Sometimes you make a recipe just for you. Nobody else in my family will eat this Kimchi Stir Fry except me, but that’s OKAY WITH ME. For me, it’s the perfect fast lunch or dinner. Fast, super flavorful, and easy to toss together.

While I sometimes add protein, like pork, to this stir fry, I actually like it most days as a vegetarian dish. The kimchi is the star of the stir fry, but there are a few other key ingredients that play a roll as well. If you are looking for a quick stir-fry dish to make (even just for YOU), then this Kimchi Stir Fry is worth a shot!

What is Kimchi?

If you aren’t familiar with kimchi, the real star of this stir fry, it’s basically fermented cabbage. I’ll be completely honest. Some kimchi versions do not appear to be edible. But trust me when I say it’s maybe the most addictive food in the world. It’s spicy and savory and just a tiny bit sour.

Kimchi in a jar.

It’s good on its own, but it’s really good in dishes like this.

The good news is that you can find some sort of kimchi in almost all grocery stores these days. I found this jar of it, which turned out to be surprisingly spicy and delicious, in my local King Soopers grocery store. Nothing fancy!

If you do find yourself in an Asian grocery store, you will probably be able to find big jugs of homemade kimchi in the back somewhere and it’s worth trying them!

I love kimchi as a healthy snack, but it’s also great in stir fries like this one.

The Rice Noodles

There are a lot of options for the starch for this stir fry. I like rice noodles because they are a bit lighter but still soak up some of the deliciousness from the other ingredients.

Making the rice noodles for stir fry.

The key to rice noodles is to wash them well after cooking so they don’t get too sticky. You could also use glass noodles if you wanted a different texture or even plain rice would work fine!

Preparing the Stir Fry Vegetables

This is a pretty straightforward stir fry to make, but to make sure to have your vegetables chopped as it all comes together quickly.

I recommend roughly chopping the bok choy. Rinse it really well also as there can be a lot of dirt in the bok choy leaves.

Stir fry prep for veggies.

Making the Stir Fry Sauce

You don’t technically need a sauce for this stir fry. The sauce that is in the kimchi is plenty with maybe a splash of soy sauce.

But, if you have some gochujang in your fridge, it’s worth making this sauce as it does amp up the flavors a bit. Basically, I just whisk together the gochujang chili paste with some soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice. I stirred a little bit of this sauce into my mayo as well for a quick, creamy topping.

Quick Stir Fry Sauce

The Stir Fry Process

I tried to capture my stir fry process in pictures here. First, heat up your wok or skillet with a drizzle of neutral oil. Then add the bok choy. It needs the most time to cook.

Stir Fry in action shot.

Then once the veggies start to soften a bit and take on some color, you can add the kimchi.

Kimchi added to wok for stir fry.

Next up in the order (with maybe 30 seconds of cooking in between each of these additions) is the noodles and sauce. Once you add the sauce, don’t cook the stir fry too much or it will start to burn.

Rice noodles and sauce added.

Toss everything together and you’ll be done with this amazingly easy kimchi stir fry recipe! Try not to eat it straight out of the wok!

Kimchi Stir Fry in wok

How to Serve the Stir Fry

Kimchi Stir Fry with Rice Noodles

It might sound kind of crazy for a stir fry but serving this with a creamy sauce is the best idea. It cuts through some of the spiciness and saltiness of the kimchi. I just mix some mayo with a little of the stir fry sauce (or a dash of soy sauce) and lime and drizzle that over the stir fry with some roasted sesame seeds!

If you can find kewpie mayo, you can use that also as a topping!

Kimchi Stir Fry with Rice Noodles

5 from 1 vote
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
This is one of my favorite fast weeknight vegetarian meals. Kimchi Stir Fry with noodles, bok choy, a spicy sauce, and a quick creamy sauce on top! Under 30 minutes easily and SO healthy and delicious.

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 8 ounces rice noodles, cooked and rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 baby bok choy, chopped
  • 3 scallions, white and greens separated
  • 1 cup kimchi, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons gochujang sauce
  • ½ lime, juice only
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Sesame seeds, garnish

Spicy Mayo:

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon stir fry sauce, from above
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice

Instructions

  • Cook rice noodles according to package. Drain and rinse well with cold water. In a small bowl, mix together the gochujang, soy sauce, lime, and brown sugar for a quick stir fry sauce. (The sauce is optional and you can just season with soy sauce if you want.)
  • Roughly chop bok choy, scallions, and kimchi and set aside.
  • In wok or large skillet, add vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
    Once oil is hot, add bok choy and toss for a minute or two. Then add scallions and kimchi and continue to stir-fry for a minute or two.
  • Add cooked noodles and sauce and toss together. Cook for a minute or two and then divide between plates.
    Garnish each plate of kimchi stir fry with sesame seeds and drizzle with mayonnaise sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 966mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2654IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Asian, Korean

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Storing and Reheating the Stir Fry

This stir fry keeps really well for a few days in the fridge. After 3-4 days the bok choy will start to break down a bit and get sad. But, it works great for a quick lunch option and is actually decent cold!

If you do want to reheat this, no worries. It reheats well in the microwave or in a small skillet with a splash of water.

Here are a few other great recipes!