How to Eat Bibimbap

Bibimbap (pronounced bee-bim-bop) is a Korean dish that translates to “mixed rice.” It’s exactly what its name suggests: a heaping portion of rice served in a hot stone bowl and topped with vegetables, protein, a fried egg, and delicious sauces. Whether you make it at home or order it at a Korean restaurant, follow the traditional technique of eating bibimbap for an authentic experience.

EditIngredients

Rice
Vegetables (carrots, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, etc.)
Choice of protein
Egg
Gochujang sauce
Sesame oil (optional)

EditSteps

EditRecipe Variations

Bibimbap Protein Variations

Bibimbap Vegetable Variations

EditEnjoying Your Bibimbap

Break the fried egg yolk so it runs into the rest of the mixture. This makes the rice creamier and prevents the dish from drying out. Use the edge of a spoon to cut into the egg on top of the bowl. Press down gently on the egg to squeeze out the runny yolk.^[1]
- The yolk may cook against the sides of the warm bowl, creating a delicious fried rice effect.
- Some people crack a raw egg on top of the dish instead. Only do this if your bowl is hot enough to cook the egg thoroughly when you mix it up.
Add condiments like Gochujang sauce or sesame oil to taste. Gochujang is a Korean chili paste made with red chili powder. The more sauce you use, the spicier your dish will be. Drizzle sesame oil over top, too, for extra flavor.^[2]
- Use less Gochujang sauce or skip it all together if you can’t tolerate a lot of heat.
- Other optional condiments include soy sauce, salt, or Sriracha.
Stir the bowl until all of the ingredients are combined. A quick tossing won’t work here. Using a spoon, mix the ingredients vigorously so all of the flavors blend together. Stirring inside the hot bowl also keeps the dish warm all the way through.^[3]
- If you want crispy rice, mix it without disturbing the crust on the bottom of the bowl.
- You know it’s stirred well when the mixture in the bowl becomes 1 color.
Wait for the bibimbap to cool down slightly before eating. If you dig in right away, you risk burning your mouth. Let the bibimbap sit in the bowl for a few minutes before you start eating. It shouldn’t be cold but you want it to be warm, not scalding.^[4]
- Speed up the cooling process by pushing all of the bibimbap to one side of the bowl. The top will cool off faster so you can start eating. By the time you get to the bottom, that will also be cool enough to enjoy.
- Lightly blow on a spoonful before placing it in your mouth if it’s still too hot.
Eat the mixture with a spoon instead of chopsticks. Koreans traditionally don’t eat rice with chopsticks. A spoon is best for scooping up heaping mouthfuls of the bibimbap.^[5]
- Chopsticks can help you pile more ingredients onto your spoon.
- If you don’t want your rice to get crispy, use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the bowl every so often while you eat to mix it up.

EditAssembling Bibimbap at Home

Warm a stone bowl over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Rub the inside of the bowl with sesame oil, then place it on a gas stove to heat it to your preferred warmth. The hotter the bowl, the longer it will keep your bibimbap warm.^[6]
- You can buy a stone or granite bowl at most Korean grocery stores.
- If you don’t have a stone bowl, a cast iron pan will produce the same effect.
Fill the bottom of the bowl with cooked rice. Use any type of rice you prefer, whether it’s long-grain, brown, white, or a mix. Traditionally, sticky white rice serves as the base for bibimbap.^[7]
- Short-grain, sticky rice is ideal because it clumps together, giving you that nice crust on the bottom of your bowl.
- Make rice on the stove or in a rice maker. You can also use leftover rice.
Choose the vegetables and protein you want as toppings. There’s no limit to what can go into bibimbap when it comes to your toppings. Some common vegetables you might find in the dish include carrots, bean sprouts, spinach, and shiitake mushrooms. For protein, choose anything from flank steak to chicken to tofu.^[8]
- Sautee the veggies in a garlic or soy sauce to bring more layers of flavor to the dish.
- Consider including kimchi, which is fermented cabbage that's very popular in Asian cooking. It adds a crunchy texture.
- Bibimbap is also a great way to use up leftovers in the fridge or vegetables that are almost past their prime.
Fry 1 egg for about 2 minutes so that the yolk is runny. A runny yolk is essential to making bibimbap. Cook your egg either over easy or sunny-side up, being careful not to break the yolk while you’re frying it.^[9]
- For a sunny-side up egg, you don't need to flip it at all. Just make sure the egg whites are completely set.
- Use sesame oil to fry your egg for a toasty flavor.
Arrange your toppings by color on the rice with the egg in the center. Koreans like to incorporate 5 colors into their dishes: red, yellow, black, white, and green. For a pretty bowl, group the ingredients based on their color. Lay the egg on top in the middle of the bowl.^[10]
- For example, place all of the yellow ingredients next to the all of the red ingredients instead of scattering them randomly.