Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken
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Call off the search—THIS pineapple chicken fried rice is the recipe you’ve been looking for! Quick, easy, and foolproof, it’s ready in just 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for busy weeknights. Tastier than takeout and faster than delivery, let me show you how to whip up big flavor with minimal effort.
I first made this pineapple chicken fried rice on a night when I was craving those big, bold, sweet-and-savory flavors but couldn’t justify ordering takeout since my fridge was already full. I grabbed some chicken, a handful of veggies, and a ripe pineapple that needed to be used, and everything came together in one pan surprisingly quickly. That first batch disappeared fast, and I knew right away it was a recipe worth keeping.
This pineapple chicken fried rice has become one of my go-to dinners when I want something quick, satisfying, and packed with flavor. Juicy chicken, colorful vegetables, and sweet pineapple are tossed with rice and a simple, savory sauce that hits all the right notes. It’s the kind of recipe that feels a little special but is easy enough for busy weeknights—and it’s a great way to turn everyday ingredients into a dinner everyone gets excited about.
Key pineapple chicken rice ingredients
Rice: You can use brown or white rice for this recipe. The key here is chilling the rice overnight to ensure it doesn’t become mushy. Leftover rice cooked in water works great. Just make sure you let it cool completely before refrigerating it for at least four hours.. In the pictures, I’ve used brown rice. But here we show you how to cook basmati rice, which works wonderfully for fried rice recipe.
Chicken: To make this a complete meal, this pineapple fried rice recipe has bites of chicken. Chicken thighs are easiest to cook, as they won’t dry up if you overcook them slightly. Use a sharp knife to cut each thigh into bite-sized pieces, about ½ inch each.
Pineapple: For the best flavor, use fresh pineapple! It may be daunting to break down a whole pineapple but it’s actually very simple. Use a large, sharp knife to cut off the top leaves and the bottom, then slice it vertically to remove the tough outer skin. Then slice the pineapple into rounds and cube it up, make sure to throw away the core as it’s very chewy.
Coconut oil: Other oils will work well too, but coconut oil adds a delicious flavor. It also has a high smoke point which means that it will stand up to the high heat.
Tips & substitutions
- You can swap the chicken with with cubed tofu or edamame. Or if you have leftover chicken or steak, slice it thin and add it at the end to warm it up.
- If you cannot find fresh pineapple, canned works too. Make sure you use an unsweetened kind (packed in water, not syrup).
- This pineapple fried rice is best served fresh, but also tastes great reheated. When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will keep for up to 4 days.
- Add some eggs. Fried rice is great with scrambled eggs. Once the fried rice is cooked, push everything to the edges of the pan, crack in 2 eggs, and scramble them before mixing them into the rice.
What to Serve with Pineapple Fried Rice
While you could easily serve pineapple fried rice and call it dinner, here are a few recipes that go really well with it:
- Spiced Lentil Salad Lettuce Wraps
- Chipotle BBQ Shrimp Tacos with Grilled Nectarine Salsa
- Cashew Chicken
- Chili Lime Shrimp
Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked brown or white rice, chilled (see notes)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs ( cut into bite-sized pieces )
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (divided)
- ½ yellow onion (chopped)
- ½ green bell pepper ( chopped)
- ½ red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 large garlic clove (minced)
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 ½ cups cubed pineapple
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 1 small lime (juiced)
- green onions and sesame seeds (to serve)
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and let them sit for 10-15 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. Blot dry with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add in the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is no longer pink in the center, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.3 tablespoons coconut oil
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan and add the onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until just softened. Add the bell peppers, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the soy sauce then scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.½ yellow onion, ½ green bell pepper, ½ red bell pepper, 1 large garlic clove, 1 inch piece fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Stir in the rice, honey, cubed pineapple, and cooked chicken. Reduce the heat to low and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. In the last few minutes of cooking stir in the frozen peas and lime juice.4 cups cooked brown or white rice, chilled, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 ½ cups cubed pineapple, ¾ cup frozen peas, 1 small lime
- Serve warm with fresh green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Excellent! Used Chicken breast as I had it on hand. Love the salting/let it sit method. Subbed celery for onion. A little siracha with it and my crew inhaled it. Loooooved it with the pineapple and using the coconut oil. Thanks so much
I’m so glad you loved it! 😊 Using chicken breast and that little hit of sriracha sounds perfect — and I love hearing your crew inhaled it. The pineapple + coconut oil combo is such a good one. Thanks so much for sharing your tweaks! 💛
Good stuff. You don’t see pineapple with rice or anything of many buffets. Enjoyed the flavors coming through with each bite. Will be making again.
So glad you enjoyed it! Pineapple really does add a fun, unexpected twist—love that it stood out for you. Excited you’re planning to make it again!
1. “Fried” Rice with pineapple is a very popular standard in Thailand, and it can also be found throughout all of Asia, so this recipe is not anything new.
2. This recipe is called “Fried” rice but the instructions do not ever call for frying it. This should have been the last step, after all the ingredients have been combined. It kicks this dish up from “rice with pineapple” to a delicious Asian favorite.
Loved! Subbed honey with Thai sweet chili sauce -it was demolished by 3 teens
We love fried rice, but now I love it even more now that I can make it from home! The pineapple is the perfect addition to this dish!
We often have rice and pineapple when we’re having pork, but I never thought of combining them in one dish. This was just great!
You had me at pineapple! I love the sweetness combined with the salty fried rice! This is such a great way to amp up the flavor!
Looks delicious! My family loved it. Thanks for the detailed explanation. I also thought adding pineapple was so innovative and added very distinct flavors.