Kimchi Fried Rice w/ Spam and Fried Egg

I recently learned how to make kimbap (Korean seaweed rice rolls) and discovered that adding spam to Korean food is very common (and even authentic, according to my Korean friend)! As a spam lover, this was one of the most exciting food revelations shared! I thought about other Korean dishes I've attempted (or at least a fusion version of), and I immediately thought of kimchi fried rice.

In the past, I've made this with pork belly (see recipe here). I repurposed my recipe and replaced with spam instead. Honestly, I appreciate and enjoy both versions. However, I'm more likely to have a can in my pantry than pork belly! This bowl of kimchi fried rice was so comforting!

Kimchi Fried Rice w/ Spam and Fried Egg

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice

• 3/4 can of low sodium spam (cut into small cubes)

• 1/4 onion (diced)

• 3 garlic cloves (minced)

• 1/4 cup carrots (cubed or shredded)

• 1 cup kimchi (chopped), with liquid

• 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 1/4 tsp sugar

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 eggs

• Salt, to taste

• Optional: Sesame seeds (for garnish)

• Optional: scallions (finely sliced) (for garnish)

Directions:

• Rinse rice with water, drain, and cook according to the directions on packaging. Set aside.

• In a small to medium bowl, mix together kimchi, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Set aside.

• Heat up olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Add carrots and spam. Mix all ingredients and cook for about 4-5 minutes (or until vegetables are softened and spam cubes are slightly browned).

• Lower heat to medium low. Add in about half of the cooked rice. Then add kimchi mixture. Add remaining rice and evenly mix together all ingredients. Turn off stove and transfer to serving plates.

• In a separate large pan, heat up olive oil on medium high heat. Carefully crack in each egg (separately, without them touching). Fry until edges are crisp and yolk texture is to your liking. Add over serving of fried rice.

• Add a pinch of salt to each plate. Optional: Garnish with scallions and/or sesame seeds. Enjoy!