An authentic Thai Pineapple Fried Rice that's served in pineapples! Ready to make in 30 minutes, this Shrimp Fried Rice that's easier to make than you think. A South East Asian favorite dinner recipe.

What's Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
I first tried Thai Pineapple Fried Rice on a trip to Malaysia, and I was hooked. It's a popular dish in Thailand and Malaysia, and has variations across South East Asia.
It's not regular Chinese Fried Rice with pineapple thrown in, but also not Hawaiian Fried Rice. The major difference is that the fried rice is flavored with curry, fish sauce and garnished with pork floss. All you need is a wok or large frying pan.
Ingredients in Pineapple Fried Rice
Fried Rice Stir Fry
- White Rice
- Shrimp
- Garlic
- Chili Pepper
- Bell Pepper
- Onion
- Cashews
- Whole Pineapple
Spices
- Turmeric
- Curry Powder
- Sugar
- White Rice
Sauces
- Fish Sauce
- Soy Sauce
Garnish
- Cilantro
- Pork Floss
How to Make Pineapple Bowls
Serving fried rice inside a pineapple adds so much wow factor and great flavor. A great recipe to use a whole pineapple, which always tastes better than canned pineapple. To hollow out a pineapple, follow these easy instructions.
- Slice pineapple in half lengthwise (including through the stem)
- Leaving a 1" strip, cut along outer edge of the pineapple
- Slice down the center of the pineapple (or make 2 slices and cut out the pineapple core)
- Cut the remaining pineapple into cubed sections
- Spoon out the pineapple chunks with a knife or spoon, be careful not to cut through pineapple skin. Remove any core pieces as they are too tough to eat
- Save the pineapple chunks for your recipe, or refrigerate in an airtight container
Pineapple Fried Rice with Leftover Rice
This recipe is best when made with leftover, day old rice. Often fried rice recipes are made this way, like Korean Fried Rice. However, not everyone has 4 cups of leftover rice though.
So how much uncooked rice do you need? Cook 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice for the right amount of cooked rice needed for this recipe. Remember to allow the rice to completely cool before using. If you use a bit more rice, that's ok. Just adjust extra fish sauce and soy to adjust flavors.
Wok or Frying Pan
I love using my wok when making Fried Rice, however not everyone has a wok. Woks work best when cooked over gas on high heat, this allows for fast frying of your vegetables or meat. Of course you can use a large frying pan, or even an electric frying pan when making Pineapple Fried Rice.
Fresh or Frozen Shrimp for Fried Rice
I love using fresh shrimp, the bigger the better. However, that's quite expensive. It's perfectly ok to buy uncooked frozen shrimp when making Fried Rice. Don't frozen shrimp shame me! Do you think your take-out uses freshly caught shrimp flown in for your dinner? Most raw shrimp is flash frozen when they catch it, so it works great for this recipe.
How to Make Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
- Fry garlic, chili peppers and shrimp until shrimp is cooked, remove from wok
- Flash fry onion, turmeric, curry powder, and bell pepper for about 2 minutes
- Mix in cooked rice and pineapple and stir together
- Season with fish sauce and soy sauce. Taste and add more if necessary
- Toss in cashews, cooked shrimp and chopped cilantro
- Serve inside the pineapple bowls, garnished with Pork Floss and cilantro
What is Pork Floss?
We love eating Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork Floss in Malaysia, it's the real deal. So what is Pork Floss? It may sound different but it taste great. Pork floss is a type of dried meat with a cotton candy texture, used to garnish and flavor the Fried Rice.
Pork floss or rousong in chinese, can be substituted for beef or chicken floss called serunding in Malay. Found in all Asian supermarkets, however it can be expensive. You decide if you want to add it to this recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Find a ripe and sweet pineapple. If the pineapple isn't sweet enough, it throws the flavour balance off and won't taste right.
- If pineapple isn't sweet enough, add extra sugar to balance out the sweet, sour and salty flavors in this dish.
- Substitute a whole can of pineapple chunks if not using a real pineapple
- Replace the shrimp with chicken or pork
- Don't use cooked frozen shrimp, always buy raw, uncooked frozen shrimp. This allows the flavors the penetrate when you cook them
- Allow for extra cooking time if rice isn't pre-cooked. Important to not make soggy rice! Don't use too much water when cooking the rice.
Fried Rice Recipes You'll Love
It's always fun to serve Thai Pineapple Fried Rice in a pineapple boat. An easy wow factor, no part of the pineapple is wasted in your meal. An authentic Fried Rice recipe that everyone will love, even if your just a beginner cook! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Equipment
- Wok or large frying pan
Ingredients
Fried Rice Stir Fry
- 4 cups of cooked white rice
- 500 grams raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red chili finely sliced
- ½ small onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced capsicum
- 1 fresh pineapple whole, cored and chopped
- ½ cup cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons oil
Spices
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Fried Rice Sauces
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Garnish
- cilantro
- pork floss for garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok until hot. Fry the garlic, chili peppers and shrimp until it is cooked and opaque. Remove from wok and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok. Flash fry onion, bell pepper, turmeric, curry powder and fry for about 2 minutes.
- Mix in cooked rice and pineapple chunks and stir together. Season with Fish Sauce and Soy Sauce. Taste and add more if needed.
- Toss in cashews, cooked shrimp and cilantro. Serve in a hollowed pineapple boat. Garnish with cilantro and pork floss.
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