A one-skillet meal, ready in just 30 minutes, this Hawaiian fried rice is a game or dinner changer! Ham and pineapple fried rice will become your new favorite way to enjoy leftover ham!
The traditional Hawaiian protein in this recipe is diced Spam! The next time you are cooking rice, make a double batch and freeze for traditional fried rice recipe.
This is a great recipe to put leftover ham to good use, combining salty ham with the sweet taste of pineapple chunks!
Make Ahead Rice
Make your rice up to a few days ahead of time! It needs to be cooked and cooled for the best results!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Leftover Holiday Ham Recipe – Ham and pineapple fried rice is a great use for leftover ham! So, use your extra Christmas ham and enjoy a delicious tropical dish.
- Quick & Easy – With one skillet or wok, simple ingredients, and 30 minutes, you have a great meal the whole family loves!
- Flavor – This rice dish is a lovely balance of salty and sweet flavors with soy sauce, fresh pineapple, ham, veggies, soft scrambled eggs, and sesame oil.
Simple Ingredients Hawaiian Fried Rice
- Oil or butter | Use olive oil or butter to saute the onions and peppers. I prefer oil to keep the meal on the lighter side.
- Vegetables | You will use onions, red bell pepper and carrots for your veggies, garnishing with green onions.
- Garlic and ginger | Include minced garlic and fresh ginger for subtle spice and loads of flavor!
- Ham | Dice the ham into ½ inch pieces for the best results. If you don’t have leftover ham or ham steaks are a great way to bring cooked ham to the recipe.
- Juicy Pineapples | Fresh or canned pineapple is excellent for this fried rice recipe. If you use fresh pineapple, add a couple of minutes of cooking time, allowing it to soften.
- White rice | Have cooked long-grain rice, chilled and ready to go! I love Jasmine rice the best! Leftover rice works great!
- Peas | I like to use frozen peas to make the recipe easy without sacrificing flavor.
- Eggs | Add lightly beaten eggs- a classic fried rice recipe staple.
- Soy sauce | Use soy sauce, Coconut aminos, Tamari or Liquid aminos, start with a little, add more as desired.
- Sesame oil | Toasted sesame oil is optional, but it adds amazing flavor! It’s a signature ingredient commonly used in fried rice recipes, giving it an authentic flavor.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice
Chop your veggies first to make things go faster. Then, heat the oil or butter in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Fresh Tip
- When stir-frying, using a large skillet or wok with enough space for all the ingredients to touch the pan surface is important.
- If the pan is too small, the ingredients will steam from the heat instead of frying on the hot surface, resulting in a mushy texture.
Add the onions, fresh bell peppers, and carrots and saute them for about six minutes or until softened.
Next, add the diced ham and pineapple pieces, cooking for about four minutes or until the ham is golden brown. Sprinkle in the garlic and ginger and continue cooking for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
Then, stir in the cooked rice and frozen peas and while cooking for a couple more minutes, stir-fry the rice.
Now, scoot the rice to the side of the hot pan and add the beaten eggs to the other side of the pan, cooking until it softly scrambles. Combine the eggs and rice and pour the soy sauce and sesame oil.
Cook for a few minutes, then serve the dish fresh from the skillet, garnished with sliced green onions – Enjoy!
Fresh Tips
- The peas will thaw quickly as you stir them into the ham and pineapple fried rice.
- Your rice should be well chilled before making the recipe. It’s best to use day-old rice for the perfect texture.
- Drain the sweet pineapple juice before adding canned pineapple to the recipe. Or include it in the stir fry for extra pineapple flavor!
It’s one of the busiest times of the year, and everyone needs some quick, easy, and delicious recipes. Try more of my 30-minute recipes, like Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches, Hibachi Steak and Shrimp Recipe with Fried Rice and Healthy Mongolian Beef!
Variations & Substitutions
Traditional Hawaiian Spam Fried Rice
Go the Hawaiian way and use diced spam meat instead of ham!
Low-Carb Hawaiian Fried Rice
Pineapple is technically not allowed on a low-carb diet, reduce the amounts of onion, and peppers and omit the carrots. Use riced cauliflower in place of the rice, use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
More Veggies: Add more of your favorite stir-fried veggies, like sugar peas, water chestnuts, zucchini, or yellow squash.
Spicy Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice: Add chili sauce, red pepper flakes or hot sriracha to bring the heat!
Oyster Sauce: Add ½- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce or fish sauce to the dish; it doesn’t taste fishy but adds a delicious Asian flavor.
Leftover Rice: Use any leftover rice for this dish; coconut rice made with coconut milk, brown rice will all be delicious.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate – Leftover fried rice can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Be sure it cools to room temperature before storing. If freezing, know that the texture of the rice may change upon thawing.
How to reheat delicious Hawaiian Fried Rice
Heat your skillet over medium-high heat, adding a few teaspoons oil add the thawed or refrigerated fried rice to the pan, stir-frying again until hot.
You may also place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on 50-60% power for 1 minute, stir, reheat in 30 second increments until heated through.
Make Ahead Tips
Looking for a time saver? You can chop all the ingredients the day before and store them in a sealed container in the fridge. Cook the rice ahead or use leftover rice. And go ahead and chop the leftover ham to the desired size. Then, you can simply add each part to the pan and cook in no time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Hawaiian Fried Rice is a tropical twist on a favorite. It’s fried rice with ham and pineapple, giving you a delicious salty and sweet flavor combination!
If you’re using leftover ham, use it within five days of storing it. You can also freeze ham for longer storage – two to three months!
