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    Home > Recipes > Asian

    Pineapple Fried Rice

    Published: Nov 2, 2017 · Modified: Apr 4, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 4 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pineapple Fried Rice on a white plate
    Pineapple Fried Rice
    Pineapple Fried Rice

    Pineapple Fried Rice served in a half pineapple on a white plate

    This post is part of our series Dinner Tonight where we share our favorite weeknight-friendly dinners. Just doing our part to answer the question "what's for dinner"?

    Pineapple Fried Rice is sweet and savory and a great way to use leftover rice and frozen vegetables. Add bacon on top for a crunchy finish!

    Just because we stuffed all this goodness into a pineapple for the photo, this meal is not a bit stuffy. Fried rice is a weeknight go-to for us and this version fits right into the we-have-20-minutes-and-everyone-is-starving niche.

    Frozen vegetables, leftover rice and canned pineapple make it fast (though fresh pineapple works too). Because the bacon and pineapple give the dish so much flavor, there's barely a need for much more than a splash of soy sauce (or Tamari for gluten-free) to bring it all together.

    stirring fried rice in a wok

    Frank mentioned pineapple fried rice a few weeks ago early in the morning (which was when we often ate fried rice when we lived in Thailand). Try it for breakfast sometime - it's shockingly satisfying! Once we started talking about it, neither of us could believe that we didn't already have a pineapple fried rice recipe on the blog.

    How to Make A Pineapple "Bowl"

    In Thailand, serving pineapple fried rice inside a pineapple "bowl" is a bit cutesy but also quite practical. Pineapple shells are everywhere because pineapples are in glorious abundance. Sliced pineapple is served from fruit carts on nearly every street in Bangkok (evidence below). When I lived there, I would buy a bag of slices and eat it on my walk to work.

    Bangkok street food cart

    But making a pineapple bowl is actually quite easy. Slice the pineapple in half.

    slicing a pineapple in half

    Then scoop out the flesh inside. Discard the tough core that runs down the center, but save everything else. I use a sturdy ice cream scoop for this part.

    scooping out inside of half of pineapple

    If you're making these pineapple bowls, you'll need about half of that pineapple to stir into the fried rice. The rest can be set aside for snacking. 😉

    Pineapple rice in a pineapple bowl. Almost like being back in Thailand!

    Pineapple Fried Rice in a half pineapple

    More Fried Rice Recipes

    • Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice
    • Fast and Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice
    • How to Make Thai Fried Rice
    • Bacon Fried Rice
    • Vegetable Fried Rice

    Favorite Tools

    • Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok
    • Wok Spatula
    Pineapple Fried Rice on a white plate
    Print Recipe
    4.25 from 4 votes

    Pineapple Fried Rice

    Pineapple Fried Rice is sweet and savory with crunchy cashews and bacon. Use leftover rice and frozen vegetables for this quick dinner.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Asian, Thai
    Keyword: easy dinner, fried rice, weeknight-friendly
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 484kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $3.00

    Equipment

    • Wok or Large Skillet

    Ingredients

    • 4 strips Bacon, chopped
    • 2 cups Frozen Vegetables (I use diced carrots and peas)
    • 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
    • 4 cups Cooked Rice, White or Brown (see note)
    • 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce (use Tamari for gluten-free)
    • 1 ½ cup Diced Pineapple (fresh or drained and rinsed if using canned)
    • ½ cup Cashews
    • Chopped green onions or cilantro, for garnish (optional)

    Instructions

    • Place a wok over medium heat. Add chopped back and cook until bacon is crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease and return pan to heat.
    • To heated pan add frozen vegetables (no need to defrost them first, but be careful - they will splatter in the hot oil!). Saute until the vegetables are warmed through, 2 minutes.
    • Add garlic, cooked rice and soy sauce. Stir to combine everything. Let the rice sit, without stirring, for about 2 minutes to let the rice get a little brown and crisp on the bottom.
    • Stir in the pineapple and cashews just until everything is hot.
    • Taste the fried rice and add a pinch of salt if needed or some hot sauce if you'd like it spicy.
    • Divide between serving bowls and top with crisp bacon and some green onions or cilantro.

    Notes

    Fried rice is always best with rice that has been made a couple days ahead and refrigerated. Once it sits in the refrigerator it gets dry and hard, which means it holds up GREAT to a hot wok and won't turn soggy. Whenever I make rice during the week, I just make extra and save it in the fridge to make fried rice.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 696mg | Potassium: 494mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4657IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg

    We're still recovering from the Halloween bonanza over here. Molly and Clara have requested to wear their costumes every day since Tuesday.

    Molly and Clara on Halloween

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    Related

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    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. CAFFAHOLIC

      December 11, 2017 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      this turned out to be super delicious...i tried this and my hubby loves it a lot...Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
    2. Albert Bevia

      January 08, 2018 at 8:45 am

      I love fried rice, and this version just plain out sounds so delicious! so creative carving out the pineapple to serve this rice in..bravo!!

      Reply
      • Jess

        January 29, 2018 at 12:31 pm

        Thanks so much Albert! This is always so fun to make and extra fun to photograph!

        Reply
    3. Hanifia

      December 24, 2018 at 2:41 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! I added some extra vegetables but I'm sure it would have been very good without them, too. Hanifia

      Reply

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