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Chef Chris Cho making gyeran bap — This is how you make Gyeran Bap!

Gyeran Bap is one of my favorite meals growing up. Rather I need something quick and easy or I need something to comfort me, this is the meal I make!

If you ask any Korean what their childhood meal is, they’d probably say it’s Gyeran Bap or Egg Over Rice. It’s a super simple meal where you only need rice and eggs. To level it up, you can either add soy sauce or gochujang for a savory or spicy twist. Which one would you choose?

Ingredients for Gyeran Bap

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Freshly Steamed Rice

To start off, you don’t just use any rice, it needs to be freshly steamed rice. When it’s fresh, it’s fluffy and hot which will allow the sauce you put on top to melt so it’s easier to mix. Additionally, freshly cooked rice just tastes so much better!

If you don’t have a rice cooker, check out this article where I teach you how to make rice in a pot! This is a foolproof method so you can have rice anytime. It doesn’t need to be seasoned so you can pair it with different dishes like saucy braised meats, hot soup, side dishes, or you can make this!

In Korean homes, rice is a staple. We basically have it just sitting in the rice cooker all day.

Perfectly Cooked Egg

Next up, sunny side up eggs. Cook the egg according to your preference—with crispy edges, fully cooked yolk, or runny yolk. But as a quick tip, the runny yolk will also add creaminess to the dish!

If you’re having trouble making a perfect egg, the secret is a non-stick pan, frying oil (vegetable or canola), and medium heat. Let the pan heat up then place your eggs in it. Allow it to cook over medium heat until desired doneness is reached. Transfer to a plate and it should come right off since you’re using an oiled non-stick pan.

Choose Your Fighter: Soy Sauce or Gochujang?

Gochujang Rice

For the first option, you can use a combination of gochujang and sesame oil. Gochujang is fermented red pepper powder wherein the fermentation process produces a sweet, savory, and ultimately spicy paste. This is one of the Korean pantry staples! People often ask me what brand of gochujang to use. In my opinion, as long as it says “made in Korea”, it’s an indication that it’s authentic and tastes good.

People also ask for a gochujang substitute, and honestly, I can’t think of any. It’s pretty unique and worth trying out. Head down to your local H-mart or Asian grocery store, grab one, and let me know how you like it!

Since you will only use a small amount of pepper paste, I’m sure you will have leftovers so here are some recipe ideas where you can use gochujang:

Yangnyeom Korean Fried Chicken
Spicy Stir-fried Pork (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
Kimchi Fried Rice
Spicy Enoki Mushrooms
Pepper Paste Stew (Gochujang Jjigae)

When you choose gochujang as your sauce, you are essentially making a basic bibimbap. Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish that is made with freshly cooked rice, seasoned vegetables, a choice of protein, and gochujang sauce. You mix these all together and that’s why bibimbap literally means mixed rice! Gochujang rice is essentially a broke boyz version of it! Kakaka~

Soy Sauce Rice

For a non-spicy version that’s equally savory, I use a combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, and butter. This version is going to be savory, umami-filled, and creamy with that small knob of butter. That is an essential ingredient and I promise you it makes all the difference!

When you’re getting soy sauce, it can be overwhelming as there are many types. Just get a regular soy sauce. Usually, I like the brands Kikkoman or Sempio. Do not get sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce, or dark soy sauce. Those are different than the regular one.

Assembling Gyeran Bap

Prepare the rice and cook the egg.

In a bowl, combine the rice, choice of sauce: gochujang or soy sauce combinations, and top it with the egg. The sauce needs to be sandwiched by the hot rice and egg so that the butter or the gochujang melts. This makes it easier to mix and so the flavor also gets distributed thoroughly.

Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and seaweed paper, then mix that jawn up! Remember, the more you mix, the tastier it gets! Serve with any side dishes like chive kimchi, radish salad, or cucumber salad. Enjoy!

Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!

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