A protein-forward weeknight dinner that’s easy and delicious: Kimchi Pork Rice Bowl! All you need is pork, kimchi, and rice to make a complete meal. Finish with Korean touches (green onion, perilla leaf, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a fried egg) to make it extra special!
What is a Kimchi Pork Rice Bowl?
When I want an easy Korean dinner, I make Kimchi Pork Rice Bowls. A Korean-inspired rice bowl made with kimchi, pork, and rice. These simple ingredients combine to make a tasty and easy weeknight dinner in 15 minutes.
Spicy, savory, and quick. This is the kind of dinner I like to make when I have kimchi, a package of pork in the fridge, and absolutely no desire to spend an hour cooking.
In Korean cuisine, kimchi and pork go well together. The fatty richness of pork balances the sharp, acidic, spicy bite of kimchi. Together, they are a foundational flavor pairing. For this delicious recipe, the kimchi and pork cooks together and creates a spicy sauce with its own juices.
More Kimchi + Pork dishes to enjoy: Thick Cut Pork Chops with Kimchi Pan Sauce, Pork Belly Kimchi Stew, or Braised Kimchi + Pork.
As a bonus, these Kimchi Rice Bowls are full of protein (22 grams per serving!) and make a very satisfying meal. Together with the rice and fried egg, it becomes a hearty meal in one bowl.
The portion is for 1 serving. But it can easily be replicated into 2 servings as well. If you have a Korean clay pot, it’s easy to serve sizzling hot. Especially good for busy weeknights when you don’t have much time!
Ingredients
- Kimchi. A traditional Korean dish made of fermented Napa cabbage seasoned with gochukaru (red chili flakes), garlic, ginger, and small amounts of seafood (fish sauce or salted shrimp).
OLD kimchi is preferred. The cooking process will improve the flavor of aged kimchi. When cooked, old, sour kimchi becomes deep, mellow, and utterly delicious.
- Pork. For this recipe, any kind of pork works. For a leaner cut of meat, use pork shoulder or pork butt. For a more indulgent dish, use fatty pork belly. Thinly sliced pork will give a texture similar to Jeyuk Bokkeum, which is a stir-fried Korean spicy pork dish. Bite-sized chunks of pork will give it a thick, meaty texture. Or, use frozen hot pot meat (thinly shaved frozen rolls of sliced meat) for ease and convenience.
- Rice. Make it a complete meal with a serving of cooked white rice. Koreans use short grain rice (also called sushi rice) for their everyday rice. Jasmine rice or any other medium grain rice also works.
- Sesame Oil + Sesame Seeds. Finish with a drizzle of aromatic sesame oil and nutty sesame seeds.
- Green Onion + Perilla Leaf. Aromatic garnish. If you don’t have perilla leaf (Kkaennip), leave it out.
- Fried Egg. Top the rice bowl the Korean way, with a sunny side up egg. The egg should be runny so the yolk can be mixed into the rice.
How to Make a Rice Bowl with Kimchi and Pork
- Cook pork. Heat a Korean clay pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot but not smoking, add 1 tsp oil. Add pork and cook, stirring often, until no longer pink.
- Add kimchi. Using heavy duty kitchen scissors, chop kimchi into bite-sized pieces. Add the chopped kimchi to the pork. Season with a salt and black pepper. Stir fry until flavors combine and the kimchi has softened and turned orange, about 4-5 minutes. Stir often, making sure the pork and kimchi are mixed well together. The pork and kimchi should release some liquid and bubble together. *If the pot looks dry, add a little water (1-2 Tbsp) to create a sauce.
- Add rice. While the pork and kimchi cooks, prepare the rice. Add cooked rice to a small bowl and shape into a sloped mound with a rice paddle. Press gently so the rice sticks together and holds its shape.
- Cook fried egg. While the pork and kimchi cooks, make the fried egg. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp oil. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Crack an egg into the pan and season with salt and black pepper. Cook gently until the whites are set but the york is still runny, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Assemble rice bowl. Turn off the heat to the clay pot. Add the rice by flipping the bowl upside down and gently guiding it over the pork and kimchi. Add a little sesame oil and sprinkle of sesame seeds to the rice. Add the green onion and perilla leaves, if using. Top with the fried egg.
- Serve. Transfer to the table, making sure to use a trivet underneath to prevent scorching the table. Serve immediately, while it’s still sizzling hot!
PRO Tips
- Adjust to your liking. This recipe is easy to adjust. Make it meatier by adding more pork and 2 fried eggs. Or make it less meaty by adding less pork. You can also adjust the portion by making it smaller or bigger. Overall, it’s a very forgiving recipe.
- Add seasoning. Make sure to season the pork and kimchi mixture by adding salt and pepper. It will enhance the flavors and bring everything together.
