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This authentic Pineapple Fried Rice is one you’d find in just about any Thai restaurant, and it’s so easy to make at home! To be extra fancy, I like to serve the pineapple fried rice with plump juicy shrimp in a carved out pineapple – perfect for impressing guests!
Watch the Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe Video!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- Shrimp – I opt for U16-20 size shrimp (large) de-shelled and de-veined with the tail on.
- Jasmine Rice – this is a long grain rice that has a lower moisture content than short or medium grain rice, making it ideal for fried rice. Always dry out the cooked rice in the fridge for at least a day which will help prevent the fried rice from turning out soggy on a home stove! I also use this rice for my Thai Basil Fried Rice recipe.
- Thai Chili Peppers – I used 3 Thai chili peppers for this recipe for a medium heat. Adjust the amount of thai chili peppers according to your preference (or skip it altogether if you are sensitive to heat!)
- Fish Sauce – Fish sauce is widely used in Thai cooking to add salt and umami to the dish. It is made from extracted fermented fish, salt and other ingredients. I love the umami it brings in my Garlic Noodles or Shaking Beef!
- Oyster Sauce – this is a dark sauce extracted from oysters that is commonly used in Chinese/Thai cooking that adds tons of umami to the dish! Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) use a similar combination of sauces.
- Pineapple – If carving out a whole pineapple is too intimidating (as shown in the video), you can absolutely use canned pineapples for this recipe. I recommend buying canned pineapple “chunks” – these hold up best in the wok.
How To Make Pineapple Fried Rice
1. Prep Ingredients and Cook Shrimp
Marinate the shrimp in a bowl with baking soda, salt, white pepper, and neutral oil for 15 minutes. Remove the dried out rice and break any clumps up with your hands.
In a small bowl, mix the sauce by combining oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white pepper, and sugar.
Heat the neutral oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes until pink. Remove to a plate.
2. Cook the Vegetables
Add 1 tbsp of neutral oil to the wok, and add the garlic and Thai chili for 10 seconds, then add the onion and scallion whites. Cook for 1 minute until softened. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the pineapple and cook for 30 seconds until slightly charred.
3. Add the Rice and Sauce
Add the rice, shrimp and sauce then cook for 3-4 minutes until the rice is dry and separated.
Garnish with scallions greens and enjoy!
If you’re looking for my authentic Thai dishes and Southeast Asian favorites to make with this dish, try my authentic Pad Thai, Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Wings, and Thai Sweet Chili Sauce!
Key Tip
CJ’s Expert Tips + Storage
Avoid Overcrowding – Overcrowding the pan will drastically reduce the heat, thus resulting in steamed (not fried!) rice. If you don’t have a large enough pan or wok, don’t be afraid to cook in smaller batches to achieve a higher heat.
Use Day Old Rice – I recommend making the rice ahead of time since it will need to dry out in the fridge for at least overnight. Simply place it in the fridge on a plate or baking sheet in a single layer to further reduce the moisture from the rice. This will help the rice not become soggy when cooked.
Cut Vegetables Evenly – Ensure the bell pepper and onion are cut into similar sizes. In the recipe I call for the vegetables to be cut into 1 inch pieces. This is a key tip for making great fried rice because it ensures that the vegetables cook at the same rate and are evenly dispersed throughout the dish.
Storage + Reheating – Store any leftover Pineapple Fried Rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up 3 to 4 days. I suggest reheating the fried rice in a nonstick pan over medium high heat or in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
If you tried this Pineapple Fried Rice or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Pineapple Fried Rice (VIDEO)
Equipment
Ingredients
Shrimp
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on; I like U16-20 shrimp (large size)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp neutral oil
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
Rice and Vegetables
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 scallions, whites and greens separated
- 3 thai chili peppers, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cups pineapple chunks, either from a fresh pineapple or canned
- 1 1/2 cups Jasmine Rice, *note this is the dry measurement which will yield about 4 cups of cooked rice. Then dry it out in the fridge overnight
Instructions
- Marinate the shrimp in a bowl with baking soda, salt, white pepper, and neutral oil for 15 minutes. Remove the dried out rice and break any clumps up with your hands.
- In a small bowl, mix the sauce by combining oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white pepper, and sugar.
- Heat the neutral oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes until pink. Remove to a plate.
- Add 1 tbsp of neutral oil, and add the garlic and Thai chili for 10 seconds, then add the onion and scallion whites. Cook for 1 minute until softened. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the pineapple and cook for 30 seconds until slightly charred.
- Add the rice and sauce then cook for 3-4 minutes until the rice is dry and separated. Garnish with scallions greens and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
