Rice Meals · Korea

How Many Calories in Kimchi Bokkeumbap?

Also known as 김치볶음밥, Kimchi Fried Rice, Kimchi Bokkeum Bap.

Kimchi bokkeumbap is day-old rice fried with chopped kimchi, a bit of spam or pork and butter or oil, topped with a fried egg and a sprinkle of seaweed.

525kcal / 1 plate
A plate of kimchi bokkeumbap is about 525 calories, based on the Geniet figure of 523 per serving. The rice is 310 of that, the spam or pork about 110, the cooking oil 45, and the fried egg on top 70. The kimchi itself is under 20 calories.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 plate (350g)AmountPer 100g
Calories525 kcal150 kcal
Protein15 g4 g
Carbs75 g21 g
Fat18 g5 g

Where the calories come from

Steamed rice210g
310 kcal
Kimchi, chopped80g
15 kcal
Spam or pork40g
110 kcal
Cooking oil or butter5g
45 kcal
Fried egg50g
70 kcal

The real talk

Kimchi fried rice sounds like leftover food, and it is, but a 210g portion of rice is still 310 calories no matter how old it is. The kimchi is 15 calories for a big handful. So the difference between a light plate and a heavy one is entirely what the cook fries it in and what protein goes in.

Most bunsik places use spam. A 40g dice of spam is 110 calories, and if it is a gogi-jip finishing the meal with bokkeumbap in the samgyeopsal pan, the rice is frying in rendered pork fat and the plate goes past 650. Butter is the other common fat. One tablespoon (14g) is 100 calories, about double the neutral oil most home cooks use.

The egg on top is 70 calories and 6g of protein, and it is the best thing on the plate. The seaweed flakes and sesame seeds are a rounding error. If you want it as a real meal, a second egg is a better addition than more spam: 70 more calories for another 6g of protein.

How the portions compare

430 kcal
Small plate, tuna
525 kcal
Standard plate with spam and egg
630 kcal
Cheese kimchi bokkeumbap

Kimchi Bokkeumbap variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Tuna kimchi bokkeumbap450 kcalTuna in water instead of spam
Standard with spam525 kcalGeniet figure
Cheese kimchi bokkeumbap630 kcalMozzarella melted through
Barbecue pan bokkeumbap680 kcalFried in samgyeopsal fat

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

Is kimchi fried rice healthy?
It is an average plate: 525 calories, 15g protein, high in carbs. Swapping spam for tuna and adding a second egg makes it a much better meal for the same size.
How many calories in kimchi fried rice without egg?
About 455. The fried egg on top is roughly 70 calories.
Does kimchi lose its benefits when fried?
Some of the live bacteria die with heat, but the fibre and the flavour stay. It is still 15 calories a handful.
Is kimchi bokkeumbap lower in calories than bibimbap?
Slightly: about 525 versus 610. Bibimbap has more vegetables and more protein though, so it is the better bowl per calorie.

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See all Rice Meals calories, ranked ›

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical restaurant or pojangmacha serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on geniet.co.kr 김치볶음밥 523 kcal per serving. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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