Korean Bulgogi Fried Rice with Mushrooms and Water Spinach

Tender soy-marinated bulgogi beef, browned mushrooms, crisp-tender water spinach, and chilled rice stir-fried in a hot skillet. A fried egg, scallions and sesame finish this mild Korean-inspired rice dish without gochujang or chili.

Allergens

Contains soy, sesame and egg. Check the soy sauce label for wheat.

Ingredients (Metric & US)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Marinate the bulgogi beef: Coat 250 g thinly sliced beef with 15 ml soy sauce, grated pear or apple, brown sugar, minced garlic, and 5 ml sesame oil. Refrigerate for 15 minutes while you wash and chop the vegetables, separate the water spinach stems and leaves, and loosen the cold rice. The seasoning ratios remain an editorial adaptation pending a human taste test.

   

2. Sauté the mushrooms and diced vegetables: Heat a little neutral oil in a broad skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced shiitake or cremini mushrooms with diced onion and carrot. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and start to brown, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a clean bowl; keep the skillet for the beef.

   

3. Cook the bulgogi: Put the marinated beef in the hot skillet in an even layer and sear, then stir-fry until thoroughly cooked and no raw meat remains. Move the cooked beef to a separate clean plate. Do not return raw marinade to the finished rice without cooking it.

   

4. Wilt the water spinach: Return the cooked mushroom-onion-carrot mixture to the skillet. Add the chopped water spinach stems and stir briefly, then add the leaves and cook until just wilted, about 1–2 minutes. Keep this mixture fairly dry and move it to the bowl so the rice can fry instead of steam.

   

5. Stir-fry the rice: In the same hot skillet, add the cold cooked rice, breaking up clumps with a spatula. Fry until steaming and lightly toasted, then drizzle the remaining 10 ml soy sauce around the hot pan edge. Toss with any small bits of onion or carrot left in the pan and finish with the remaining toasted sesame oil off heat.

   

6. Combine and serve: Fold the cooked beef, mushrooms and wilted water spinach into the hot fried rice and toss until evenly distributed. Divide between two plates, top each serving with a separately fried egg, then finish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. The finished fried rice should show brown beef, green spinach and mushrooms, with no gochujang, hot peppers or chili oil.

   

Notes

Use refrigerated cooked rice and keep the pan relatively dry. Cook beef completely, clean surfaces after handling raw beef, and fry the egg to the desired safe doneness. If mushrooms release excess liquid, let it evaporate before the rice goes in. Seasoning quantities are a proposed adaptation pending human taste testing.