Kimbap (Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls)

Tender marinated beef, seasoned fish cake, eggs, spinach, carrots, pickled radish, and plump short-grain white rice, all wrapped in a crisp seaweed sheet. Kimbap has the perfect balance of umami flavors, vibrant nutrients, and textures all in one bite.

Course Lunch, Snack

Cuisine Korean

Keyword easy kimbap recipe, gimbap, kimbap recipe, Korean rolled omelet, Korean sushi

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Total Time 50

Servings rolls

Calories 544kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Rice

2 cups uncooked short-grain rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt

Beef

8 oz beef sirloin or rib eye, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic minced

Fillings

8 oz spinach
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
2 carrots peeled and julienned
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
4-5 strips danmuji pickled radish, pre-sliced
3 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
4-5 sheets seaweed

Fish Cake

2 sheets fish cake sliced into 1/2 inch strips
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

Rice

Cook the rice. Wash the rice 2-3 times or until the water is mostly clear. Add the water, and follow your rice cooker’s manual instructions for cooking. Alternatively, cook the rice on the stove.
Season the rice. Once the rice is cooked, add the sesame oil and salt and mix until combined. Set aside.

Fillings

Marinate the beef. In a small mixing bowl, add the beef, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. Mix until combined and marinate for 15 minutes.
Prepare the spinach. Bring a pot of water to a boil and quickly blanch the spinach for 30 seconds. Place the spinach in cold water and squeeze out all the water. Then season with sesame oil and salt. Set aside.
Sauté the carrots. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, add one teaspoon of sesame oil and saute the carrots with 1/8 teaspoon of salt until tender, about 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
Prepare the eggs. Whisk the eggs with 1/4 teaspoon of salt until combined. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook until the bottom is 60% set. Then fold the eggs about 2 inches, fold again, and remove when done. Slice into 1/4 inch strips. Set aside.
Sauté the fish cake. In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish cake, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil and mix until softened, about 2 minutes.
Cook the beef. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat, stir-fry the beef until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Assemble

Add the rice. Place the seaweed sheet with the shiny side down and the longer side facing you on a bamboo sushi mat lined with plastic wrap. Start on one side and spread a thin layer of 3/4 cup of rice evenly over the seaweed, leaving a 1 1/2-to 2-inch gap at the top.
Add the filling. Lay an even amount of each filling in the center of the rice, leaving about 1 inch of rice at the top to seal the filling.
Roll. Lift the entire bottom edge of the rice with both hands and tuck the filling in with your fingers as you roll while applying a firm amount of pressure. Once the roll is completely rolled, apply pressure to squeeze everything together.
Slice. Brush the roll lightly with sesame oil and slice it into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Wipe the knife with a damp towel between cuts to ensure clean cuts.

Video

Notes

See the Expert Tips section for more guidance.

Nutrition