This is a super simple garlic butter fried rice recipe made with ingredients you always have at home: garlic and butter. Let’s make it together with bacon for extra flavor. It’s an easy Korean fried rice recipe. It only takes 5 minutes!
Table of Contents
What is Garlic Butter Fried Rice?
Koreans love garlic so much that almost every Korean dish includes it. The Korean fried rice we’re making today is packed with garlic, too. The garlic is stir-fried in bacon fat until the spiciness disappears, leaving only its sweet and savory flavor. Adding butter enhances the taste even more, making this one of the easiest and most flavorful fried rice recipes.
Advantages of This Rice Dish
Budget-Friendly Rice Dish
You can make it with ingredients you always have at home—garlic, butter, and rice—making it a very cost-effective meal. Bacon is optional, but adding it takes the flavor to a whole new level!
5-Minute Meal
It’s a super simple recipe that you can stir-fry in just 5 minutes. Perfect for days when you don’t feel like cooking. Despite the minimal time and effort, the taste is incredibly delicious!
Garlic Fried Rice Ingredients
- Garlic: You can even use more than the amount listed today—it will make the dish even tastier.
- Unsalted Butter
- Bacon: The bacon fat adds extra flavor to the Korean fried rice.
- Rice: Using rice that has been cooked and cooled gives a fluffy texture when stir-fried, making it even more delicious.
- Oyster Sauce & Soy Sauce: These add seasoning and umami to the fried rice.
Garlic Fried Rice Recipe
Here’s how to make Korean fried rice with garlic, butter, and bacon.
- Slice the garlic. If the slices are too thin, they burn easily; if too thick, they take longer to cook. About 1mm thickness is ideal.
- In a pan, cook the bacon to render the fat, then add the garlic and fry it until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Add the butter to infuse more flavor, then add the rice and stir-fry.
- Pour the soy sauce into the pan, not directly onto the rice, so it caramelizes slightly and deepens the flavor. Add the oyster sauce as well.
- Stir-fry everything together until all the ingredients are well combined and evenly heated.
Optional Ingredients to Add
This is an upgrade Korean fried rice recipe by adding extra ingredients. I’ll recommend some ingredients that work really well when added.
- Egg: You can fry an egg and place it on top, or scramble it into the rice while stir-frying—it’s delicious either way.
- Green Onion: Finely chop the green onion and add it with the garlic. The oil will take on the flavor of the green onion, making the Korean fried rice even more fragrant.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Bacon: You can substitute bacon with sausage or other types of ham. For a vegetarian version, you can replace it with egg.
- Oyster Sauce: If you don’t have oyster sauce, you can use liquid chicken stock in this Korean fried rice recipe with garlic and bacon. If that’s not available either, soy sauce works as a substitute. However, the umami flavor is strongest when using oyster sauce.
Foods That Go Well with Korean Fried Rice
Actually, Korean fried rice is a complete meal on its own, but pairing it with other dishes can create harmony and enhance the flavors.
- Kimchi: Kimchi pairs well with almost any Korean dish, but especially with oily dishes like fried rice. Its tanginess and spiciness balance the richness of the rice, creating a perfect flavor harmony.
- Egg Soup: A simple egg soup is perfect to enjoy alongside fried rice. Eating fried rice alone can feel a bit dry, but a warm sip of egg soup makes it smooth and adds a salty, umami boost that complements the rice perfectly. This is a very easy Korean egg drop soup recipe.
- Fried Dumplings (Gunmandu): Fried rice is a staple in Korean-Chinese restaurants, and these dishes are almost always served with fried dumplings. Crispy dumplings eaten together with fried rice create a delicious explosion of savory flavors.
- Shop Bibigo Mandu(gyoza): US
Popular Korean Fried Rice Recipes
Korea has a variety of fried rice dishes, just like other Asian countries. Here are a few recommendations with recipes—you should definitely try them because they’re delicious and easy to make.
Egg Fried Rice: This is a golden egg Korean fried rice recipe you can make in just 5 minutes. With only eggs and green onions, it’s incredibly tasty and a dish that kids especially love.
Kkakdugi Kimchi Fried Rice: Most people know Korean kimchi fried rice made with regular napa cabbage kimchi, but if you’re not Korean, you might not be familiar with fried rice made with kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi). Using kkakdugi gives the rice a crunchy texture and a natural sweetness from the radish, making a really flavorful kimchi fried rice.
FAQs about Korean Butter Garlic Fried Rice
How to make butter garlic fried rice?
Sauté garlic in the bacon fat first to infuse the garlic with the rich aroma of bacon, then add butter for extra flavor. Next, add the rice along with oyster sauce and soy sauce, and stir-fry over high heat for the perfect garlic butter Korean fried rice. You can check the full recipe in today’s post.
When should I add butter to my rice?
It’s best not to add butter at the very beginning when sautéing garlic and bacon, as it can burn. Instead, cook the garlic and bacon in a little olive oil and bacon fat first, then add butter to enhance the flavor.
Can you add garlic butter to rice?
Absolutely! Garlic butter gives a strong garlic aroma and the rich flavor of butter. It also adds a savory depth that plain butter alone can’t provide.
Does garlic taste good in fried rice?
Yes! Garlic can take fried rice to the next level. When you fry garlic in oil until slightly crisp, it brings out its natural sweetness, and the texture pairs perfectly with the rice.
Can I use butter in fried rice?
Yes! Butter adds a nutty, rich flavor that makes fried rice creamier and more flavorful.
What are common mistakes in making fried rice?
Avoid using too little oil or cooking over low heat. Make sure to use enough oil and stir-fry over high heat so the vegetables don’t release water, and the rice stays fluffy and separate.
Kitchen Guide
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Garlic Butter Fried Rice Recipe: Easy Korean Fried Rice with Bacon
Equipment
- 1 wok pan
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Knife & cutting board
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic (more as you need)
- 3 strips bacon
- 1 bowl rice (cold rice is better)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 10 g butter
Instructions
- Thinly slice the garlic, about 1mm thick.
- Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Prepare a piece of butter.
- In a pan, cook the bacon until the fat is released, then add the garlic and stir-fry. Use medium-low heat to avoid burning the garlic.
- Add butter to enhance the flavor.
- Add the rice and stir-fry.
- Push the rice to one side of the pan and pour the soy sauce directly into the pan to slightly caramelize it, enhancing the flavor.
- Add the oyster sauce and stir-fry over high heat until all ingredients are well combined.
Garlic Butter Fried Rice 갈릭 버터 볶음밥
- This fried rice combines the rich, savory flavor of garlic butter with the umami of bacon.
- How about a bowl of Korean garlic fried rice on a lazy day?
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @blondekimchi_ on Instagram and hashtag it #blondekimchi.
