Vegan Gochujang Fried Rice (Printable)
Vibrant Korean-style fried rice with spicy gochujang paste, crisp vegetables, and fragrant rice ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Rice
01 - 3 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain white rice, preferably day-old and chilled
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
03 - 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
04 - 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
05 - 4 green onions, sliced — white and green parts separated
06 - 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
07 - 1 cup shiitake or button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
→ Sauce
08 - 3 tablespoons vegan gochujang (Korean chili paste)
09 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
10 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
11 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
→ Finishing
13 - 1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
14 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
15 - Extra sliced green onions, for garnish
# How To Make:
01 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, and rice vinegar until smooth and fully combined. Set aside.
02 - Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and a drop of water sizzles on contact.
03 - Add the white parts of the green onions, minced garlic, and diced carrots to the hot wok. Stir-fry vigorously for about 2 minutes until the carrots begin to soften and the aromatics are fragrant.
04 - Add the diced red bell pepper and sliced mushrooms to the wok. Continue stir-frying for 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to develop golden-brown edges.
05 - Stir in the thawed frozen peas and cook for 1 minute, tossing to incorporate them evenly with the other vegetables.
06 - Increase the heat to high and add the chilled cooked rice to the wok. Use a spatula to break up any clumps, then stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is heated through and each grain is separated.
07 - Pour the prepared gochujang sauce over the rice and vegetables. Stir vigorously to coat every grain evenly, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the rice develops slight crispiness in spots.
08 - Remove the wok from heat. Fold in the green parts of the green onions and taste for seasoning, adjusting with additional soy sauce or gochujang as desired.
09 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish generously with sesame seeds and extra sliced green onions. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The gochujang sauce is a five ingredient revelation that coats every grain of rice in savory, sweet, fiery perfection without needing any animal products.
- It transforms day old rice and whatever vegetables are languishing in your crisper into something you would happily pay for at a restaurant.
02 -
- If your rice is freshly cooked and still wet, spread it on a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for at least an hour or you will end up with mush instead of fried rice.
- Keep the heat as high as your stove allows once the rice goes in, because that intense contact with the hot pan is what creates the slightly crispy charred bits that make fried rice unforgettable.
03 -
- Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds before garnishing and you will be amazed at how much flavor they release compared to raw ones straight from the bag.
- The single biggest improvement you can make is using a well seasoned carbon steel wok, because the seasoned surface adds a smoky depth that no nonstick pan can replicate.