# Kimchi Fried Rice with Sous Vide Egg, Gochujang Butter, and Banchan > Crisp-edged kimchi fried rice gets a soft egg and a spoonful of gochujang butter that melts into the grains. Browned mushrooms, blistered shishitos, and two crunchy kimchi banchan bring earthy, smoky, and sour counterpoints to a rich, warming dinner. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/kimchi-fried-rice-with-sous-vide-egg-and-gochujang-butter-plus-banchan - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2017-10-31 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, nut-free ![Kimchi Fried Rice with Sous Vide Egg, Gochujang Butter, and Banchan](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F8610712aa754cc6b.jpg) ## Kimchi Fried Rice with Ham and Bacon Cold rice and well-drained kimchi brown rather than steam. Bacon and ham add smoky richness while a restrained amount of brine keeps the rice tangy without making it wet. ### Ingredients - 5 cups cooked white short- or medium-grain rice, refrigerated until cold - 1 1/2 cups gluten-free napa cabbage kimchi, drained and roughly chopped - 2 tablespoons reserved kimchi brine - 3 oz gluten-free bacon, cut into small pieces - 6 oz gluten-free cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes - 1 tablespoon avocado oil, divided - 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 4 scallions, whites thinly sliced and greens cut into 1/2-inch pieces - 2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari, plus more to taste - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds ### Instructions 1. Break up the cold rice with your fingers or a spatula. Squeeze excess liquid from the chopped kimchi, reserving the measured brine. 2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat with 1 teaspoon avocado oil. Add the bacon and cook for 5–7 minutes, until rendered and browned. Add the ham and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl, leaving about 1 tablespoon fat in the pan. 3. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and scallion whites; cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the garlic and kimchi and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the pan is no longer wet. 4. For a reliably crisp result, finish in two batches. Transfer half the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the pork. Add half the rice to the skillet and toss with the remaining vegetables, adding a little of the remaining avocado oil as needed. 5. Spread the rice into a thin layer and leave undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, until golden underneath. Turn in sections, then add half the pork, half the brine, and half the tamari. Toss until hot and dry, about 1–2 minutes. 6. Transfer to a warm serving dish and repeat with the remaining vegetables, rice, pork, brine, and tamari. Fold the sesame oil through both batches. Taste before adding more tamari, since the butter and banchan will add salt. 7. Finish with scallion greens and sesame seeds, reserving a little of each for the plated eggs. ### Notes - About 1 2/3 cups dry rice yields the amount needed. If cooking ahead, spread it in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours; do not leave rice out overnight. - Keep the finished rice lightly seasoned so the gochujang butter can melt through it without overwhelming the kimchi. ## Sous Vide Eggs A short, relatively hot water bath gives the eggs tender whites and rich, flowing yolks that become a sauce for the rice. ### Ingredients - 4 large eggs, refrigerator-cold ### Instructions 1. Heat a circulating water bath to 75°C / 167°F. Have the fried rice nearly ready before cooking the eggs. 2. Lower the eggs gently into the bath in their shells and cook for 13 minutes, starting the timer once they enter the water. 3. Remove the eggs and place in cool water for 1 minute to slow further cooking and make them easier to handle. 4. Crack each egg into a small bowl. If there is loose, watery white, gently drain it away with a slotted spoon, then slide the egg onto the hot rice. The white should be tender and the yolk thick but flowing. ### Notes - Timing assumes large, cold eggs. For a slightly firmer result, cook for 14 minutes. - These eggs are not fully cooked or pasteurized; use fully cooked eggs for anyone at higher risk from undercooked eggs. ## Gochujang Butter Soft butter carries the fermented chile flavor and melts gradually over the warm egg and rice. A little rice vinegar keeps the finish lively. ### Ingredients - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but not melted - 1 1/2 tablespoons gluten-free gochujang - 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar ### Instructions 1. Mash the softened butter with the gochujang until evenly streaked or mostly blended. 2. Beat in the rice vinegar a few drops at a time. Keep at cool room temperature until serving. 