Vegan Gochujang Fried Rice (Printable Version)
V Korean-inspired spicy rice with chili paste, mixed vegetables, and aromatic flavors. Quick 30-minute meal.
# What You Need:
→ Rice
01 - 3 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain rice, preferably day-old
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium carrot, diced
03 - 1 cup frozen peas
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 4 green onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 cup shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced
→ Sauce
08 - 3 tablespoons gochujang (vegan Korean chili paste)
09 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
10 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
11 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
→ Finishing
13 - 1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
14 - Sesame seeds, for garnish
15 - Extra sliced green onions, for garnish
# How To Make It:
01 - In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, and rice vinegar until smooth. Set aside.
02 - Heat neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering.
03 - Add the white parts of the green onions, minced garlic, and diced carrots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until slightly softened.
04 - Add the diced bell pepper and sliced mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to brown at the edges.
05 - Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 1 minute until thawed and warmed through.
06 - Increase heat to high and add the cooked rice, breaking up any clumps. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is heated through.
07 - Pour the gochujang sauce over the rice and vegetables. Stir vigorously to coat everything evenly and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the rice develops slight crispness in spots.
08 - Remove from heat and stir in the green parts of the green onions. Adjust seasoning to taste.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and extra sliced green onions.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The sauce hits every note you crave, sweet from maple syrup, salty from soy, tangy from vinegar, and deeply spicy from that gorgeous red chili paste.
- It cleans out your vegetable drawer in the most satisfying way possible.
02 -
- Using fresh rice will give you a sticky, clumpy mess instead of the distinct chewy grains you want, so plan ahead and cook the rice the day before or use leftover takeout rice.
- Resist the urge to stir constantly when the rice is in the pan, letting it sit against the hot surface for 20 to 30 seconds at a time is what creates those crispy, slightly charred bits that make fried rice addictive.
03 -
- Cook the rice with slightly less water than usual if you are making it fresh, spread it on a sheet pan to cool completely, and pop it in the fridge uncovered for at least a few hours to dry out the surface moisture.
- A cast iron skillet can actually give you better crispy bits than a wok if your stove does not put out enough BTUs to keep a wok screaming hot.