- Mix the rice bowl before eating. I recommend mixing everything together before eating. The saucy kimchi and pork, as well as the runny egg, will coat the rice.
- Cook in a skillet. If you don’t own a Korean clay pot, cook everything in a skillet instead. FYI, it will cook faster and evaporate more quickly. When finished, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish, as per usual.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Ttukbaegi. A Korean clay pot (affiliate). The one I use in the video was purchased at a Korean market. They work on gas cook tops and electric cook tops, but not induction cook tops. *Be careful when using on the ceramic surface of an electric cooktop as it can scratch the surface.
Variations
- Make it spicy. For more heat, add 1-2 tsp of Gochujang (Korean chili paste) or Gochukaru (Korean red pepper flakes). Add to the kimchi and pork mixture as it cooks. It will intensify the spice level.
- Make it vegetarian. Instead of pork, swap with firm tofu chunks. Chop into 1-inch chunks and cook with the kimchi, adding a little water (1-2 Tbsp) and soy sauce (1 Tbsp) to create a sauce.
- Swap the white rice. To add more fiber and nutrition, feel free to change out the regular white rice with brown rice or Korean Purple Rice. Or go for a low-carb approach with quinoa or cauliflower rice.
FAQ
Any kind of pork works well. It really depends on your preference. Pork shoulder is a leaner option. Pork belly is more luscious and fatty. If you like a thicker, meatier texture, cut into 1-inch chunks. For ease and convenience, use thinly shaved rolls of frozen pork (hot pot meat), which is more similar in texture to bulgogi. I’ve even used chopped up pork chops for this dish and it comes out great.
This is one of those Korean dishes that is moderately spicy. The cooking process will mellow out the spiciness. If you prefer a less spicy dish, wash the kimchi in water to remove the chili flakes.
More recipes with kimchi
- Easy Kimchi Jjigae
- Cheesy Kimchi Fried Rice
- Kimchi Udon Noodle Soup
- Kimchi Scrambled Eggs Rice Bowl
- Cheesy Kimchi Fries
For more ways to use kimchi, check out 20 Easy Recipes with Kimchi. If you’re new to Korean food, be sure to start here: 10 Easy Korean Recipes for Beginners.
Easy Kimchi Pork Rice Bowl recipe
Equipment
- 1 Korean Clay Pot (Ttukbaegi)
- Small Skillet *for the fried egg
Ingredients
- 1 cup/ 100 grams thinly sliced pork shoulder *frozen pork shoulder (hot pot kind) works great
- 1/2 cup/ 110 grams kimchi
- 1/2 cup cooked white rice
Garnish
- 2-3 perilla leaves *optional
- 1 green onion
- 1 drizzle sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Cook pork. Heat a Korean clay pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot but not smoking, add 1 tsp oil. Add pork and cook, stirring often, until no longer pink.
- Add kimchi. Using heavy duty kitchen scissors, chop kimchi into bite-sized pieces. Add the kimchi to the pork. Season with a salt and black pepper. Cook until flavors combine and the kimchi has softened and turned orange, about 4-5 minutes. Stir often, making sure the pork and kimchi are mixed well together. The pork and kimchi should release some liquid and bubble together. *If the pot looks dry, add a little water (1-2 Tbsp) to create a sauce.
- Add rice. While the pork and kimchi cooks, prepare the rice. Add cooked rice to a small bowl and shape into a sloped mound with a rice paddle. Press gently so the rice sticks together and holds its shape.
- Cook fried egg. While the pork and kimchi cooks, make the fried egg. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp oil. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Crack an egg into the pan and season with salt and black pepper. Cook gently until the whites are set but the york is still runny, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Assemble rice bowl. Turn off the heat to the clay pot. Add the rice by flipping the bowl upside down and gently guiding it over the pork and kimchi. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and sprinkle of sesame seeds to the rice. Add the green onion and perilla leaves, if using. Top with the fried egg.
- Serve. Transfer to the table, making sure to use a trivet underneath to prevent scorching the table. Serve immediately, while it's still sizzling hot!
Notes
- Adjust to your liking. This recipe is easy to adjust. Make it meatier by adding more pork and 2 fried eggs. Or make it less meaty by adding less pork. You can also adjust the portion by making it smaller or bigger. Overall, it’s a very forgiving recipe.
- Add seasoning. Make sure to season the pork and kimchi mixture by adding salt and pepper. It will enhance the flavors and bring everything together.
- Mix the rice bowl before eating. I recommend mixing everything together before eating. The saucy kimchi and pork, as well as the runny egg, will coat the rice.
- Cook in a skillet. If you don’t own a Korean clay pot, cook everything in a skillet instead. FYI, it will cook faster and evaporate more quickly. When finished, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish, as per usual.
