Learn how to make an easy scorched rice recipe in the air fryer with just 1 ingredient. This Korean nurungji is crunchy, nutty, addicting, and so easy!
What is Nurungji?
If you grew up in a Korean household, Korean scorched rice, or nurungji (“누룽지”), was probably a household staple. The word “nurungji” means “scorched rice” in Korean.
Nurungji is a traditional Korean food made from lightly scorched rice, which is the crust that forms at the bottom of the pot after cooking rice. When cooked in a pot, the bottom layer of the rice is close to the flames, so it can form a scorched layer that hardens and gets crunchy and crispy.
This layer becomes a delicious and nutty treat, and many households will let their rice cook a bit longer to achieve this amazing bottom texture. I remember getting so excited about my Korean burnt rice at the end of my meal!
Because of its crunchy, addicting texture that’s similar to chips, it’s popular amongst kids, and I used to love it growing up. It’s still something I never turn down when offered to me!
What Makes This Recipe Great
While the traditional Korean nurungji recipe is naturally made while you are cooking rice, this air fryer nurungji can be made anytime using leftover white rice.
I love to make it with leftover white rice after I get Asian takeout. Rather than let it sit in the fridge, this is a great way to repurpose your leftovers, and it’s so delicious too! It tastes just like the scorched rice from the bottom of a pot but is even easier in the air fryer!
Even better, it’s only one ingredient! That’s seriously it! All you’ll need is an air fryer (this is the one I have and love) and parchment paper to cook it. Let’s make nurungji!
Ingredient Notes
- Leftover cooked rice: Use any leftover white rice! Whether it’s from a pot of rice you cooked or from takeout.
How to Make Scorched Rice in the Air Fryer
Follow these instructions for how to make nurungji, and you’ll have a yummy and crispy rice treat in less than 15 minutes!
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Cut a parchment paper so it fits on the air fryer tray.
- Add rice on the parchment paper in a thin layer about ½ inch thick. You may need to break up the rice a bit to do this.
- Cook in the air fryer for 9-10 minutes if you want it slightly chewy with a crispy layer, or 11-12 minutes for an ultra-crunchy texture and golden brown appearance.
- Remove from the air fryer (it should be in one large piece), then cool for a few minutes.
- Break the nurungji up with your hands and enjoy it on its own, with kimchi, sugar, furikake, sriracha mayo, or however you want to enjoy it!
How to Make White Rice
If you want to make a pot of white rice to enjoy for a meal and then make the leftovers into nurungji, follow these simple steps.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of short-grain white rice
- 2 cups of water
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear.
- Combine the rice and water in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. You can also use a rice cooker if you have one, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Heat the rice and water over high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover tightly with a lid.
- Cook the rice for 18-20 minutes, or until the water has been completely absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy.
- Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for about 10 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Use the rice for whatever dish you’re making and save the rest for air fryer nurungji the next day!
Serving Tips
- This is totally up to you! Scorched rice is delicious on its own, but I know some people like to add some kind of savory banchan (side dish) to it, like kimchi or toasted seaweed. I like to sprinkle some furikake on mine or even dip it in sriracha mayo.
- Some Koreans also like to enjoy nurungji as dessert and sprinkle some sugar on it before munching away.
Storage Tips
- Air fryer nurungji is best served fresh, but you can store leftovers to enjoy later if you want.
- Cool the pieces completely, then you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend leftover cold rice that’s at least a day old. White fluffy rice, like jasmine or sushi rice, works best, but you can also make it with brown rice. Make sure it’s the type of rice that has some sticky starchiness to it.
Korean scorched rice is slightly smoky and nutty and just really delicious! They are like a crunchier version of rice cakes.
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Easy Air Fryer Nurungji (Korean Scorched Rice)
Ingredients
- 1½ cup leftover cooked rice at least a day old and cold
Equipments
- Parchment paper
- Air fryer
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Cut a parchment paper so it fits on the air fryer tray.
- Add rice on the parchment paper in a single layer about ½ inch thick. You may need to break up the rice a bit to do this.
- Cook in the air fryer for 9-10 minutes if you want it slightly chewy with a crispy layer, or 11-12 minutes for an ultra crunchy texture.
- Remove from the air fryer (it should be in one large piece), then cool for a few minutes.
- Break it up with your hands and enjoy on its own, with kimchi, sugar, furikake, sriracha mayo, or however you want to enjoy it!
Notes
How to Make White Rice
If you want to make a pot of white rice to enjoy for a meal and then make the leftovers into nurungji, follow these simple steps.Ingredients
- 2 cups of short-grain white rice
- 2 cups of water
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear.
- Combine the rice and water in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. You can also use a rice cooker if you have one, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Heat the rice and water over high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover tightly with a lid.
- Cook the rice for 18-20 minutes, or until the water has been completely absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy.
- Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for about 10 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Use the rice for whatever dish you’re making and save the rest for air fryer nurungji the next day!
Serving Tips
- This is totally up to you! Scorched rice is delicious on its own, but I know some people like to add some kind of savory banchan (side dish) to it, like kimchi or toasted seaweed. I like to sprinkle some furikake on mine or even dip it in sriracha mayo.
- Some Koreans also like to enjoy nurungji as dessert and sprinkle some sugar on it before munching away.
Storage Tips
- Air fryer nurungji is best served fresh, but you can store leftovers to enjoy later if you want.
- Cool the pieces completely, then you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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They are like a crunchier version of rice cakes. How do you enjoy nurungji? This is totally up to you!
I tried this and wow! crispy, chewy kernels of amazing…..seasoned with a homemade spice mix and served as a side with a Sous Vide KC strip and Instant Pot Brussels…The Holy trinity of new age kitchen appliances. 🙂
this works! it’s so simple to do. I used my re-usable silicone steamer inserts (which are perforated) for this, and my 누룽지 came out perfect. thank you so much for this recipe — I can now use up those last bits of rice at the end of the day for something delicious.
by the way, well-toasted nurungji is a delicious last-minute addition to 라면!
What an amazing idea! So glad you enjoyed it.