Thai Pineapple Fried Rice combines fresh pineapple, red bell pepper, peas, cashews, and fried rice into a taste-tantalizing experience with the flavors of ginger and sesame. This amazing dish comes together quickly and easily using already cooked or leftover chilled rice. Enjoy this tasty recipe as a side dish with grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp or as a vegetarian main course.
How to make pineapple fried rice
First, in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and sugar. Set it aside for a few minutes. Now heat a little vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add the beaten eggs and cook scramble style. Remove the eggs to a large bowl and carefully wipe or wash out the skillet. It will be hot, so be careful.
Now heat a little more vegetable oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red bell pepper and pineapple to the skillet. Cook, frequently stirring, about 3-5 minutes or until the pineapple is caramelized on the edges and the peppers have started to soften. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Now move the pineapple, peppers, and garlic to the bowl with the eggs.
Heat a little vegetable oil and melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chilled cooked rice and cook for about 3 minutes or until the rice is lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add the eggs, bell pepper, pineapple, and garlic back to the skillet over medium-high heat. Now drizzle the dish with the soy sauce mixture that you set aside while stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peas, cashews, and most of the green onions. Continue warming for 1-2 minutes and garnish with the remaining green onions.
Recipe tips
- Cook the rice and chill it before stir-frying it or it will stick and become clumpy. It is best cooked the day prior to starting the recipe and placed in an airtight container in the fridge. However, if you have forgotten, cook the rice, spread it on a cookie sheet, and place it in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours. This is an excellent recipe for day-old rice or leftover rice.
- To make it vegan-friendly skip the eggs.
- Although fresh pineapple is best with this recipe, canned pineapple can be used in a pinch.
- To add a little kick to this recipe, add 1-2 teaspoons of sambal oelek, also known as chili paste.
- Everything moves fast with stir fry, so be prepared. Have everything you need close by and in cooking order.
- The peas can be added frozen, but add them when you stir-fry the rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
What to serve with Pineapple Fried Rice
- Protein – grilled chicken, ham, smoked sausage, shrimp, or pork tenderloin.
- Appetizers – crab rangoon, potstickers, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, or spring rolls
- Soup – egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, wonton soup, miso soup, or egg roll soup
More stir-fried recipes
Thai-Style Pineapple Fried Rice
Ingredients
- Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice or other long-grain white rice chilled
- ½ cup frozen peas thawed
- ⅔ cup unsalted roasted cashews
- ¼ cup green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and sugar. Set it aside for a few minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beaten eggs and cook scramble style. Remove the eggs to a large bowl and carefully wipe or wash out the skillet. It will be hot, so be careful.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red bell pepper and pineapple to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes or until the pineapple is caramelized on the edges and the peppers have started to soften.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Move the mixture to the bowl with the eggs.
- Heat the remaining vegetable oil and melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chilled rice and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the rice is lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add the eggs, bell pepper, pineapple, and garlic back to the skillet over medium-high heat.
- Drizzle with the sauce that you set aside while stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peas, cashews, and 3 tablespoons of green onions. Continue warming for 1-2 minutes and garnish with the remaining green onions.
Notes
- Cook the rice and chill it before stir-frying it or it will stick and become clumpy. It is best cooked the day prior to starting the recipe and placed in an airtight container in the fridge. However, if you have forgotten, cook the rice, spread it on a cookie sheet, and place it in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours. This is an excellent recipe for day-old rice or leftover rice.
- To make it vegan-friendly skip the eggs.
- Although fresh pineapple is best with this recipe, canned pineapple can be used in a pinch.
- To add a little kick to this recipe, add 1-2 teaspoons of sambal oelek, also known as chili paste.
- Everything moves fast with stir fry, so be prepared. Have everything you need close by and in cooking order.
- The peas can be added frozen, but add them when you stir-fry the rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
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Katie
Five stars! We had with shrimp (and chicken for my husband) and everyone cleaned their plate.
Beth Pierce
That is awesome. I am so glad that everyone liked the fried rice!
TAYLER ROSS
I made this fried rice with our dinner last night and OMG was it delicious! The pineapple was the perfect touch!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tayler! So glad that you liked it! I love pineapple too!
Traci
This pineapple fried rice is Thai-inspired perfection! So easy and disappeared before our eyes LOL. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Traci!
rebecca
love a good fried rice recipe. The added pineapple makes it sweet and a bit tangy! thanks
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Rebecca!
Dana S
Love the sweet and salty flavors in this one! And adding cashews for a nice salty crunch is KEY.
Vicky
I love that you can make this recipe using leftover rice. I can cook a big batch of rice and use the leftovers for this fried rice. I am not a fan of peas, so I left those out, but the dish was still amazing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Vicky! I am so glad that you liked the pineapple fried rice!
Yaya
I love all sorts of fried rice and this one looks delicious!
Jupiter Hadley
This sounds like a really easy and fun dinner to make, especially mid-week. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Jupiter! Enjoy!
Jasmine Martin
I never would have thought about putting pineapple in fried rice. This looks so good and it’s beautiful!! Might have to try it!
Tammy
Love that sweet and spicy combo and pops of colour in this dish. I’ve never had pineapple in my fried rice so this is definitely on my list of things to make!
Kira
Now this looks interesting. We all love pineapple so will definitely give it a try
Catalina
This rice was so delicious! We loved it! The additions of pineapple make it irresistible!
Kelly Anne
Delicious. My mum and I enjoyed it. It is a good wholesome dish that is easy to make.
katerina
YUM! This was incredibly delicious!! It is my new favorite fried rice dish! So much flavor,
Amanda
This looks amazing!! I need to try this very soon!