Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice
This recipe for Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice comes together so easily for a restaurant-quality dinner faster than you can order takeout! Simply made with fresh pineapple and tender chicken in a savory sauce mixed with jasmine rice and fried eggs.
Servings: 6
Calories: 259kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 2 teaspoons divided (2 tablespoons for cooking chicken and 2 teaspoons for cooking the egg)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾ inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup green onions, plus 1 tablespoon thinly sliced divided (⅓ cup for the rice and 1 tablespoon for garnish)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 cup frozen peas & carrots
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, at room temperature (see tips for preparation)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1½ cups fresh pineapple, cut into ¾-inch pieces (from half a large fresh pineapple) (see tips for serving)
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces, salt, and black pepper. Cook and brown the chicken for 6-8 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken pieces and place them onto a plate while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Add the ⅓ cup sliced green onions, minced garlic, and grated ginger to the hot skillet. Stir and cook for 30 seconds or until the green onions are soft and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the peas & carrots to the skillet and stir to combine with the onions. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the vegetables are warmed through.
- Add the jasmine rice to the skillet of vegetables and stir to combine all the ingredients in the skillet. Allow the rice to cook and fry for 5-6 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to keep the rice from sticking to the skillet and burning.
- Using a wooden spoon or spatula, move the rice and vegetables to the outer edges of the skillet to allow an empty space in the center of the skillet. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to the center of the skillet, then add the lightly beaten eggs to the oil. Allow the eggs to cook and scramble for 1-2 minutes. Once the eggs are scrambled, carefully stir them into the rice and vegetables.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Pour the sauce into the skillet of rice. Stir to coat the rice with the sauce.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet of rice along with the pineapple pieces. Stir to combine all the ingredients then remove from the heat. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions before serving.
Notes
- If you want to serve this pineapple chicken fried rice in a fresh pineapple half, you will need to cut a large fresh pineapple in half down the center (vertically), then using a small sharp knife, cut along the inner edge of the flesh of the pineapple (being sure to leave a ½ -¾ inch border) then use a large spoon to carefully scoop out the inner flesh. Please note that if you want to get nice, pretty diced pieces after you scoop out the flesh, you will need to be careful while scooping to not tear up the flesh too much. If you do not wish to use the pineapple half as a serving vessel, then you will just trim off the outer skin core and slice the pineapple as normal for nice, uniform, diced pieces.
- If fresh pineapple is not readily available or in season, you can substitute canned chunk golden pineapple (in 100% juice) for this recipe. Be sure to drain the canned pineapple chunks well before adding them to the rice.
- You can substitute teriyaki sauce for the oyster sauce in the recipe for a slightly sweeter sauce. Oyster sauce has a saltier taste and is not sweet, however, the teriyaki sauce will pair well with the flavors of the pineapple for this fried rice.
- You can make the jasmine rice up to 1 day ahead of time. Be sure to refrigerate the rice in an airtight container for storage, but to allow it to come to room temperature before adding it to the skillet. If making your jasmine rice fresh, you will want to prepare it according to package directions prior to starting to cook this recipe. You will need to allow an extra 20 minutes or so of preparation time for the rice to cook so that it can cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go, as this will go quickly once you start cooking.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 920mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2409IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg