Kimchi and Spam Fried Rice Recipe

This satisfying fried rice is not the high-heat stir-fry you might expect, featuring cubes of SPAM® Less Sodium, kimchi, gochujang paste and sesame seeds. A bowlful of this fried rice recipe accompanied by a fried egg is a delicious Korean-inspired snack or quick meal.

☑ INGREDIENTS

▢2 Tablespoons avocado oil
▢2 cups ripe kimchi - drained and chopped into bite size pieces
▢3 Tablespoons kimchi juice
▢8 oz spam - cut into ½ to 1 inch cubes; 8oz is about ⅔ of a tin of spam
▢3 cups cooked rice - it's best to use leftover cold rice
▢1 teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes
▢1 Tablespoon gochujang - Korean red pepper paste
▢1 Tablespoon sesame oil
▢2 stalks scallions - chopped; for garnish
▢1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds - for garnish
▢½ to 1 teaspoon sugar - optional
▢4 large eggs - optional - cooked sunny side up

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a pan over medium high heat and add about a tablespoon of the oil and the cubed spam. Fry the spam until it's browned and crispy on one side and them flip it over and brown the other side. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the kimchi, gochujang, and Korean red pepper flakes. Stir fry it together for about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the day old rice to the pan and break up any large clumps of rice by pressing down with the flat side of your spatula or spoon. Keep stirring together to make sure each grain of rice is coated with the kimchi and oil.
4. Add the spam back into the pan along with the kimchi juice and sesame oil. Stir fry everything together. Give it a taste at this point to see if the flavors are balanced. If your kimchi is very ripe, it may be too sour and may need a bit of sugar to balance out the flavors. Add ½ teaspoon of sugar if needed and taste again. Otherwise, leave out the sugar (see notes below for additional information). Remove from the heat and portion out the servings.
5. Optional: Top with a sunny side up egg and garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

RECIPE NOTES

• If your kimchi is very fermented and sour - you can balance out the flavor by adding a bit of sugar to the fried rice. Or you can rinse your kimchi under water to remove some of the juice. You can also skip adding the kimchi juice if you prefer and substitute with soy sauce if it needs extra seasoning.
• If your kimchi is mild and lightly seasoned, add in minced garlic, ginger, and chopped onions. These are all ingredients in making kimchi so add as much as you prefer. You may also need to add more gochujang and Korean red pepper flakes to give it more spice.
• If you don't have gochujang, you can either skip it or substitute it with the following: extra kimchi juice OR sriracha sauce with a pinch of sugar since gochujang is sweet and spicy.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or keep it in the freezer for up to one month.