Vegan Gochujang Fried Rice (Printable Version)
Spicy Korean-inspired vegan fried rice with gochujang, crisp vegetables, and aromatic rice. Ready in 30 minutes.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Rice
01 - 3 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain white rice, preferably day-old
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
03 - 1 cup frozen green peas
04 - 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
05 - 4 green onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 cup shiitake or button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
→ Gochujang 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 - Sesame seeds, for garnish
15 - Extra sliced green onions, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce or tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup or agave, and rice vinegar until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
02 - Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and just begins to smoke lightly.
03 - Add the white parts of the green onions, minced garlic, and diced carrot to the hot wok. Stir-fry vigorously for 2 minutes until the aromatics are fragrant and the carrot has softened slightly.
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 frozen peas and cook for 1 minute, tossing continuously, until they are heated through and bright green.
06 - Increase the heat to high and add the cooked day-old rice to the wok, breaking up any clumps with your spatula. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing frequently, until the rice is heated through and each grain is separate.
07 - Pour the prepared gochujang sauce over the rice and vegetables. Stir vigorously to coat everything evenly and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the rice to develop slight crispiness in spots.
08 - Remove the wok from heat and fold in the green parts of the green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce or gochujang as desired.
09 - Transfer to serving plates or bowls and garnish generously with sesame seeds and extra sliced green onions. Serve immediately while hot.
# Top Tips:
01 -
- The gochujang sauce coats every grain of rice with a sweet, spicy, umami punch that makes you forget takeout exists.
- It comes together in thirty minutes with whatever vegetables are languishing in your crisper drawer.
02 -
- Using rice that has not been refrigerated overnight will give you a sticky, clumpy mess instead of distinct, chewy grains.
- Gochujang varies wildly in heat between brands, so start with two tablespoons if you are sensitive to spice and work your way up.
03 -
- Press the rice flat against the hot pan and let it sit undisturbed for thirty seconds before stirring to get those coveted crispy bits.
- Double the sauce recipe and keep the extra in a jar in the fridge for emergency meals throughout the week.