Easy Folded Kimbap Sandwich – 2 Ways

Easy and quick Folded Kimbap is a fun and delicious way to eat Kimbap at home. Making the traditional kimbap roll can be intimidating but follow my recipe and you can get the same flavor in just minutes! Great for lunchboxes too!

What is Folded Kimbap?

Folded Kimbap (접는 김밥) or Gimbap or also called Kimbap sandwich, is a new way to make kimbap by folding the ingredients inside the gim (nori) into a square shape instead of rolling it – as it has been done for many many years. The stuffing ingredients can vary but I believe Spam and Egg (sometimes kimchi) is probably the most common combination instead of the very traditional recipe that usually includes more vegetables like spinach namul, carrots, cucumber or sauteed burdock roots.

This also goes by Sagak Kimbap (사각김밥) or Square Kimbap because of the shape.

BTW, in case you are wondering, Kimbap and Gimbap refer to the same thing. There’s no difference. It’s just that Korean romanization changed in 2002 and the old spelling of Gimbap is still used by some people. It’s because the ㄱ sound is somewhere between G and K, Korean romanization has changed over the years from G to K.

I don’t know who came up with this idea but it’s pretty genius. When I first saw this I kind of dismissed it and thought that it was just a gimmick.. lol. But lately having gone through the years of having the whole family at home, preparing 3 meals a day, almost every day, this EASY and QUICK way of making kimbap seemed quite appealing.

Is Folded Kimbap really IS TO MAKE?

YES!! This gimbap was so EASY and FUN to make!! But HONESTLY, I actually messed up in the folding part the first 2 times! So it’s not as mindlessly easy as you might think. Also, the ratio of ingredients will make a difference in how it tastes so read my tips if you care about how it looks and tastes.

How to make KETO Folded Kimbap?

If you want to make a Keto Folded Kimbap with no rice – substitute pan-fried extra firm tofu, shredded green cabbage or thin tofu sheets (try Asian stores). Also, try making a square egg omelet and use it in lieu of rice.

How to store Kimbap?

Kimbap can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days but not much longer. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying.

How to reheat Folded Kimbap?

Refrigerate leftover Kimbap wrapped in plastic wrap or in a container then reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Just warm enough to soften the rice but not too much.

How to Make Folded Kimbap

Recipe for Spam, Egg, Kimchi Folded Kimbap

Ingredients (for 2 kimbap)

• 2 sheets Gim (Dried Seaweed for Kimbap) or Nori
• 4 slices spam (I use 25% less sodium) cut about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped cabbage kimchi + sprinkle of sugar + swirl of sesame oil
• sesame seeds
• 1 instant Korean rice (210g 7.4oz Haetban 햇반) or 3/4 cup of cooked short grain rice

STEP-BY-STep instructions

1. Heat instant rice in the microwave per instruction (I usually do 1:30 sec). Alternatively, just use cooked short grain white rice. Once heated, scatter the rice on a plate to help it cool. You want the rice to be just lukewarm (shouldn’t feel hot) for best results. If rice is too hot then your gim will shrivel up fast.
2. Cut spam into thin slices (about 1/4 in).
3. Chop cabbage kimchi – I was lazy and used scissors inside the bowl instead of cutting them on a board. Season it with a swirl of sesame oil and a sprinkling of sugar.
4. Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Add a swirl of vegetable oil to the pan and crack open the eggs and fry them. You can cook the eggs in the way you like it – over easy, over medium or over hard. I liked mine to be over medium. You can also break the egg yolk with your spatial and cook to make it over hard. See video.
5. Remove egg from frying pan when done. Now cook spam and kimchi in the same frying pan – each to one side. Cook spam until it’s brown on both sides. Saute kimchi until it’s slightly browned.
6. Let all the ingredients cool a bit before you start to assemble.
7. Fold the Gim (nori) into quarters starting from the bottom left then open up and then cut just one slit into the gim – like in the picture below.
   1. In the right bottom corner, spread rice (about 3 Tbsp) and then some of the cooked kimchi.
   2. In the left bottom corner, put the fried egg.
   3. In the top left corner, put 2 slices of spam.
   4. In the top right corner, spread rice again (about 3 Tbsp)
   5. Now start folding each square over – starting from the left bottom in a counterclockwise fashion. See the video or pic below.
8. Cut Kimbap in half – cut so that the folded edge is cut into two.

Recipe for Tuna, Cheese and Perilla Folded Kimbap

Ingredients (for 2 kimbap)

• 1 can tuna (150g 5.3oz)
• 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 2-4 Korean perilla (kkaennip) leaves
• 1 small cucumber – Persian or English (cut into the length of the gim)
• 4 Korean pickled Ssam Mu radish or thinly sliced Danmuji 단무지 (pickled yellow daikon radish)
• 2 slices of American Cheese
• 1 instant Korean rice (210g 7.4oz Haetban 햇반) or 3/4 cup of cooked short grain rice

Step by Step Instructions for Tuna Mayo Folded Kimbap

1. Heat up instant rice in the microwave per instruction. Once heated, scatter the rice on a plate to help it cool. You want the rice to be just lukewarm (shouldn’t feel hot when you touch) for best results. If rice is too hot then your gim will shrivel up fast.
2. Optionally, you can season rice – about 1/4 tsp rice vinegar, sugar (sprinkle), salt (sprinkle) for 1 Hetban. Or use a store-bought Shushinoko (sushi vinegar powder) for easier prep.
3. Drain Tuna and put it in a small bowl, add mayonnaise and mix.
4. Cut the cucumber into the length of the Gim and then using a peeler peel several pieces. Alternatively, you can cut into just thin round slices but this will easily fall out when you try to eat it. So I find it’s better if you make the cucumber into longer rectangular thin slices.
5. If using Ssam Mu (Pickled radish for Ssam) from a package, drain so it’s not too wet. If using Danmuji (pickled yellow radish), just slice them thin either as round or longer rectangular slices.
6. Rinse Perilla leaves and let them dry.
7. Once the ingredients are all ready and the rice cooled, start assembling the Kimbap.
   1. In the right bottom corner, spread rice (about 3 Tbsp)
   2. In the left bottom corner, lay out Perilla leaf then top with Tuna. I do this so the tuna doesn’t make the gim too wet.
   3. In the top left corner, add cheese then top with cucumbers, then ssam mu (pickled radish) or Danmuji.
   4. In the top right corner, spread rice again (about 3 Tbsp)
   5. Now start folding each square over – starting from the left bottom in a counterclockwise fashion. See video.

More Folded Kimbap Filling Ideas

Besides the 2 combinations above, you can try these other Korean Folded Sagak (Square) Kimbap combinations –

• Artificial crab meat mixed with Mayo + Cucumbers + Danmuji (pickled radish) + avocado. This would basically be like a California roll.
• Ground bulgogi beef or ham or thin Odeng sheets, cucumbers, carrots (sauteed), Danmuji, egg. Much like regular Kimbap.
• Spicy pork bulgogi, lettuce, sauteed carrots, danmuji.

Enjoy!!

xoxo ❤️, JinJoo

Watch my YT Video on how to make Spam Kimchi Egg Kimbap –

Spam Kimchi Egg Folded Kimbap

Here’s a shorter video for Tuna Mayo Kimbap