Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice is loaded with vibrant and colorful vegetables, tofu and sauces that taste and smell super amazing.

Served in a pineapple boat, this 20 minute recipe is easy to make and Vegan friendly.

Fried rice is always so popular in Asian restaurants. There are several kinds of Fried rice like Basil Fried Rice, Vegetable Fried Rice, Schezwan Fried Rice and Burnt Garlic Fried Rice.

These pair wonderfully with Asian curries or even by themselves. These are all so easy to make and generally come together in under 30 minutes. Stir-fried on high temperature in a large pan or wok; these are named after the prime ingredient in them.

Basil, Schezwan sauce, burnt garlic or even mushroom and Sriracha are popular to add in fried rice.

However, there is one delicious rice that is like these and yet a little different. Yes I am talking about Pineapple Fried Rice. A savory rice with a hint of sweetness balanced by all the Umami sauces.

Jump to:

• What is Pineapple Fried Rice
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• How to pick the right pineapple
• Storage
• Recipe FAQs
• Pairings
• More Thai Recipes that you will love
• Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

What is Pineapple Fried Rice

A popular Thai takeout recipe, pineapple rice is a kind of fried rice. It has pineapple chunks and some pineapple juice to get the signature taste and flavor.

This recipe is an adaptation of the original to make a vegetarian and vegan friendly version. It is full of colorful vegetables, sweet chunks of pineapple, tofu for protein and a salty yet slightly sweet sauce that brings everything together.

Serve it with a side dish like this Gochujang Vegetables and Tofu or Black Pepper Tofu for a complete meal.

Why this recipe works

• It is super easy to make in under 20 minutes.
• This rice is Vegan friendly.
• We can make this with all kinds of Vegan proteins.
• It is packed with flavor from vegetables, tofu and of course half a medium pineapple.
• The signature sweet and savory taste is perfect for all Thai food lovers.
• The rice is not overly spicy, making it kids friendly.
• It is easy to customize in terms of vegetables, sauces and proteins.
• The rice is perfect to serve in a chic pineapple boat, making it a great Thai centerpiece.
• It is a great recipe to use leftover rice.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Rice: Any white or brown rice works for the recipe. Cook it and let it cool before using. Leftover rice is perfect too.
• Pineapple: This is definitely a key ingredient. I like to use fresh pineapple but canned works equally well. Dice the pineapple and also have about ¼ cup pineapple juice. It helps add a lot of flavor to the recipe. Moreover, using fresh pineapple gives a cute 'pineapple boat' to serve the rice too.
• Vegetables: Vegetables are totally optional in the recipe. If using, peas, corn, carrots, cabbage and peppers work well. However, adding mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. is always an option. You can leave them out completely too.
• Aromatics: The rice gets its flavor from garlic and onions. These are not mandatory but work great for flavor.
• Tofu: I like to add Firm tofu is to up the protein content. However, leave it out of you do not like it. Or substitute with another protein of your choice.
• Sauces: We use the basic soy sauce, white vinegar and chili sauce. These really have no substitute so we should add them. Vegetarian stir-fry sauce is an option to include too.
• Cashews: These are great for crunch but not mandatory. For a nut-free version, skip these.
• Sesame Oil: Like most Asian recipes, we use sesame oil to make the rice. Vegetable oil works as well.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- In a pan add 2 tablespoon sesame oil and heat it. Once hot, add 3-4 cloves minced garlic and sauté till fragrant.

2- Then add ½ medium diced onion and ¼ each green, red and yellow diced peppers. If using cashews, add ¼ cup now. Mix well and cook till they are soft.

3- Next add the vegetables and tofu.

• ½ cup peas
• ¼ cup corn kernels
• ½ medium carrot (peeled and diced)
• ½ cup firm tofu (diced)

4- Mix well and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring intermittently. Also add the 1 teaspoon salt and sauces.

• 1 tbsp red chili sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp vinegar

5- Then add ¼ diced pineapple and ½ cup chopped cabbage. Mix well.

6- Add in 1 cup cooked rice along with ¼ pineapple (juiced).

7- Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

8- Turn down the flame, top with cilantro and scallions. Then serve with your choice of curry.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Leftover rice works best for the recipe. Moreover, rice that is straight out of the refrigerator works the best.
• Heat oil on a pan before adding the ingredients. The perfect fried rice needs a really hot wok or pan with hot oil.
• As the recipe calls for adding all the ingredients quickly in successions; prepare everything before starting the cooking. Thus, nothing will burn while preparing for the next step.
• The rice can be made with tofu or any other protein you like. It can also be made with just a couple of vegetables and pineapple.
• Fresh pineapple makes the best rice. Moreover, it gives us an amazing boat to serve the rice too. However, canned pineapple works too.
• To make the recipe gluten-free; use certified gluten-free soy sauce. Or use tamari that is generally gluten-free.

How to pick the right pineapple

Picking a pineapple is quite easy once you look out for a couple of things. And once you start enjoying fresh pineapple, canned ones simply do not make the cut.

• Check the color. Ripe pineapples are yellow in color while unripe ones are green. More yellow the pineapple, more ripe it is. However, brown pineapple are generally past their ripe stage and now over ripe.
• See the color of the leaves. Bright firm green leaves mean the pineapple is fresh. Dry and withered leaves mean the pineapple is over ripe.
• Check for firmness. Give the pineapple a slight squeeze. If it does squeeze but not completely it is perfect. Super squishy means an over ripe pineapple and super firm means unripe.
• Smell the bottom of the pineapple. A perfectly ripe pineapple smells sweet and floral at the base. Unlike the raw ones that have no smell and overripe ones smell rotten.

Pro-Tip: Once you have the perfect pineapple, simply overturn it in a jar or vase for a day before cutting. This helps distribute the juices at the base throughout the fruit and yields a super sweet pineapple in all corners.

Storage

While pineapple rice is best enjoyed fresh, it is possible to store it to enjoy later.

Simply transfer room temperature rice to an air tight container and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator and serve after heating in the microwave. This rice is best to store only for one or two days. Fresh pineapple tends to taste weird after.

And of course, the rice is not great to freeze. It does not thaw back to the same texture or flavor.

Recipe FAQs

Pairings

Pineapple rice is great by itself. However, it is great to pair with a lot of tofu and vegetable curries. Here are some pairing suggestions

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