3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon onto each warm egg, serving any extra alongside. ### Notes - Do not melt the butter before mixing; soft butter gives a spoonable condiment rather than an oily sauce. ## Sesame-Tamari Mushrooms Hard browning concentrates the mushrooms' savory flavor, while a small splash of vinegar balances their glossy sesame finish. ### Ingredients - 12 oz shiitake and oyster mushrooms, trimmed and sliced or torn - 1 tablespoon avocado oil - 1 clove garlic, finely chopped - 2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari - 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds ### Instructions 1. Heat the avocado oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a loose layer, working in batches if crowded. 2. Leave undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, then turn and cook until deeply browned and tender, another 4–5 minutes. 3. Lower the heat, add the garlic, and stir for 30 seconds. Add the tamari and vinegar and toss until the liquid has nearly evaporated. 4. Remove from the heat and finish with sesame oil and sesame seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature. ## Blistered Shishito Peppers A very hot pan blisters the skins while leaving the peppers juicy. Sesame and a light splash of vinegar echo the other banchan without masking their sweetness. ### Ingredients - 8 oz shishito peppers, preferably ripe red or mixed red and green - 2 teaspoons avocado oil - 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds - to taste fine sea salt ### Instructions 1. Wash and thoroughly dry the peppers. Leave small peppers whole; halve any large ones lengthwise, keeping the stems attached where practical. 2. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the avocado oil, then the peppers in a single layer. 3. Cook for 5–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until blistered in spots and just softened. 4. Take off the heat, toss with vinegar and salt, and scatter with sesame seeds. ### Notes - Green shishitos work well when ripe red ones are unavailable. ## Cabbage Kimchi Banchan Uncooked kimchi brings a crisp, fermented contrast to the richer cooked kimchi in the rice. ### Ingredients - 1 cup prepared gluten-free napa cabbage kimchi, separate from the kimchi used in the rice ### Instructions 1. Cut any long cabbage pieces into easy bites. 2. Spoon into a small serving bowl with a little of its brine. Serve cool. ## Mu Radish Kimchi Banchan Cubed radish kimchi adds a firm, juicy crunch and a sharper contrast to the soft egg and buttery rice. ### Ingredients - 1 cup prepared gluten-free kkakdugi, Korean cubed radish kimchi ### Instructions 1. Spoon the radish kimchi into a small bowl with enough brine to keep it glossy. 2. Serve cool alongside the cabbage kimchi. ## Overall Timing / Workflow Prepare the room-temperature banchan first, then finish the rice and eggs together so the butter melts at the table. ### Instructions 1. The day before, cook and promptly refrigerate the rice if you do not already have cold rice. 2. 0:00 — Start heating the sous vide bath to 75°C / 167°F. Set out the butter to soften, chop the rice ingredients, and prepare the mushrooms and peppers. 3. 0:15 — Mix the gochujang butter and portion both kimchi banchan. Cook the mushrooms, followed by the peppers; both can wait at room temperature while you finish the rice. 4. 0:30 — Begin the bacon, ham, and kimchi mixture for the fried rice. 5. 0:38 — Put the eggs into the fully heated bath and set a 13-minute timer. Finish the rice in two batches, keeping the first batch warm. 6. 0:51 — Briefly cool and crack the eggs, then plate immediately with the rice, butter, and banchan. ### Notes - Allow extra time if your water bath heats slowly. The banchan are forgiving; prioritize hot rice and freshly cooked eggs. ## Plating The egg and butter sit directly over the hot rice, while separate banchan bowls preserve each side's texture and temperature. ### Instructions 1. Divide the fried rice among four warm, shallow plates, keeping some browned rice edges facing upward. 2. Make a shallow hollow in each mound and slide an egg into it. 3. Top each egg with gochujang butter and finish with the reserved scallion greens and sesame seeds. 4. Set out the mushrooms, peppers, cabbage kimchi, and radish kimchi in separate small bowls for sharing. Break the yolk and fold the melting butter into the rice as you eat. ## Leftover Path Keeping the rice, butter, and banchan separate prevents sogginess and lets you restore the rice's browned texture. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate leftover rice and cooked vegetables promptly in shallow containers, within 2 hours. Use within 3 days, or sooner if the original cooked rice is already several days old. 2. Refrigerate the gochujang butter separately and use within 5 days. Keep both kimchi banchan refrigerated in their own containers, following their package storage guidance. 3. Reheat rice in a skillet with a little avocado oil and a splash of water. Cover briefly to heat through, then uncover and let the bottom crisp; leftovers should reach 74°C / 165°F. 4. Rewarm mushrooms and peppers briefly, or serve them cool. Cook fresh eggs for the reheated rice rather than saving partially eaten soft eggs. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.