Vegan Gochujang Fried Rice (Printable)
Spicy Korean-inspired rice with gochujang, vegetables, and aromatic flavors ready in 30 minutes.
# 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:
01 - In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce or tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup or agave, and rice vinegar until smooth. Set aside.
02 - Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers.
03 - Add the white parts of the green onions, minced garlic, and diced carrots to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until the carrots begin to soften.
04 - Add the diced bell pepper and sliced mushrooms to the wok. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to develop golden-brown edges.
05 - Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 1 minute until warmed through.
06 - Increase the heat to high and add the cooked day-old rice, breaking up any clumps with your spatula. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is heated through and begins to toast slightly.
07 - Pour the prepared gochujang sauce over the rice and vegetables. Stir vigorously to coat everything evenly. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the rice develops slight crispness in spots.
08 - Remove the wok from heat. Fold in the green parts of the green onions and adjust seasoning to taste.
09 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with sesame seeds and extra sliced green onions. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It transforms leftover rice and random vegetables into something genuinely exciting in under thirty minutes flat.
- The gochujang sauce delivers a deep, funky heat that builds slowly and keeps you going back for another bite.
02 -
- Do not skip the day old rice because fresh rice holds too much moisture and will turn your fried rice into a sticky mess rather than producing those desirable chewy, crispy bits.
- Letting the rice sit undisturbed for thirty seconds at a time in the hot wok creates the charred spots that make this dish taste like it came from a restaurant.
03 -
- Prep every single ingredient before you turn on the stove because once things start moving, they move fast and you will not have time to chop.
- A well seasoned carbon steel wok or cast iron skillet will give you far better browning and char than a nonstick pan ever could.