Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe

Prepare rice

Use chilled, day-old cooked jasmine rice for best texture. Break up any clumps with your hands or a fork so the grains are separated (about 4 cups).

Scramble eggs

Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Whisk eggs with 1/4 tsp salt. Pour eggs into wok and gently scramble until just set but still moist, about 1–1.5 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same wok over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add minced garlic and ginger and stir-fry 15–20 seconds until fragrant.

Add diced carrots and cook 1.5–2 minutes, stirring, until they begin to soften.

Stir in green peas and sliced cabbage and continue to stir-fry 1.5–2 minutes until cabbage has softened but still has some bite.

Add diced pineapple and half of the sliced scallions. Stir-fry 1–2 minutes to warm the pineapple and let juices mingle with the vegetables. If pineapple releases a lot of liquid, increase heat and cook another minute to reduce moisture.

Stir together light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and sugar in a small bowl. Optionally add lime juice for brightness.

Push the vegetables and pineapple to one side of the wok. Add the broken-up rice to the empty side and let it sit 15–20 seconds to develop slight crispness, then stir to combine with vegetables.

Pour the sauce evenly over the rice and vegetables. Toss thoroughly to coat and continue stir-frying on high heat 2–3 minutes, making sure rice grains separate and nothing steams.

Return the scrambled eggs to the wok and fold them into the rice mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce or salt if needed.

Stir in remaining scallions and remove wok from heat. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a squeeze of lime if using.

Transfer pineapple fried rice to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro and crispy shallots or peanuts if desired. Serve hot.