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Add some flavor to your plate with this delicious and easy pineapple fried rice recipe. Perfect to serve alongside your favorite Chinese mains, this fresh and vibrant side takes minutes to make with lots of fresh ingredients.
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Skip the takeout this week and make up this delicious homemade pineapple fried rice instead! Made with lots of fresh and tasty ingredients, this quick dish is not shy in the flavor department, with hints of ginger, soy sauce, onion and cilantro, and of course, lots of pineapple!
Simple to make, this dish requires minimal prep and is ready to serve in minutes – much quicker than waiting for your takeout order!
Be sure to try my Chicken Fried Rice and Beef Fried Rice too!
Why you will love this Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe!
- One Pan: This Chinese inspired side dish comes together in a skillet on the stovetop, so even the clean up is a breeze!
- Healthier: This recipe is a great healthy alternative to your usual takeout. Packed full of vitamins and minerals from the fresh veggies, it’s also much lower in fats, sugar and salt.
- Make ahead: This is a great dish for meal prep for the week. It keeps well in the fridge and is freezer friendly too.
Ingredients
- Vegetables: Red onion, red bell pepper, green onion, and garlic. You can also add green peas and carrots.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger adds a wonderful warming flavor and aroma to this dish. If you don’t have fresh, you can use a teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
- Pineapple: I love to use a whole fresh pineapple when making this dish, as when made, the rice can be served in the hollowed out pineapple halves.
- Cashews: Cashews add a great texture to this rice side dish, they aren’t too crunchy and their mild flavor works great with the other ingredients.
- Rice: Any long-grain white rice will work well, I like to use jasmine rice. For best results use cooked and chilled rice, a day-old rice. Check out my post on how to cook rice perfectly with lots of tips and tricks.
- Soy sauce: A key seasoning ingredient in any Chinese recipe! You can use Tamari if you have an intolerance to gluten.
- Sesame oil: This adds a wonderful nutty flavor to the dish. You can use canola or vegetable oil, but it won’t have the same flavor.
- Salt and pepper: Added to taste.
- Cilantro: Optional, but I love the fresh flavor this adds. You can use parsley if you don’t like the taste of cilantro.
How to make pineapple fried rice
- Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil In a large skillet or a wok over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- After 2 minutes, add the pineapple chunks, bell pepper, and cashew, continue cooking, stirring, for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still crunchy.
- Add the rice, pour the soy sauce, and remaining sesame oil, cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Season to taste and sprinkle with the green onion and cilantro, if desired.
- Serve warm in a bowl or in hollowed out pineapple halves. Garnish with more chopped green onions.
Can you use canned pineapple instead of fresh?
I love to make this with a whole fresh pineapple, the taste is so much more vibrant and I love using the halved pineapple as serving bowls! If you want to cut down on prep time though, then canned pineapple is a good option, just drain it through a fine mesh sieve before adding to skillet. You can also bu ready prepped pineapple from the store, and frozen can also be used.
Can you use ready to eat rice?
For the best results, use cooked and cooled rice, I like to make it the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight til I’m ready to use it. If you have a last minute craving and haven’t planned ahead, the packets of ready to eat rice, that you have to microwave, work surprisingly well. Just add the packet straight to the pan and make sure it is piping hot before serving.
What do you serve it with?
This pineapple rice recipe is perfect to serve alongside your favorite Asian dishes. Try it with:
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips
- This Thai pineapple fried rice can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
- For fried rice, use leftover rice. It’s slightly drier than freshly prepared rice, and it won’t stick in the pan.
- Finely dice and chop the fresh ingredients so that everything combines together well.
- Cook over high heat – Stir-fry dishes should be prepared quickly over high heat, which is particularly crucial for fried rice as it prevents the rice from soaking up excessive oil and becoming mushy and soggy rather than having a chewy and crispy texture.
- Make it a full meal by adding in some protein like cooked shredded chicken or pan-fried shrimp.
More Rice Recipes
Pineapple Fried Rice
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Ingredients
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh pineapple
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup raw unsalted cashews
- 2 cups cooked long-grain rice, I use basmati
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp chopped green onion
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil In a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- After 2 minutes, add the pineapple, bell pepper, and cashew, continue cooking, stirring, for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still crunchy.
- Add the rice, soy sauce, and remaining sesame oil, cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Season to taste and sprinkle with the green onion and cilantro, if desired.
- Serve warm in a bowl or in hollowed out pineapple halves. Garnish with more chopped green onions.
Notes
- The pineapple fried rice can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
- For fried rice, use rice cooked the day before. It’s slightly drier than freshly prepared rice, and it won’t stick in the pan.
- Finely dice and chop the fresh ingredients so that everything combines together well.
- Make it a fully meal by adding in some cooked shredded chicken or pan-fried shrimp.
