Thai Pineapple Fried Rice (With or Without Shrimp)
Why This Is A Great Fried Rice Recipe
If you’re a lover of classic fried rice, you’re going to love this fruity twist! While my favorite fried rice will always be the Khao Pad (Thai Fried Rice), this is a great variation of that signature dish.
- Usually, fried rice is a completely savory dish, but this version takes it to a whole new level with the addition of sweet pineapple chunks, crunchy cashews, and a little touch of sweetness in the sauce.
- It’s not a sweet dish at all! There is just a pop of juiciness and sweetness that is a perfect balance with savory and umami flavors. If you love sweet and salty, this is a perfect recipe for you.
- You can keep this fried rice totally vegetarian, add some tofu, or add some meat! I included the recipe to add some shrimp on top but you can follow the same seasoning for chicken as well.
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
Pineapple – for best taste and texture results, use fresh pineapple chunks. (For the reference, use my instructions on How To Cut A Pineapple.) If that is not an option, you can get canned pineapple rings, pat some excess juices off, and chop.
Rice – leftover, cold jasmine or long grain rice are ideal to use. The main reason to use cold rice from the day before it because it has dried out some of the moisture, so the grain is more separate. You can always cook and cool some rice quickly as well.
Nuts – cashews have a great mild flavor and are not too crunchy. You can omit them if needed to a nut allergy.
Gluten free notes – use gluten free oyster sauce if you need to make this recipe gluten free. Remaining ingredients should already be gluten free but double check the label!
How to Make Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
- If adding shrimp, mix them with the marinate first.
- Toast the cashews first and set them aside.
- Then, cook the veggies in some oil until soft, then sauté garlic and ginger, and then sauté the pineapple chunks.
- Add the cooked rice, veggies, and cashews to the pan, toss in the green onions, and stir everything together with the sauce.
- Mix and sauté for just a few more minutes.
Do I have to use leftover rice in fried rice?
As always, when it comes to fried rice, try to use day old cooked rice for the best results. Leftover rice rehydrates nicely when cooking and soaks some more of the sauce flavors.
If you do have to cook rice just for this dish, and I often forget to do it the day before, try to under-cook the rice slightly! Make sure the rice is cooked al dente, to have just a slight crunch in the center. Also, make sure to fluff it, take it out of the pot, and set it aside to cool completely before adding to fried rice.
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Thai Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked cold jasmine rice
- 1/2-3/4 cup halved cashews
- 2-3 tbsp peanut oil
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 medium carrot
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger shaved or minced
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
- 3 green onion stalks
Sauce:
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce use gluten free if needed
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1/8-1/4 tsp white pepper
- salt to taste
Shrimp (optional)
- 1 lb shrimp
- 1 lime – juice only
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce use gluten free if needed
- 2 tsbp vegetable or peanut oil
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
- pinch white pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
Before Cooking:
- Prepare your ingredients first since this is a fast recipe, you will need ingredients ready on hand. So dice the vegetables, mince garlic and ginger, and measure out ingredients for the sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a measuring cut and mix them well.
- For the shrimp, peel and devein them if needed and combine with the other ingredients for the shrimp in a bowl. Mix and set aside to marinade while you cook fried rice.
Cooking Fried Rice:
- Preheat a large wok or a large cooking pan with tall sides over medium-high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, toast the cashew and set them aside.
- Add some oil and cook the diced onion, carrots, and bell peppers until softened. Once cooked and softened, make a little well in the middle of the pan and add garlic and ginger. Let them sauté for a few seconds, until aromatic, and mix it in with the veggies. Take the veggies out of the pan and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the pan and add pineapple chunks. Let pineapple chunks sauté until golden brown.
- Add cooked rice to the pan and add back the vegetables and cashews. Add in green onion, lower the heat, and stir everything together.
- Give the sauce another stir to mix and pour it all over the rice and you gently stir.
- Mix everything well and sauté for just a couple of minute. Take off heat and serve.
For the shrimp (optional):
- Preheat a cooking pan over medium-high heat and make sure that the pan is hot first, before adding the shrimp.
- Add the shrimp (not the liquid or the shrimp will steam instead of searing) and let them cook until that aside turns opaque, just a minute or two.
- Flip each shrimp and let them sear on the other aide until turns opaque, another minute or so. Take the shrimp out and serve over fried rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
You can keep this dish vegetarian and serve it as a side dish or make it a main dish by adding some shrimp. I’ve provided the shrimp recipe that I love to serve on top of this rice. If you want to keep it as a side, these are some great dishes it will go with: Asian Baked Chicken Thighs, Teriyaki Salmon, Mango Chicken, Sweet Garlic Grilled Chicken, Coconut Lime Chicken Drumsticks, and so much more.
More Fried Rice and Other Rice Recipes To Try
Categories:
30 Minute Meals, Asian Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, Rice Dinner Recipes, Rice Sides, Shrimp Dinner Recipes, Side Dishes, Thai Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Yum! This recipe makes me feel like I am on vacation!