Pineapple fried rice is a quick and easy meal that is ready in just 20 minutes. It's savory, sweet, and flavorful. Sautéed vegetables, fresh fruit, fluffy white rice, and fluffy eggs all come together in this delicious weeknight family dinner with a Thai twist.
Plus, tropical fried rice stores and reheats well so it's perfect for meal prep for lunches throughout the week. This one pan meal is versatile too so you can throw in any leftover veggies or rice that you have in the fridge.
Why You'll Love Pineapple Fried Rice
- A quick and easy 20-minute dinner. Fried rice is one of the easiest dinners that you can make. This one pan dinner is ready in just 20 minutes! You literally throw everything into a skillet and stir together. Plus, tropical fried rice is nutritious, wholesome, and complete with fruits, veggies, carbs, and proteins for a satisfying and energizing meal.
- Loaded with flavor. I can say tons of wonderful things about fried rice, and this fried rice is special because it’s pineapple fried rice. Warm pineapple nestled in well-seasoned fried rice with sautéed veggies add a sweet yet acidic flavor to this fried rice and is one of the best things you’ll ever taste, especially if you like pineapples.
- It's customizable. Fried rice with pineapple is my favorite meal when I have leftovers I need to cook up. Add in any veggies you have on hand and leftover proteins like grilled chicken to transform plain leftover rice into delicious pineapple fried rice.
Ingredient Notes
To make this quick and easy Pineapple Fried Rice, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- coconut oil
- white rice - freshly cooked is best, but you can use leftover rice. You will just need to add some water to soften the rice.
- pineapple - feel free to use canned or fresh pineapples. If you are using fresh pineapples, you can save the shell so that you can serve the pineapple fried rice in it.
- vegetables - we used carrots, red bell pepper, green peas, sweet corn, and green onions.
- eggs
- roasted cashews
- oyster sauce - or substitute with soy sauce for a similar salty kick and flavor.
- sesame oil
- salt and pepper
- roasted white sesame seeds - optional, for garnish.
Pineapple Fried Rice Variations
Fried rice is my favorite meal when I have food in the fridge that I need to use up. Almost any leftover veggies and/or protein will work great in this pineapple fried rice. Consider adding in:
- soy sauce for a salty kick
- red pepper flakes or fresh chilis for spice
- sautéed onions
- broccoli, asparagus, or brussels sprouts
- grilled chicken, salmon, or steak
How to Make the Best Pineapple Fried Rice
- Sauté vegetables. Heat coconut oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add carrots and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 1-2 minutes.
- Cook eggs. Push the vegetables to one side to make space for the eggs. Add beaten eggs with a teaspoon of the sliced green onions into empty side of the pan. Stir the eggs on that side of the pan until scrambled and cooked through, about 1 minute.
- Add peas and corn. Add the peas and corn to the pan. Continuously stir everything together for a minute to cook and evenly incorporate together.
- Add rice. Add the rice and continuously stir until well combined and warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. If you are using leftover rice, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water to soften the rice.
- Add pineapple. Add pineapple and cashews and mix until evenly distributed, about 1 minute.
- Season. Add oyster sauce and sesame oil and stir continuously until well mixed. Stir in green onions and season with salt and pepper to taste (if needed). I didn’t add any salt and pepper since the oyster sauce provides a lot of flavor.
- Serve. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve warm.
Storing Instructions
- How to store: Let the Thai pineapple fried rice cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator. It will last for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- How to reheat: The best way to reheat pineapple fried rice is on a skillet on the stovetop. Preheat the skillet to medium-high heat and add the fried rice. Stir frequently until the rice and veggies are warmed through, a few minutes.
How to Serve
To serve this Pineapple Fried Rice in a pineapple bowl, use fresh pineapple in the recipe and save the pineapple shell. Then, just scoop the fried rice into it and serve. This rice is delicious and filling served on its own, or serve it as a side dish with some of my favorite Asian mains such as:
- Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
- Thai Basil Chicken
- Sesame Chicken Meatballs
- Air Fryer Stir Fry Vegetables
- Orange Chicken Skewers
Tips for Making Fried Rice
- Continuously stir. You will need to continuously stir throughout the cooking process to ensure even distribution of heat across the dish and even cooking. Fried rice is about uniformity. The rice is supposed to be evenly cooked and all the pieces should have the exact same flavour and texture. I often use 2 spatulas for cooking this dish.
- Cook eggs until tender. Cook the eggs on medium-high heat until cooked through, yet tender. You don't want the eggs to get to a very dry stage early on. You want them to be springy and bright in colour.
- Cook fried rice over high heat. Cook fried rice over high heat to achieve the best mix of texture and flavours. Asian fried rice is supposed to be cooked quickly, so cooking over high heat speeds up the cooking process.
More Fried Rice Recipes
- 30 Best Rice Recipes
- Vegetarian Fried Rice
- Seafood Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Curry Chicken Fried Rice
- Leftover Turkey Fried Rice
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Recipe
Pineapple Fried Rice
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Pineapple fried rice is a quick and easy meal that is ready in just 20 minutes. It's a savory, sweet, delicious, and flavorful weeknight family dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup green peas, frozen
- ½ cup sweet corn, frozen
- 3 cups white rice, freshly cooked or leftover rice
- 1 and ½ cups pineapple, canned or fresh, diced
- ½ cup roasted cashews
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon green onions, finely chopped, divided
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon roasted white sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add carrots and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 1-2 minutes.
- Push the vegetables to one side to make space for the eggs. Add beaten eggs with a teaspoon of the sliced green onions into empty side of the pan. Stir the eggs on that side of the pan until scrambled and cooked through, about 1 minute.
- Add the peas and corn to the pan. Continuously stir everything together for a minute to cook and evenly incorporate together.
- Add the rice and continuously stir until well combined and warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. If you are using leftover rice, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water to soften the rice.
- Add pineapple and cashews and mix until evenly distributed, about 1 minute.
- Add oyster sauce and sesame oil and stir continuously until well mixed.
- Stir in remaining green onions and season with salt and pepper to taste (if needed). I didn’t add any salt and pepper since the oyster sauce provides a lot of flavor. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve warm.
Notes
How to store: Let the pineapple fried rice cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator. It will last for 3-5 days in the fridge.
How to reheat: The best way to reheat pineapple fried rice is on a skillet on the stovetop. Preheat the skillet to medium-high heat and add the fried rice. Stir frequently until the rice and veggies are warmed through, a few minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
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