Printed September 2, 2026
Crispy Rice Bowl with Gochujang Glazed Spam
Before you judge, hear this: properly crisped rice with caramelized Spam in a Korean-style glaze is a textural masterpiece. It's the kind of solo dinner that starts as guilty pleasure and ends as unapologetic favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup day-old cooked rice (cold is essential)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 slices Spam, cut ¼-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 fried egg
- 2 tablespoons kimchi
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, sliced
Preparation
There's a certain freedom in cooking for yourself—you can embrace ingredients and combinations that might raise eyebrows at a dinner party. This bowl celebrates that freedom with Spam, an ingredient that deserves far more respect than it gets, especially when treated right.
Preparation
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the cold rice in an even layer, pressing down gently. Don't stir—let it sit for 4-5 minutes to develop a golden crust. Flip sections and crisp the other side. Transfer to your serving bowl.
- In the same pan, add remaining oil and fry the Spam slices for 2-3 minutes per side until edges are crispy and caramelized.
- While Spam cooks, whisk together gochujang, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. When Spam is done, reduce heat to low, add the sauce to the pan, and toss to coat (it will bubble and thicken immediately).
- Fry your egg to desired doneness in the residual pan oil.
- Arrange the glazed Spam over your crispy rice. Top with the fried egg, kimchi, sesame seeds, and green onion.
What makes this work is the textural journey—shatteringly crispy rice gives way to tender grains, the Spam is both crispy-edged and yielding, and the egg yolk becomes a sauce when broken. The gochujang glaze ties it all together with sweet heat that's definitively Korean but somehow universally satisfying.
