Pineapple Chicken Thai Fried Rice

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/29/23
Pineapple Chicken Thai Fried Rice

The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
419 Calories
15g Fat
58g Carbs
14g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 419
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 58mg 19%
Sodium 742mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 23mg 115%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 416mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Fried rice is an all-time favorite takeout that you can easily make at home in a few simple steps. Whether you like the Chinese, Thai, Peruvian, or Vietnamese version, there is something about fried rice that makes it the perfect dish. It might be the combination of flavors, textures, and colors, or the fact that the rich fried rice has something for everyone, but what's undeniable is that when you make fried rice, every plate is cleaned empty, and you get happy faces all around.

Our sweet and savory version of a Thai chicken fried rice has a stir-fry sauce that brings together savory chicken, sweet pineapple chunks, crunchy nuts, and soft raisins. This festive-looking meal is an all-in-one dish that shines as a special dinner when you don't have much time. Prep the rice and veggies in the morning and cook everything in no time at night.

The Thai rice has soy sauce, which some might say is not actually Thai, but many cooks—professional and not—swear by the addition of the salty sauce, and we agree. For soy allergies, use coconut aminos instead, or an extra pinch of salt. If finding fresh pineapple is difficult, go for canned, but try to use fruit preserved in water and not sweetened syrup.

Serve with a fresh salad.

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 2 chicken breasts, or 2 to 3 thighs, chopped into small pieces

  • 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons pineapple juice

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/3 teaspoon turmeric

  • 1/4 teaspoon coriander

  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin

For the Stir-Fry:

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 3 tablespoons minced onion

  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 fresh red or green chile, minced, or 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed chile

  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

  • 1 small carrot, finely sliced

  • 1 large egg

  • 4 to 5 cups cooked white jasmine rice

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or canned pineapple chunks

  • 3 tablespoons chopped raisins

  • 1/4 cup frozen peas

  • 1/4 cup dry roasted, unsalted cashews

  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for pineapple chicken Thai fried rice recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  2. Place the chicken in a bowl with the soy sauce. Stir to combine, cover, and set aside to marinate.

    Place the chicken in a bowl with the soy sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  3. In a small bowl, combine stir-fry sauce ingredients: pineapple juice, fish sauce, sugar, turmeric, coriander, and cumin; stir to dissolve the sugar. If using fresh pineapple, you might have to press some of the fruit down to come up with the juice. Set aside.

    Combine all stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  4. Place a wok or a large, deep frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Drizzle in the oil, and add the onion, garlic, chile, whole cumin seeds, and carrot. Stir-fry for 1 minute.

    Onion, garlic, chile, whole cumin, and carrot in a wok

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  5. Add the marinated chicken and the juices into the wok and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the chicken turns white on the outside.

    Chicken and vegetables in the wok

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  6. Crack in the egg and continue stir-frying, breaking up the egg with a utensil into small pieces.

    Eggs added to the stir-fry in the wok

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  7. Combine all ingredients well and add the prepared stir-fry sauce.

    Stir-fry sauce added to the ingredients in the wok

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  8. Add the cooked rice, pineapple chunks, raisins, and peas. Fry together by gently stirring, lifting, and turning all of the ingredients.

    Add the cooked rice, pineapple chunks, raisins, and peas to the ingredients in the wok

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  9. Break up any clumps of rice by pressing down against them with the flat side of a utensil. Keep stirring and let the mixture cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the rice is of a uniform golden color. Add the cashews and stir them in.

    Add the cashews to the stir-fry in the wok

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  10. Remove the rice from heat and taste-test, adding more fish sauce for a saltier, more flavorful rice, or more fresh or dried chile for a spicier version.

    Thai pineapple stir-fy in a wok

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  11. Place the rice in a big serving bowl and top with chopped fresh cilantro.

    Pineapple chicken Thai fried rice on a platter

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

Vegetarian and Vegan Pineapple Fried Rice

You can make this recipe vegetarian or vegan with a few easy swaps:

  • Vegetarian version. Use 1 block of cubed and pressed extra firm tofu, 10 ounces of seitan, or 10 ounces of tempeh instead of chicken. Use soy sauce or tamari instead of fish sauce, and marinate either of the suggested plant-based proteins as you'd marinate the chicken. Follow the rest of the recipe as is.
  • Vegan version. Follow the vegetarian rice instructions but skip the egg. Instead, add an extra handful of cashews or 1/2 cup of bean sprouts to add volume and aid with the texture of the dish.

Tip

Make the jasmine rice ahead of time as it not only saves you time on the day of preparing this dish, but it also helps in keeping the rice from clumping up when making the stir-fry. And this dish does better with cold rice.