Ah, yes, SPAM. It’s cheap, tinned meat that lasts for decades, and is actually a favorite ingredient of Hawaiians. However, how does one make it appetizing? The answer is these five Spam recipes.
1.SPAM Fried Rice.
The first Spam recipe we’ll be covering is a fried-rice recipe that makes use of Teriyaki Spam. However, there’s little difference between spam times, so feel free to substitute one type for another. Fried rice is an easy and fast dish, and this recipe makes four servings, so this will last you a good few dinners depending on how much you eat.
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) can SPAM Teriyaki, diced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups cooked rice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Directions:
In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil.
Add eggs. Cook, stirring to desired doneness. Remove from skillet and set aside.
In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cook SPAM® Teriyaki, carrots, green onions, and bell pepper for 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in rice and egg. Sprinkle with soy sauce. Heat thoroughly.
Garnish as desired with additional green onion.
2. SPAM Bibimbap Bowl.
The next Spam recipe is a twist on the classic Korean dish Bibimbap. The recipe calls for several special ingredients including kimchi and gochujang. Kimchi is a spicy, salty ingredient made from fermented vegetables, sort of like sauerkraut. Gochujang meanwhile is a rice and chili-powder based fermented condiment. Both are vital to this dish. This dish takes only slightly longer than the fried rice above, so it won’t cost too much time.
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) can SPAM® Classic, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1½ cups bean sprouts
4 cups baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, julienned
4 cups hot cooked rice
1 cup kimchi
4 eggs, fried
4 tablespoons gochujang, divided
Toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
In small bowl, combine garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce.
In large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil.
Add bean sprouts and 1/3 of the garlic mixture to pan; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan.
In same skillet, heat 2 more teaspoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Add spinach and another 1/3 of garlic mixture to pan; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove from pan.
In same skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and remaining garlic mixture and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan.
In same skillet, over medium-high heat, cook SPAM® Classic 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Remove from heat.
To serve, divide cooked rice among 4 bowls. Top each with bean sprouts, spinach, carrots, SPAM® Classic, kimchi, egg, gochujang, and sesame seeds.
3. 2-Step SPAM Grilled Cheese.
Our third SPAM recipe is ridiculously simple, but there’s a case to be made that the recipe isn’t limited to just spam. You can use other meats, vegetables, or fruits in place of spam and the outcome will be largely the same. You can add or subtract ingredients as you see fit, and develop your own perfected version of a grilled cheese. It’s easy, its cheap, and it’s a good skill to have anyway.
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) can SPAM® Classic, sliced into 8 pieces
2 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices cheese
Directions:
In a small skillet, cook the SPAM® Classic over medium-high heat, turning once, for about 5 minutes, then remove from skillet.
Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.
Place bread slices in the skillet, butter-side-down, and top 1 slice with cheese. Cook until the cheese is melted and bread is toasted.
Cover the cheese with 2 pieces of SPAM® Classic and 1 slice of cheese, then cover with the top slice bread.
4. Spamburger
Fourth on the list of Spam recipes is the Spamburger. Yes, it’s a thing, don’t worry about it. It’s another recipe with a lot of room to add various toppings depending on what you want in a burger. The recipe calls for ketchup as a basic condiment, but you can add anything from onions to bacon to pineapple. Whatever you enjoy on a regular hamburger will go well on a Spamburger. This recipe does rely on you having a grill, but you can probably make them on a griddle or skillet if you’re skilled enough.
Grill SPAM® Classic, turning once, 5 to 7 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
Place a slice of cheese on each slice of SPAM® Classic just before removing from the grill.
5. SPAM Budae JJigae Stew.
Our final SPAM Recipe is another Korean one. This dish is often known as Korean Army Stew, and is a rich hot pot style stew that I can totally imagine being used to keep soldiers fed. If you can’t find Korean ramen noodles, you can probably get away with the noodle block from an instant ramen pack.
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) can SPAM® Classic sliced
1 (8-ounce) can pork and beans
7 ounces Kielbasa, sliced
1 (16-ounce) package firm tofu, sliced
1 cup kimchi, diced
1/2 onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 (4.2-ounce) package Korean ramen noodle, with seasoning packet
2 tablespoons Korean chili flakes
1 tablespoon Korean chili paste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
¼ cup sliced green onions
Hot Cooked Rice
Directions:
In large skillet over medium-high heat, cook SPAM® Classic slices 3 to 5 minutes or until browned.
In a large shallow pot or pan, arrange SPAM® Classic slices, pork and beans, Kielbasa, tofu, kimchi, onion and mushrooms. Place ramen noodle on top.
In small bowl, combine ramen seasoning packet, chili flakes, chili paste, garlic, soy sauce and pepper.
Add the seasoning mixture to the pot and pour chicken stock over.
Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat; cook, stirring in the seasoning and noodles for 5 to 6 minutes or until noodles are tender and stew is heated through. Garnish with green onions. Serve with rice.
Are there any SPAM recipes we missed? Be sure to let us know!
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