Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice
This easy pineapple fried rice is packed with bright flavors, featuring tender chicken, bell peppers, peas, sweet chunks of pineapple, and a squeeze of lime juice. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a delicious and healthier meal for any night of the week!
Servings: 6
Calories: 359kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked brown or white rice chilled (see Notes)
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil divided
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger grated
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce gluten-free, if needed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 ½ cups cubed pineapple
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 1 small lime juiced
- Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and let them sit for 10-15 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. Blot dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in the center, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Melt the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil in the same pan. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until just softened. Stir in the bell peppers, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the Pan: Add the soy sauce and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir in the cooked rice, honey, cubed pineapple, and the cooked chicken. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Final Touches: In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the frozen peas and lime juice.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh green onions and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Best Rice for Fried Rice: Use leftover rice that has been completely cooled and refrigerated for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. This helps prevent the rice from becoming mushy.
Rice Conversion: 1 ¼ cups of raw rice yields about 4 cups of cooked rice.