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Hawaiian fried rice will get the family to the table promptly.
Hawaiian Fried Rice Is Versatile
So versatile since you can make it with many meats–not just shrimp!
This fried rice recipe works very well with chicken or pork. Beef is good too because pineapple does go well with it. If you’ve ever eaten in a Mandarin restaurant, you probably saw pineapple beef on the menu.
Because I have quite a bit of shrimp in my freezer, I used up some of them in this dish. And since I always make too much of anything, a couple of friends who are on limited budgets appreciate the leftovers.
Speaking Of Leftovers…
Have any rice left over from a takeout earlier in the week? That’s perfect for this fried rice recipe since it’ll be cold already and a bit drier for sitting in the fridge. Plus rice from a restaurant always seems to taste better than the rice you make at home so it’s a great way to use it up.
Same goes for any leftover store-bought rotisserie chicken. Again, perfect for this. The only way I’d say no to that is if you got a chicken that was had a seasoning that just won’t go with these flavors. For me, that’d be one with barbeque sauce. But hey, if it appeals to you, then go right ahead.
Similarly, any leftover roast pork or beef is nice too, as I said before.
Substitutions
Lots of us have that can of pineapple in the pantry. However, it may not be tidbits. Rings or chunks can be cut up into small bits so there’s no reason to run out and buy the tidbits. I’d shy away from the crushed variety though–too mushy and almost impossible to drain.
No red bell pepper? Use green if you have it. The red just makes a nice pop of color but they basically taste the same.
No green onions? Just use more regular onion.
This meal is quite economical when you consider the substitutions and the leftovers.
The Recipe
Hawaiian Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbs oil divided
- 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium carrot finely diced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 large can pineapple tidbits 20 oz/567 g, drained
- 2 cups cooked rice room temperature
- 6 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Mix soy sauce, curry powder and sugar in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add shrimp and stir fry until they turn pink--about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook just until fragrant--about 10 seconds.
- Add the pepper, carrot and onion and stir fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple and shrimp.
- Add the rice and soy sauce mixture. Heat through tossing to combine and breaking up any lumps of rice. Stir in the onions.
Michele says
Hi what kind of oil do you recommend?
Judith Hanneman says
I usually use regular olive oil, but for stir fries like this, I’ll use vegetable or peanut oil Hope this helps!