Pineapple Fried Rice

This gluten-free Pineapple Fried Rice recipe is the perfect easy dinner for a busy weeknight. It’s fast, it’s delicious, and it’s packed with color and flavor!

17 years into food blogging, and 13+ years of being a mom, and I’ll be honest: I STILL struggle to plan dinners every single week. Juggling the balance of time, after-school activities, what I’m filming for work, and what my kids will eat always makes for a bit of a crazy planning game!

One dinner I can always count on is a good fried rice recipe, and this gluten-free Pineapple Fried Rice never lets us down. This easy recipe combines leftover rice with plenty of colorful veggies, juicy pieces of pineapple, and a simple savory sauce into a one-pan dinner I can make any night of the week.

That’s what I call a win!

It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s always delicious. And it all starts with simple ingredients…

Simple Ingredients To Start

• Cooked Rice. Fried rice recipes work best with cooled, cooked white rice. I like to use leftover rice from the night before, or you can cook even some frozen rice or minute rice packets and let them cool in the fridge while you dice all the veggies up.
• Oil. A neutral oil like avocado oil or canola oil works well here, though coconut oil is another tasty choice. (I don’t like to use olive oil here since it’s not as stable at high heat.)
• Diced Ham. Cut up a ham steak or dice leftover holiday ham! We like uncured ham best to avoid nitrates.
• Red Bell Pepper. Any color of bell peppers will work here–orange, yellow, green, you name it! I just love the color of red pepper.
• Carrots. Full of nutrients, cheap, and easy to keep on hand!
• Green Onions. I like the milder flavor of green onion in my fried rice recipes.
• Fresh Garlic & Fresh Ginger. These aromatics add layers of delicious savory flavor to this rice recipe. I use frozen cubes to save time on busy nights!
• Fresh Pineapple. We usually use fresh pineapple, but you can also dice up frozen pineapple chunks and use them here in a pinch! (I’m sure drained canned pineapple would work, if you like the flavor!) The sweet pineapple flavor is SO good with the savory, salty, umami notes in this dish.
• Gluten-Free Tamari. This is the gluten-free version of soy sauce! I recommend low-sodium tamari to help moderate the salt content. Coconut aminos is another great choice that’s lower in sodium AND soy-free!
• Sesame Oil. Toasted sesame oil adds a rich, deep flavor note that mimics what you’ll find in restaurants here in the U.S.
• Black Pepper & Cilantro. Not *strictly* necessary, but highly recommended for extra flavor! If you have it, white pepper is even more delicious!

How To Make Pineapple Fried Rice, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Scramble The Eggs. Beat the eggs in a small bowl until smooth. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 Tablespoon of oil. Add the beaten eggs, and use a spatula to stir, scraping the eggs from the bottom continuously until the eggs are just slightly underdone (a little glossy). Set the scrambled eggs aside on a plate and wipe out the skillet as needed.
2. Cook The Ham. Next, add 1/2 Tablespoon of oil and add the ham to the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat, until it’s starting to turn golden brown.
3. Start The Veggies. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoons oil to the skillet and add bell pepper and carrots and cook veggies over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
4. Add Pineapple & Aromatics. Next, add peas, green onion, garlic, and ginger to the skillet and cook 1-2 minutes more, or until fragrant.
5. Stir In Rice, Pineapple & Sauce. Add the rice and pineapple to the skillet along with 2 Tablespoons tamari, the sesame oil, and a pinch of pepper. Stir 1-2 minutes, breaking up clumps of rice as you go, and adding more tamari, as needed, until the rice is coated to your taste.
6. Mix In The Eggs. Break up the scrambled eggs on the plate a bit with your spatula. Turn off the heat and add the cooked eggs back to the skillet, stirring to break up the eggs as you go. Garnish with more pepper or cilantro. Enjoy right away and store leftovers in the fridge 1 day.

Picky Eater Tip: Go A La Carte!

