Pineapple Fried Rice

Juicy pineapple chunks are stir-fried with crispy rice, edamame and fresh basil in this peanut-topped pineapple fried rice! Better than takeout and easy enough for a weeknight!

A while back I developed a little inflammation in my right hand which kept me in splint of for a few weeks. I’d wake up in the morning with my hand clenched up, and my middle finger wouldn’t unclench without a good deal of coaxing and pain. I found out from my dad that this is genetic. I found out from the internet that a splint holding the afflicted finger in an extended position was the fix.

Well I’m glad to say that my hand is feeling better, but the splint caused all kinds of problems when it came to planning my blog posts. I keep a little notebook on hand where I scribble down blog ideas when they pop into my head, which is frequently and can happen anytime, anywhere. I can’t read a single thing I wrote while I was wearing that splint.

Does this say “pineapple fried rice”? I have no idea, but that sounds delicious, and I could use a little pineapple anti-inflammatory action to help this hand issue along. Done.

So that’s how we ended up here, at pineapple fried rice. The basil and peanuts made their way in there just because they’re delicious, and they go great with pineapple, so why not? The best part: like many fried rice dishes, this comes together in under 30 minutes, which leaves plenty of time for me to puzzle through my incomprehensible dinner scribbles.

How to Make Pineapple Fried Rice

The first thing you’ll need to do is cook your pineapple. Pineapple needs a little bit more time to cook at a lower temperature than everything else, which is why we’ll be cooking it separately.

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with some high-heat oil and place it over medium heat. Add the pineapple and cook it for a few minutes on each side, until the pieces start to brown and soften up. Take it out of the skillet and transfer it to a plate.

Add some more oil and your aromatics: garlic, ginger and the white parts of some scallions. Cook them for just a minute, until the mixture becomes very fragrant.

Now it’s time to crank the heat. Add your bell pepper and stir-fry it for a minute. It’ll just barely soften up in that time. Next, add your rice, soy sauce, and if you like, some sriracha.

Keep the heat turned up and stir-fry everything for a few minutes, until the rice starts to dry out and get crispy. This should take five minutes or so.

Add your cooked pineapple and edamame to the skillet. Cook everything for just about a minute more, to heat up the edamame.

Take your skillet off of the heat and add the green parts of your scallions, some basil and chopped peanuts.

Dig in!

FAQ & Pineapple Fried Rice Tips

• Fried rice works best with leftover rice that’s 1 to 2 days old. Rice that’s been in the fridge for a day or two has had some time to dry out, so it crisps up better than freshly cooked rice.
• I like to plan ahead any time I’m making rice for another dish and make some extra for frying later in the week.
• Is this recipe gluten-free? It is if you use gluten-free tamari.
• For some extra protein, add some pan-fried tofu to your fried rice.
• Leftover fried rice will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days (depending on how old your rice was to start with).

Need some more guidance on how to make this pineapple fried rice? Check out my video!

Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

5 from 2 votes

Print

Pineapple Fried Rice

Juicy pineapple chunks are stir-fried with crispy rice, edamame and fresh basil in this peanut-topped pineapple fried rice! Better than takeout and easy enough for a weeknight!

Course Entree

Cuisine Asian

Keyword easy vegan dinner recipe, vegan fried rice

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 392 kcal

Author Alissa

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, or high-heat oil of choice, divided
• 2 cups diced pineapple (1-inch pieces, about 1/2 of a pineapple)
• 4 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cups cooked rice, preferably 1-2 days old and chilled
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon sriracha, or to taste (optional)
• 1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Place a large skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with 1 tablespoon of the oil.

2. When the oil is hot, add the pineapple in an even layer.

3. Cook the pineapple for about 3 minutes, until the pieces begin to soften up and brown on the bottoms, flip and cook for about 3 minutes more.

4. Remove the pineapple from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.

5. Add the remaining oil to the skillet.

6. Give the oil a minute to heat up, and then add white parts of scallions, garlic and ginger.

7. Sauté about 1 minute, until very fragrant.

8. Raise the heat to high. Add the bell pepper and stir-fry it for about 1 minute.

9. Add the rice, soy sauce and sriracha (if using) to the skillet. Continue to stir-fry everything for 4 to 5 minutes, until the rice begins to dry out and crisp up in spots.

10. Return the pineapple to the skillet and add the edamame. Flip everything a few times to mix the ingredients.

11. Cook everything for about 1 minute more, just to heat up the edamame.

12. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the green parts of scallions, basil and peanuts.

13. Divide onto plates and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Pineapple Fried Rice

Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups)

Calories 392 Calories from Fat 120

% Daily Value*

Fat 13.3g20%

Saturated Fat 1.4g7%

Sodium 685mg29%

Potassium 457mg13%

Carbohydrates 59.8g20%

Fiber 4.2g17%

Sugar 11.1g12%

Protein 10.2g20%

Calcium 5mg1%

Iron 73mg406%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sharing is caring!