Thai Pineapple Fried Rice is an incredibly flavorful recipe that can double as a side dish or the main course! The flavor palate is a perfect balance of sweet and salty.
Prepare your ingredients first since this is a fast recipe. 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.
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.