Kimchi Rice Balls – Takes Two Eggs

November 14, 2024

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Crispy kimchi rice balls filled with gooey mozzarella cheese are probably the most addicting Korean dish you can function a snack or a fast lunch. The rice is seasoned with kimchi, gochujang, darkish soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil for a tangy, spicy, candy, and savory umami taste.

Kimchi and mozzarella cheese are a match made in heaven. Plus, these kimchi cheese rice balls are extremely simple to make within the air fryer for that good crispy on the surface, delicate and gooey on the within texture.

What are Kimchi Rice Balls?

Kimchi rice balls, often known as kimchi jumeokbap, are a preferred Korean snack made with rice, kimchi, gochujang, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil after which formed into balls or triangles. The kimchi cheese rice ball model has been made standard by Bibigo’s Costco Kimchi & Cheese Balls which contains a mozzarella cheese filling.

Kimchi rice balls are sometimes served as a snack or an appetizer for a important dish akin to jajangmyeon (Korean black bean noodles).

Hand pulling apart a cheesy kimchi rice ball to show the cheese stretching.

Components

You will discover all of the components for these kimchi rice balls at your native Korean grocery retailer.

Quick Grain Sushi Rice: quick grain sushi rice are thick plump grains which might be sticky which is good for shaping and is the most suitable choice for holding a number of taste.
Gochujang: a spicy, and candy Korean pink pepper paste that’s utilized in a number of Korean delicacies. It enhances the kimchi taste.
Brown Sugar: gently balances the warmth within the gochujang whereas additionally including a pleasant caramel taste.
Fish Sauce: provides a cool, salty umami punch of taste.
Darkish Soy Sauce: provides a wealthy darkish brown coloring and a sweeter type of soy sauce taste.
Sesame oil: provides a nutty umami end.
Kimchi: make sure that to cut up your kimchi finely. Kimchi provides a signature, bitter, spicy, savory taste that’s mouthwateringly scrumptious.
Mozzarella Cheese: pairs greatest with kimchi. The delicate mozzarella permits the kimchi taste to shine. It is usually the most effective cheese for a cheese pull.

All the ingredients to make kimchi rice balls labeled and organized.

Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

Soy sauce: as an alternative of darkish soy sauce, you may alternatively use common soy sauce, tamari, coconut aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce.
Sweetener: honey, common sugar, maple syrup, or a sweetener of your alternative.
Cheese: you need to use your alternative of shredded cheese, or you can too use cubed cheese.

Additions

Inexperienced onions: add a recent fragrant taste to the kimchi rice balls.
Toasted sesame seeds: for added nutty crunch.
Protein: you may stuff the rice balls with bacon, or spam or protein of your alternative for extra taste.
Furikake seasoning: for added seasoning, combine in furikake seasoning.
Gochugaru: for added spice, add a splash of gochugaru or Korean pink chili pepper flakes to the sauce.

The right way to Make Kimchi Rice Balls

Listed below are the step-by-step photograph directions for how one can make kimchi rice balls recipe. See the recipe card beneath for full measurements and detailed directions.

Totally rinse the rice till the water turns clear. Add water and cook dinner the rice in a rice cooker. Alternatively, you may deliver the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Then stir within the rice and decrease the warmth, cowl, and simmer for 18-20 minutes or till the rice is cooked via. Place in a big mixing bowl to chill and put aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine collectively the gochujang, brown sugar, fish sauce, darkish soy sauce, and sesame oil.
Warmth a medium skillet over medium warmth. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and add the chopped kimchi. Cook dinner the kimchi till a lot of the moisture has evaporated.

Cooking down chopped kimchi in a large skillet.

Pour the sauce into the pan and blend till the sauce has thickened about 30 seconds.

Seasoned cooked down kimchi in a large skillet.

Subsequent, pour the kimchi into the bowl of rice and blend till evenly coated.

kimchi sushi rice mixed together in a large bowl.

Fill about 2/3 of the onigiri mildew with the kimchi rice. Dig a small maintain within the heart and fill with mozzarella cheese after which high with extra rice and squeeze the lid on high of the mildew to type the triangle form.

Filling an onigiri mold with a cheese stuff kimchi rice ball.

Frivolously brush the kimchi cheese rice balls with extra sesame oil, and cook dinner the kimchi rice balls within the air fryer at 400°F (204°C) for 18-20 minutes or till crispy.

Brushing kimchi rice balls with sesame oil before air frying.

Skilled Ideas

Cook dinner the moisture out of the kimchi. Be sure to saute the chopped kimchi till a lot of the moisture has evaporated. It will stop the kimchi rice balls from falling aside.
Style to regulate. As soon as the kimchi, sauce, and rice are combined, style and regulate any flavors based mostly in your preferences.
Use an onigiri mildew. The simplest method to pack within the rice to carry the cheese in with out it leaking out is with an onigiri mildew.
Firmly form the rice. Apply constant stress to press the rice to carry its form. If the rice is just not holding, add a contact of water or kimchi juice to bind the rice.

A few kimchi rice balls served on a plate.

Storage Directions

You possibly can retailer these kimchi cheese rice balls in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.

Reheat: sprinkle a number of drops of water over the rice balls and microwave coated with a moist paper towel till heat. Alternatively, you may reheat them within the air fryer coated with aluminum foil till heat.

Freeze: you may freeze the kimchi rice balls in a single layer on the tray till frozen. Then switch them to a freezer-safe bag for as much as 3 months. To reheat, merely pop them within the air fryer at 400°F (204°C) for 20-25 minutes from the freezer. No must defrost.

Pairing Solutions

You possibly can serve these kimchi rice balls on their very own with a seaweed sheet or pair them with the next pairing solutions.

Drinks akin to Korean strawberry milk, or matcha milk tea.
Protein akin to Korean gochujang rooster wings, galbi jjim (Korean braised quick ribs, or Korean beef bulgogi.
Soup akin to budae jjigae (Korean Military Stew), tteok mandu guk (Korean rice cake soup), or Korean spicy delicate tofu soup (soondubu).
Facet dishes akin to Korean braised potatoes (gamja jorim), Korean seafood pancake (Haemul pajeon), Korean rice ball (jumeokbap), Korean bean sprout salad, Korean fish cake stir fry (eomuk bokkeum), bulgogi fries.

FAQ

Can I take advantage of the oven as an alternative of an air fryer?

Sure! You possibly can alternatively bake the kimchi rice balls within the oven at 400°F (204°C) for 18-20 minutes flipping midway or till crispy.

Can I cook dinner the kimchi rice balls on a skillet?

Sure! As an alternative of the oven or air fryer, you may warmth a tablespoon of oil on a skillet over medium warmth and evenly pan fry the kimchi cheese rice balls on all sides till crispy and evenly browned about 2 minutes on all sides.

Can I make kimchi rice balls prematurely?

Sure! you may retailer the kimchi rice balls within the fridge for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months. See the storage directions above for reheating directions.

Extra Kimchi Recipes to Strive

Kimchi Rice Balls Recipe