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Easy pineapple fried rice made with stir-fried veggies, protein, sauce, and tons of flavor. It makes great leftovers and includes substitutions to make it soy-free or vegan.
Because fried rice originated as a way to create a new meal using the leftover rice in the refrigerator, it’s a great dish for using up other vegetables that need to be used. This reason alone is why it’s such a versatile dish.
Pineapple Fried Rice Ingredients
- avocado oil – or you could use coconut or olive oil
- eggs – a classic fried rice ingredient
- protein of choice – chicken, shrimp, tofu, etc.
- garlic – flavor builder
- carrots and peas – fresh or frozen
- pineapple – fresh or frozen (that’s been thawed). If you use fresh, it’s fun to serve the pineapple fried rice inside of a hollowed out pineapple half.
- cooked and cooled rice – white or brown rice depending on preference
- cashews – you can use raw or roasted, it’ll just depend on when you add them during the cooking process
- cilantro or green onions – depending on preference
- sauce: tamari, oyster sauce (optional), toasted sesame oil, curry powder, white pepper, sriracha
Make It Your Way: Ingredient Substitutions
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this pineapple fried rice using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- Vegan? ➝ use tofu and leave out the eggs
- Gluten-free? ➝ use tamari or coconut aminos (soy-free). if using coconut aminos, be sure to season with salt
- No carrots and peas? ➝ use any vegetables you’d like: bell pepper, broccoli, cabbage, etc.
- Nut-free? ➝ omit the cashews
- No curry powder? ➝ add a little ground ginger and turmeric instead
- Don’t like spicy food? ➝ leave out the sriracha
Recommended Tools
Helpful Tips For Making The Best Pineapple Fried Rice
Mise En Place
Make sure you have everything prepped and ready to be added to the pan because the process moves quickly once you get started.
Why Cooked & Cooled Rice?
Day-old rice is best when making fried rice because it doesn’t have as much moisture. Less moisture means that it’ll have the best consistency and won’t turn to mush when the rice gets reheated in the pan.
More Recipes To Try
Pineapple Fried Rice
Ingredients
- oil avocado, coconut, or olive
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ pound protein of choice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups peas and carrots frozen or fresh
- ¼ cup cashews see notes
- 3 cups cooked and cooled rice
- 1 cup pineapple, diced
- ⅓ cup cilantro or green onion, roughly chopped
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha omit for no heat
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper or could use black
- salt to taste (only if using coconut aminos)
Instructions
- Put your protein of choice in a small bowl near the stove, and season with salt, pepper, and a little bit of tamari. Get your sauce ready by whisking all the ingredients together in another bowl.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot enough, add in 1 teaspoon of oil and pour in the eggs. Cook, stirring frequently until the eggs are scrambled, about 30 seconds. Transfer the eggs to a plate and keep warm.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook your protein of choice until cooked through. Transfer to the egg plate. If there's excess water in the pan, carefully wipe it out with a paper towel.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add a little more oil and the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds before adding in the carrots, peas, pineapple, and raw cashews. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the rice and cilantro (or green onion) and pour over the sauce. Mix everything until is well-combined and cook for 3 more minutes to warm the rice through. Transfer the scrambled eggs and protein back in the pan, tossing to combine. Season to taste with salt and serve with additional tamari and hot sauce.
Notes
- if your cashews are already roasted, add them at the end when you add the protein and eggs back in.
- Vegan? ➝ use tofu and leave out the eggs
- Gluten-free? ➝ use tamari or coconut aminos (soy-free). if using coconut aminos, be sure to season with salt
- No carrots and peas? ➝ use any vegetables you’d like: bell pepper, broccoli, cabbage, etc.
- Nut-free? ➝ omit the cashews
- No curry powder? ➝ add a little ground ginger and turmeric instead
- Don’t like spicy food? ➝ leave out the sriracha
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