please note that you can get quite ill from improperly reheating rice, so make sure it hits 165F to prevent any foodborne illness!

Serving Suggestions
While Joe and I will happily devour this Korean-inspired BBQ pork fried rice as a standalone meal, there are several other ways to approach it. Here are some of our favorites:
- Add a fried egg (or scramble an egg and add it at the end of cooking) for extra protein. In my book, this makes it a delightful breakfast fried rice, perfect for soaking up last night’s regrets.
- Wrap it up in a giant tortilla with black beans and cheese for a delightful, handheld fusion meal.
- Serve it alongside some Korean fried chicken and donuts for a feast fit for kings. Bonus points if your chicken and breakfast pastries come from Federal Donuts in Philly.
- Wrap it up in lettuce cups with a dollop of extra gochujang and a sprinkling of scallions.
FAQs
We usually get a giant portion from Costco because I’m fully obsessed. If you don’t have a Costco membership, you still have options. These days, larger, well-stocked grocery stores like Publix or Kroger should carry at least one brand of kimchi. Look in the refrigerated section near where they carry tofu.
You can also try international or Asian grocery stores where you should be able to choose from a relatively wide range of brands. As a last resort, more expensive specialty shops like Whole Foods should also carry it.
You can also always try your hand at making your own! Just make sure you have a closed cabinet somewhere to store it — it can get pretty funky smelling, much like brewing your own kombucha.
Healthy might be a *bit* of a stretch since there is a full stick of butter in here. That said, I have exactly zero problem eating fried rice as a meal every once in a while! As with everything, moderation is key.
Well, aside from BBQ pork chops, other cooked meats like ham, bacon, pork tenderloin, chicken breasts, or chicken thighs are all delightful. I’ve also made fried rice with leftover steak, and while it’s not super traditional, it is quite delicious.
"Need" is a strong word. I personally suggest adding gochujang, especially if you like spicy foods. But the kimchi and its juice add a big wallop of flavor, so you can totally get away with not adding it. You can also feel free to use an alternative hot sauce like sriracha instead.

More Recipes To Stretch Your Meat
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BBQ Pork Fried Rice With Kimchi & Gochujang
Ingredients
- 4 C Cooked White Rice preferably short grain
- 1 stick Butter
- ½ Yellow Onion diced finely
- 1 ½ - 2 C Kimchi chopped
- ¼ C Kimchi Juice or to taste
- 1 BBQ Pork Chop cooked and diced finely
- 1-2 tablespoon Soy Sauce or Tamari
- 1-2 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil Tahini is an acceptable substitute
- 1 tablespoon Tahini optional. I ran out of Sesame Oil after a tablespoon and used this as a replacement for flavor and fat.
- 1-3 tablespoon Gochujang depending on heat preference
Optional Toppings
- Fried Eggs
- Gochujang, Sriracha, or Chili Garlic Paste
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Chopped Scallions
- Cilantro
- Nori Furikake
Instructions
- Melt butter in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sautee until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add kimchi and kimchi juice to skillet, cooking for about 3-4 minutes until kimchi begins to sweat. Add pork and cook until warmed through and juices are mostly evaporated.
- Add rice to skillet, breaking up the grains. Stir to coat, then continue cooking until all sauce is absorbed. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and Gochujang. Adjust seasoning as necessary - soy sauce for salt, sesame oil for toasted nutty flavor, kimchi juice for umami, gochujang for sweet heat.Continue to cook, stirring only occasionally, until parts of rice become browned and a little crispy.
- Assemble bowls, adding any toppings you prefer. We ate ours with a sunny side up egg, sriracha, nori furikake and sliced green onions. And then we did it all over again for breakfast with the leftovers. Because breakfast fried rice is the bee's knees.
Notes
- Gluten-Free - Opt for tamari or coconut aminos and double check that your BBQ pork is gluten-free.
- Soy-Free - Coconut aminos or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos are both soy-free options to use in place of soy sauce.
- Extra Veggies - Have some extra veggies languishing in the fridge? Feel free to add them to bulk up your meal even more. Some good options include shredded or finely diced carrots, frozen peas, and chopped, cooked broccoli florets. You could also add some small cubes of pineapple for a fun Korean-Thai fusion.
- Korean Steak Fried Rice - Feel free to use any leftover steak from these Korean-inspired tacos instead of pork.
- Chicken Kimchi Fried Rice - Chicken is a perfect swap for the pork. I personally prefer using dark meat like BBQ chicken thighs since it doesn’t dry out as easily as breasts.
- Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice - Skip the pork entirely for a vegetarian meal. (Go a step further and swap the butter for a plant-based alternative to make it vegan.) You’re welcome to keep things simple with just the onions and kimchi, or you can feel free to replace the pork with pressed and cubed firm tofu and/or extra veggies.
Mackenzie says
I just whipped up a batch of your BBQ Pork Kimchi Gochujang Fried Rice, and it was an absolute flavor explosion! The combination of kimchi and gochujang with the BBQ pork is genius. I may try it with leftover chicken next time!
Ash, The Grocery Addict says
I love the chicken idea! Let me know how it turns out!!