Pineapple Fried Rice

Sweet and savory pineapple rice is filled with veggies, crispy bacon, roasted cashews, and crushed pineapple. This recipe makes the perfect quick, easy dinner when you need a meal on the table in less than 20 minutes. Serve in a fresh pineapple for a festive twist.

You will love this pineapple rice because it's so delicious, but you’ll want to make it again and again because it’s so easy, uses ingredients you probably have on hand, and is ready in about 20 minutes - including prep time. When you cook the rice with the sweet pineapple juice and savory bacon fat, the rice becomes so flavorful it really is hard to resist.

Just how does a recipe like this come together so quickly? Start by using leftover rice as your base (it actually tastes better than freshly cooked rice), grab whatever veggies you have in the freezer, and use canned pineapple instead of fresh. This way, the only thing you need to do is cook the bacon, saute the frozen veggies, and slice a few green onions. Cooking takes just 15 minutes.

Serve as a side dish, or as a quick, easy dinner when you need a meal on the table in less than 20 minutes. 

How to Make A Pineapple "Bowl"

Pineapples may look a little intimidating if you’ve never used fresh pineapple before, but they are actually really easy to work with. Filling a hollowed out pineapple with sweet and savory fried rice gives this dish the most beautiful presentation. There’s just so much color on the plate.

If you ever find yourself throwing a fun, Hawaiian-themed evening, serving this fried rice dish in a pineapple bowl is certain to ‘wow’ your guests! Making a pineapple bowl is super easy.

But back to the pineapple bowl. It's super easy!

1. Slice the pineapple in half.

Slice lengthwise for the perfect sized pineapple bowl.

2. Scoop out the flesh.

The easiest way to scoop out a pineapple is with a strong ice cream scoop. The core of the pineapple will be a little tough, so toss that, but save the other juicy pieces. 

3. Fill with fried rice and serve!

You'll only need half of the pineapple you scoop out for the fried rice. Save the rest for a sweet snack!

How to Make

1. Cook the bacon in a preheated wok or skillet until crisp, then transfer to a plate.
2. In the same pan, saute the vegetables and garlic, then add the cooked rice, soy sauce, and vinegar. Stir to combine. 
3. Let the rice cook without stirring for 2 minutes, or until the rice gets a little brown and crisp on the bottom and around the edges.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the pineapple, cashews, bacon, and green onions.
5. Divide between serving bowls. Squeeze lime wedges over top and garnish with cilantro.

Ingredients

• Bacon - Chopped bacon fat coats the skillet to prevent the rice from sticking, and adds a deep savoriness. You could also use pancetta.

• Frozen Vegetables - Any mixture of frozen veggies will work. Diced carrots and peas are traditionally added to fried rice, but you could add whatever you have available in the freezer. Defrost them first for the best results. 

• Garlic Cloves - Aromatic minced garlic cloves add depth to this fried rice dish.

• Cooked Rice - Any type of rice works in this recipe. Long grain white rice such as jasmine or basmati are great. You could also use healthy brown rice.   

• Soy Sauce - A splash of umami-rich soy sauce really elevates fried rice. For gluten-free pineapple fried rice, use Tamari. 

• Rice Vinegar - Zippy and acidic rice vinegar helps to bring all of the flavors together.

• Diced Pineapple - You can use fresh or canned pineapple here. If you use a fresh pineapple, look for fruit that is firm to the touch, and is just a touch tender. The leaves should be bright green, and the skin should be a yellowish color. If the skin of the pineapple is green, that means it’s underripe. 

• Roasted Cashews - Cashews add a nutty crunch, roasting them builds extra flavor.

• Green Onions - We’re just using the stalks of the onions in this recipe. Finely chop them to release their aromatics.

• Lime wedges and / or cilantro, for garnish - A squeeze of lime juice adds such a wonderful zing to fried rice. Garnish with cilantro for extra brightness.

Use leftover rice - Pre-cooked rice is the absolute best type of rice to use in fried rice. Chilled rice is less likely to stick to the skillet or wok, and because it can be a touch drier than freshly cooked rice, it's great for absorbing all of the juices in the pan. If you make rice during the week for one dish, make a little extra to use in this Thai-inspired rice dish.

Variations

• Add protein - For a heartier version of this recipe, add chicken or firm tofu. Chicken’s mild flavor is a tasty addition to pineapple fried rice. 
• Make it vegetarian - Omit the bacon to make vegetarian pineapple rice.
• Make it spicy - Cooking this Thai pineapple rice with red pepper flakes will give you sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.

How to store 

Pineapple rice tastes so good the next day. It’s even great as a savory breakfast. You can store this dish for 3-4 days in an airtight container, and reheating takes minutes. All you will need to do is preheat a skillet, add a drizzle of cooking oil, and cook until warm.

FAQs

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