Crispy E-Mart No Brand Bacon Rice Balls
The Ultimate Golden Recipe for Bacon Rice Balls Using E-Mart’s Budget-Friendly No Brand Bacon
Perfect for a quick breakfast! I’ll share a golden recipe for bacon rice balls made with E-Mart’s No Brand bacon. They’re delicious even when made the day before and reheated in the microwave. Enjoy a simple yet satisfying meal!
Main Ingredients- E-Mart No Brand Bacon: 8 slices (for 1 bowl of rice)
- Warm Cooked Rice: 1 bowl (approx. 210g, equivalent to one microwaveable rice packet)
Seasoning- Sesame Oil: 1.5 Tbsp (or perilla oil)
- Flaked Sea Salt: 1/4 tsp (or seasoned salt, adjust to taste)
- Whole Sesame Seeds: 1/2 Tbsp (or crushed sesame seeds)
- Sesame Oil: 1.5 Tbsp (or perilla oil)
- Flaked Sea Salt: 1/4 tsp (or seasoned salt, adjust to taste)
- Whole Sesame Seeds: 1/2 Tbsp (or crushed sesame seeds)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the seasoning for the rice balls. In a bowl, combine 1.5 Tbsp of sesame oil (or perilla oil), 1/4 tsp of flaked sea salt, and 1/2 Tbsp of whole sesame seeds. Mix them well. This seasoning ratio is my secret to the best bacon rice balls! Since bacon is quite salty, I recommend tasting the bacon and adjusting the salt accordingly.
Step 2
Add 1 bowl of warm cooked rice to the bowl with the seasoning. If you often use microwaveable rice packets (like ‘Hetbahn’), you can freeze a portion and then heat it in the microwave when needed – it’s very convenient!
Step 3
Mix the rice and seasoning thoroughly using a spatula or spoon until the rice is evenly coated. It’s important to ensure every grain of rice is well-seasoned.
Step 4
Now, shape the rice into balls. Lightly moisten your hands with water or a little sesame oil to prevent the rice from sticking. Form them into bite-sized portions, similar to sushi. You can also use a sushi mold if you have one.
Step 5
The bacon I’m using for these rice balls is from ‘E-Mart No Brand’. E-Mart’s No Brand line is known for its great value, and I picked up some bacon and pork cutlets on my way home. I was very pleased with the quality! This No Brand bacon is thicker than regular bacon, giving it a satisfying chew.
Step 6
Heat a pan and add the E-Mart No Brand bacon. Since bacon releases a lot of fat, I decided to fry some onion, oyster mushrooms, and kimchi alongside it to balance the richness and add more flavor. The combination of savory bacon and the vegetables/kimchi is truly delicious!
Step 7
Cook the bacon until it’s crispy on both sides. If you prefer less crispy bacon, you can wrap the rice balls with bacon strips, secure them with toothpicks, and then pan-fry. Alternatively, you can tie them with scallions or chives for a different presentation and taste.
Step 8
I cooked my bacon until it was nicely crispy, but feel free to adjust to your preference! For the rice balls, I gently wrapped the seasoned rice with the crispy bacon. The seasoned rice mixture works wonderfully for making kimbap (seaweed rice rolls) too!
Step 9
You can use the rendered bacon fat to fry onions, garlic, oyster mushrooms, and aged kimchi to serve as a side dish. Another tasty idea is to spread the seasoned rice mixture on a sheet of nori (seaweed), top it with the fried bacon, kimchi, onions, and mushrooms, and roll it up like kimbap!
Step 10
Wrap the prepared rice balls with the crispy bacon. These are your finished bacon rice balls! Wrapping them in bacon makes them visually appealing and enhances the flavor significantly.
Step 11
Serve the bacon rice balls on a plate, accompanied by the fried kimchi and onions. For an exceptional flavor combination, I highly recommend serving them with pickled perilla leaves (깻잎장아찌)!