If you’ve got picky eaters at your house, one tip we’ve found helpful is to keep the components separate and let everyone build their own bowl. It’s a great way to get the whole family to eat the same meal. This can look like:

• Scramble the eggs & set them aside.
• Dice & cook the ham & set aside.
• Cook the veggies & set aside.
• Dice pineapple and set aside.
• Cook rice with tamari and set aside.

It can be more plates (though you can certainly group the components on one platter), but then everyone can build their own plate of fried rice from what’s available. If one kid LOVES ham but hates eggs, they’ll still get to eat the meal. If kids don’t want the veggies mixed into the rice, they can have them on the side.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Pineapple Fried Rice

Stay Gluten-Free! Despite the name, most soy sauce in the United States is made with wheat instead of soy, and it is NOT gluten-free. Look for gluten-free tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) or use coconut aminos for a soy-free option.

Food Safety Tips. You may or may not know that rice carries some risk of food-borne illness when it’s not handled properly. Ideally, you want to keep rice in the fridge no more than 1 day before reheating, reheat rice only once, and cool rice as quickly as possible when it’s cooked (within 1 hour, when possible). Read these rice safety tips from the NHS for more info!

Use COLD Rice, For Best Results. You always want to use cold cooked rice to avoid the rice getting overly starchy or gummy as it cooks.

More Easy One-Pan Dinners To Try

Cajun Sausage & Rice Skillet

Egg Roll In a Bowl

Easy Sheet Pan Fajitas

Recipe Card

Pineapple Fried Rice

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 8 cups 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This gluten-free Pineapple Fried Rice recipe is the perfect easy dinner for a busy weeknight. It’s fast, it’s delicious, and it’s packed with color and flavor!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 cups COLD cooked rice*
• 2 Tablespoons oil (coconut oil or avocado oil work best), divided
• 3 large eggs
• 8 oz. diced ham (can sub cooked bacon, canadian bacon, etc.)
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
• 1 cup diced carrots (2–3 carrots)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 1/2 cups pineapple, cut into small pieces
• 2–4 Tablespoons gluten-free tamari*
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4–1/2 teaspoon black pepper or white pepper
• 2–3 Tablespoons minced cilantro (optional, for garnish)

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Instructions

1. Scramble The Eggs. Beat the eggs in a small bowl until smooth. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 Tablespoon of oil. Add the beaten eggs, and use a spatula to stir, scraping the eggs from the bottom continuously until the eggs are just slightly underdone (a little glossy). Set the scrambled eggs aside on a plate and wipe out the skillet as needed.
2. Cook The Ham. Next, add 1/2 Tablespoon of oil and add the ham to the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat, until it’s starting to turn golden brown.
3. Start The Veggies. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoons oil to the skillet and add bell pepper and carrots and cook veggies over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
4. Add Pineapple & Aromatics. Next, add peas, green onion, garlic, and ginger to the skillet and cook 1-2 minutes more, or until fragrant.
5. Stir In Rice, Pineapple & Sauce. Add the rice and pineapple to the skillet along with 2 Tablespoons tamari, the sesame oil, and a pinch of pepper. Stir 1-2 minutes, breaking up clumps of rice as you go, and adding more tamari, as needed, until the rice is coated to your taste.
6. Mix In The Eggs. Break up the scrambled eggs on the plate a bit with your spatula. Turn off the heat and add the cooked eggs back to the skillet, stirring to break up the eggs as you go. Garnish with more pepper or cilantro. Enjoy right away and store leftovers in the fridge 1 day.

Notes

• Use COLD Rice, For Best Results. You always want to use cold cooked rice to avoid the rice getting overly starchy or gummy as it cooks.
• Stay Gluten-Free! Despite the name, most soy sauce in the United States is made with wheat instead of soy, and it is NOT gluten-free. Look for gluten-free tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) or use coconut aminos for a soy-free option. We highly recommend low-sodium tamari to help moderate the salt content in this dish.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Per 1 cup
• Calories: 210
• Sugar: 5.5 g
• Sodium: 543.2 mg
• Fat: 6.7 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 25.8 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 11.3 g
• Cholesterol: 82.4 mg