Thai Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice: The Wok Version That Actually Works

⏱ Prep: 10 min 🔥Cook: 15 min 👤Serves: 4 🌏Origin: Thailand

Thai pineapple chicken fried rice, khao phat saparod is the dish you find served inside a hollowed-out pineapple at Thai restaurants, and the one that looks impressive enough to make you think it is complicated. It is not. Day-old jasmine rice, chicken, egg, fresh pineapple, cashews and a simple sauce of fish sauce, oyster sauce and curry powder, twenty minutes in a hot wok and it’s done.

Two things separate a good version from a soggy, clumped mess: day-old rice that has dried out overnight in the fridge, and a wok or pan hot enough to actually fry rather than steam. Both are non-negotiable.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (about 450g) cooked jasmine rice, day-old, the single most important ingredient decision. Fresh rice has too much moisture and turns gluey in the wok. Cook the rice the night before, spread on a tray, leave uncovered in the fridge overnight. In a hurry: spread on a tray and freeze for 1 hour, then use straight from frozen.
• 300g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1cm pieces, thighs over breast, they stay juicy at high heat. Cut small so they cook through in 2–3 minutes.
• 1½ cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1–2cm chunks, fresh is significantly better than canned, sweeter, less watery, holds its shape in the wok. Canned (drained and patted dry) works in a pinch.
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced, for colour and sweetness
• 3 green onions, sliced, whites into the wok, greens for garnish
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

The sauce, mix in a bowl before cooking

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, the backbone. Not optional for the Thai flavour. Substitute: 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1 tablespoon oyster sauce if unavailable, though the result will be different.
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder, the spice that makes this specifically Thai pineapple fried rice rather than just fried rice. Gives warmth and a subtle golden colour.
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon white pepper

To serve

• Fresh cilantro and lime wedges
• Sliced red chili, optional
• Cucumber slices, traditional Thai accompaniment, cuts through the richness

Step by step

1. Prep everything before the wok goes on. Mix the sauce in a small bowl. Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your hands. Have all ingredients chopped, portioned and within reach. Fried rice moves fast, once the wok is hot there is no time to stop and chop.
2. Cook the chicken. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over the highest heat your stove allows. Add 1 tablespoon oil. When shimmering and just starting to smoke, add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook without moving for 90 seconds, then stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until cooked through and lightly charred at the edges. Push to the side of the wok.Do not crowd the chicken. If your wok is small, cook in two batches. Crowding drops the temperature and the chicken steams instead of searing.
3. Cook the aromatics. Add the remaining oil to the empty side of the wok. Add the onion, garlic and green onion whites. Stir-fry 60 seconds until fragrant and just softened. Add the red bell pepper and stir-fry 60 seconds more.
4. Scramble the eggs. Push everything to the sides. Pour the beaten eggs into the centre of the wok. Leave for 20 seconds until they begin to set at the edges, then scramble quickly with the spatula into large, soft curds, about 30 seconds. They should be just cooked, not dry. Mix everything in the wok together briefly.
5. Add the rice and sauce. Add the day-old rice to the wok, breaking up any remaining clumps as it goes in. Pour the sauce evenly over the rice. Toss and stir-fry continuously for 2–3 minutes, scooping from the bottom of the wok, until every grain is coated and the rice has gone from sauce-wet to slightly caramelised and dry-looking.Toss like a salad, not stir like a soup. The scooping motion keeps the rice moving across the hot surface, which is what caramelises it. Stirring in circles just moves it around without creating contact with the heat.
6. Add pineapple and cashews. Add the pineapple chunks and cashews. Toss for 30 seconds, just long enough to warm the pineapple through without it breaking down and releasing its juice into the rice. Taste and adjust fish sauce (salt) or sugar as needed.Pineapple goes in last. Added too early it releases liquid into the wok and makes the rice soggy. Thirty seconds is enough to warm it; the residual heat does the rest.
7. Plate and garnish. Serve immediately, scattered with green onion greens, fresh cilantro and sliced red chili. Lime wedges and cucumber slices on the side.

Claire’s note

Day-old rice is the rule and it is a real rule. I have made fried rice with fresh rice when impatient and it is always a mistake, sticky, clumped, with none of the individual-grain texture that makes fried rice satisfying. The freezer trick works well if you forget: spread freshly cooked rice on a tray, freeze for one hour, break it up and use it straight from frozen. It behaves almost identically to overnight rice. The other thing: resist adding more sauce than the recipe calls for. Wet sauce = wet rice. Season at the end with an extra splash of fish sauce rather than adding more liquid mid-cook.

Serve with

Thai pineapple chicken fried rice is a complete meal on its own. For a Thai spread, serve alongside Thai green curry. The full Asian recipes hub have everything this cuisine does well.

Add Thai pineapple chicken fried rice to your weekly meal planner, it is the ideal use for leftover rice and comes together in under 20 minutes on a weeknight. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Thai Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice

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• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

A flavorful Thai fried rice made with day-old jasmine rice, chicken, fresh pineapple, and a savory sauce, all cooked in a hot wok.

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Ingredients

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• 3 cups (about 450g) cooked jasmine rice, day-old
• 300g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1cm pieces
• 1½ cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1–2cm chunks
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
• Sliced red chili, optional
• Cucumber slices, traditional Thai accompaniment

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Instructions

1. Prep everything before the wok goes on. Mix the sauce in a small bowl. Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your hands. Have all ingredients chopped, portioned and within reach.
2. Cook the chicken. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over the highest heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and when shimmering and starting to smoke, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook without moving for 90 seconds, then stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until cooked through. Push to the side of the wok.
3. Cook the aromatics. Add the remaining oil to the empty side of the wok. Add the onion, garlic and green onion whites. Stir-fry 60 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the red bell pepper and stir-fry 60 seconds more.
5. Scramble the eggs. Push everything to the sides. Pour the beaten eggs into the center of the wok. Leave for 20 seconds, then scramble quickly into large curds.
6. Add the rice and sauce. Add the cold rice to the wok, breaking up any clumps. Pour the sauce over the rice and toss continuously for 2–3 minutes.
7. Add the pineapple and cashews. Toss for 30 seconds until warm.
8. Plate and garnish. Serve immediately, scattered with green onion greens, cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Notes

Use day-old rice for the best texture. Fresh rice can be frozen for 1 hour and used as a substitute. Avoid adding too much sauce during cooking; season at the end instead.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stir-frying
• Cuisine: Thai

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 450
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 900mg
• Fat: 19g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 55g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 22g
• Cholesterol: 150mg