Learn To Make Kimbap: An Amazing On-the-Go Meal (2024)

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 8 mins

Total: 38 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Yield: 4 rolls

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Kimbap—also known as gimbap—are Korean rice rolls that might look a lot like Japanese sushi rolls but, in truth, are nothing like sushi. Kimbap (from gim, a type of seaweed, and bap, the Korean term for "rice") is easy, portable, and adaptable to any palate, diet, or occasion.

Learn To Make Kimbap: An Amazing On-the-Go Meal (1)

These rolls are usually eaten at picnics, and while delicious eaten right when prepared, they hold their shape and flavor well when eaten cold. Don't let them sit too long in the fridge before eating, though—the texture will change, the seaweed will get soggy, and the roll will lose its bite.

How to Make Popular Korean Rice Dishes

This easy recipe features the optional inclusion of bulgogi, a classic Korean dish of thinly sliced and flavorful beef that is a real treat. If you choose to skip the bulgogi, the rolls are vegetarian, or you can use imitation crabmeat instead of or in addition to the bulgogi. Before you start assembling the rolls, be sure to have cooked white rice, prepared bulgogi, and pickled radishes (you can use store-bought Korean danmuji or make homemade pickled radishes) all prepped and ready to make the assembly process as smooth as possible.

The Difference Between Korean Kimbap and Japanese Sushi Rolls

Japanese sushi rolls—makizushi—are made out of rice seasoned with vinegar and customarily feature raw fish, seafood, and vegetables, whereas Korean rolls use sesame oil in the rice and a variety of fillings, including meats, imitation crab, ham, eggs, and cheese. In addition to the differences in fillings, the rolls are eaten with different accompaniments; neither soy sauce nor wasabi appears on the kimbap plate. It's usually served with kimchi and pickled vegetables on the side.

What Is the Difference Between Kimbap and Bibimbap?

Kimbap and bibimbap are both Korean dishes featuring rice. Kimbap consists of sesame-flavored rice and fillings like meat, veggies, egg, and cheese wrapped up in nori. It has a similar appearance to a sushi roll.Bibimbapis a bowl dish of hot rice, toppings like bulgogi and vegetables, and egg. It is sometimes served in a hot stone bowl, which cooks the egg and crisps the rice.

Is Kimbap Served Hot or Cold?

Kimbap should be served freshly made at room temperature. The fillings are often cooked and warm, including the rice, making the roll slightly warm.

What You'll Need to Make This Kimbap Recipe

Ingredients

For the Rice:

2 cups cooked short-grain white rice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the Filling:

1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
Salt, to taste
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
2 large eggs, beaten
4 sheets dried nori
Optional: 8 ounces cooked beef bulgogi
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, cooked and squeezed dry
1/2 cup pickled radishes, drained and julienned
Optional: 12 ounces imitation crab, cut into long strips

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Rice and Vegetables

Gather the ingredients.
In a mixing bowl, place the 2 cups cooked short-grain white rice and add the 2 teaspoons sesame oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well and reserve.
In a very hot nonstick skillet, briefly stir-fry the 1 medium carrot (peeled and julienned), add a dash of salt, and remove from the pan after 2 or 3 minutes. Set aside and reserve.
Using the same hot skillet, stir-fry the 1 medium cucumber (peeled, seeded, and julienned), add a dash of salt, and remove from the pan after 2 or 3 minutes. Set aside and reserve.
Whisk the 2 large eggs in a small bowl. Pour the eggs into a nonstick skillet set over medium-low heat and cook until just set, about 1 minute.
Once cooked on one side, carefully flip and cook on the other for an additional minute.
Remove the omelet from the pan and cut it into long strips. Set aside and reserve.

Roll the Kimbap

Have a bowl of water nearby when rolling for moistening your hands, which will prevent the rice from sticking to them and help seal the rolls.
Using a bamboo sushi roller or a piece of aluminum foil, lay one piece of the dried seaweed shiny side down.
Spread about 1/2cup of the cooked rice onto 2/3 of the seaweed, leaving the top 1/3 bare.
Once the rice is flat, lay about 2 ounces of the bulgogi down (if using), about a third of the way up from the bottom of the seaweed. Place the meat in a horizontal strip and keep in mind that if you add too much filling, the roll might become difficult to roll and cut.
Add 1/4 of each filling: carrot, spinach, cucumber, radishes, egg, and imitation crabmeat, if using.
Roll tightly from the bottom, as if you were rolling a sleeping bag, firmly pressing down to make the fillings stay in place.
As you continue to roll, pull the roll down toward the end of the bamboo mat. Spread a tiny dab of water along the top seam to hold the roll together, and close.
Repeat the assembling process with the remaining dried seaweed sheets. Refrigerate the rolls until ready to serve.
Cut each roll into 7 to 8 pieces and serve. Enjoy.

How to Store Kimbap

Kimbap is always better when freshly made. Keep it in the fridge until ready to eat, but don't let it sit longer than 2 or 3 hours because the rice will dry out and the seaweed will get soggy.
Although it is safe to eat the day after as long as it's been refrigerated, it won't be as delicious. But if you have leftovers, dip the whole or sliced rolls in salted whisked eggs and pan-fry them in a nonstick skillet with a teaspoon of vegetable oil. This is the best way of heating up day-old kimbap—other methods will prove inadequate and you'll end up with a mushy mess in your hands.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

With kimbap, anything goes. Here are some different tasty fillings that you can experiment with and put your own spin on it. Once you have the rice flattened down on the seaweed, place on top:

Make it spicy - For spicy cheese flavor, add kimchi and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Add meat! - Add bacon or ham, cheddar, and strips of cooked egg. If you love cheese, you can also add slices of American cheese.
Make it fishy - Add flaked smoked trout or tuna, mayo, and veggies.
Love Spam? - Add Spam, mayo, and veggies. You could even pan-sear the Spam a little first for a caramelized flavor before adding it to your roll.
Make it with veggies - For a vegan or vegetarian option, baked tofu, vegetables, and avocado

Easy After School Snacks

Korean Appetizers
Korean Food
Beef Recipes
Vegetable Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
180	Calories
5g	Fat
27g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	180
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g	7%
Saturated Fat 1g	6%
Cholesterol 93mg	31%
Sodium 844mg	37%
Total Carbohydrate 27g	10%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 4mg	22%
Calcium 74mg	6%
Iron 2mg	12%
Potassium 255mg	5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Carrot
appetizer
asian
family dinner

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