Rather than a secret ingredient, the key to restaurant-style fried rice is the technique. Be sure to use a hot wok or pan large enough for all the ingredients to touch the sizzling surface. Also, cold rice is key!
The fried rice will turn out mushy and wet when made with freshly made rice. Day-old chilled rice is essential for quality fried rice.
Best Sauces for Hawaiian Pineapple Fried Rice with Ham
Make this tasty stir-fry recipe even more delicious with a homemade sauce, like Easy Honey Teriyaki Sauce or irresistible Yum Yum Sauce! Serve it on the side in a small bowl or drizzle it on top.
Best Hibachi Sauce Recipe (Yum Yum Sauce)
Discover the ultimate Creamy Hibachi Sauce recipe, aka the Best Yum Yum Sauce! In just 5 minutes, unlock unparalleled flavor with simple ingredients, and unveil the secret ingredient that sets it apart, transforming your weekday meals into Benihana-worthy delights.
Easy Homemade Honey Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
A clean and easy honey teriyaki sauce would give this fried rice a delicious sweet and sour taste!
What to serve with Leftover Ham Fried Rice with Pineapple
Hawaiian fried rice is a filling main dish, but you can also serve it as a side dish to feed a crowd:
Best Desserts to Serve with Hawaiian Fried Rice with Pineapple and Ham
End this tropical meal with a bright dessert, like Key Lime Pie, or No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe, or this easy Italian Lemon Ricotta cake – Yum!
The Best Key Lime Pie Recipe (Award-Winning)
Describe your BEST Key Lime Pie…is it citrusy, sweet-tart, creamy — with the perfect sweet to-pucker ratio; light and easy with a crisp not-to-sweet graham cracker crust? Look no further…you found it!
Best Easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe
Indulge in the exquisite flavors of our Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake. Savor the perfect blend of Italian cheesecake goodness in every bite. The essence of Italy is in this delightful ricotta cake.
Easily adapt to be gluten-free and low-carb!
No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe
This recipe for easy lemon cream cheese pie is amazing! Ready to chill in about 30 minutes, made with real lemon juice, cream cheese, mascarpone and sweetened condensed milk all tucked into an amazing Golden Oreo cookie crust.
More Fried Rice Recipes
- Easy Hibachi Steak and Shrimp Recipe with Fried Rice
- Best Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe (Benihana Copycat)
- Chicken Fried Rice on the Blackstone Griddle
If you don’t have a wok, use your largest cast iron pan or non-stick skillet for the best results!
I hope you loved this Pineapple Ham Fried Rice— if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (around 1 cup)
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced (around ½ cup)
- 1 large carrot diced (around ½ cup)
- 2 cups ham leftover or ham steak, diced (about 12 ounces)
- 1 cup pineapple diced (fresh or canned)
- 4 cloves garlic minced (about 4 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons ginger minced, fresh
- 4 cups cooked long-grain rice chilled (make day ahead)
- ½ cup peas frozen, do not thaw
- 3 large eggs beaten
- ¼ cup soy sauce for less salty taste, use low sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, or Liquid Aminos
Optional ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil optional
- 1-2 green onions Greens chopped, use the whites when you are sautéing the vegetables.
Instructions
- Chop all of your veggies and ham, set aside.
- Heat the olive oil (1 TBL) in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, bell pepper, and carrot for 6-7 minutes or until the veggies soften.
- Add the ham (2 cups) and pineapple (1 cup) and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the ham starts to brown.
- Add the garlic (4 cloves) and ginger (2 teaspoons) and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the rice (4 cups) and frozen peas (½ cup) and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to stir-fry the rice.
- Push the rice mixture to one side of the pan. Add the eggs (2 eggs, beaten) to the empty side of the pan and cook until a soft scramble forms.
- Combine the eggs with the rice mixture, add the soy sauce and sesame oil, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve warm, garnished with sliced green onions if desired.
Notes
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Fresh Tips
- Go traditional Hawaiian and use cubed Spam in place of the ham!
- This dish is best prepared in a large skillet or wok with plenty of space for the ingredients. If your pan is too small, the ingredients will not come in contact with the pan surface often enough and will likely steam rather than stir fry, resulting in a mushy final dish.
- Ensure your rice is well chilled before making this recipe. I recommend using 1-2 day-old chilled rice. If the rice is not sufficiently chilled, it will not hold its shape and become mushy.
- Fresh or canned pineapple can be used in this recipe. If using fresh pineapple, add 1-2 minutes of cooking time when sauteing the ham and pineapple to allow it to soften.
- This recipe is perfect for using up leftover ham from the holidays. I recommend cutting the ham into ½ inch chunks. If you do not have leftover ham, ham steaks from the grocery store diced into chunks work perfectly.
- Any color bell pepper works in this recipe. I like to use red to give contrast to the colors in the dish.
- There is no need to thaw the peas before adding them to the dish. The heat from the pan and other ingredients will warm them just fine.
Nutrition
Michael Tridente
Really yummy I can’t wait to make it
Thanks! I hope you love it!
Ann J
I found this quick and easy! It’s easy to make additions and changes to reflect your personal preferences or what you have on hand. I added more soy sauce and bean sprouts, scrambled the eggs in a separate pan and added them at the end, and substituted green beans for peas on my second batch. Next time, I plan to add shrimp!
Thank you so very much Ann! Sounds like your additions were perfect! Love the idea of adding shrimp!
Ellen
My son loves ham and pineapple together and he absolutely LOVED this recipe. It’s going in his recipe box for when he has his own apartment.
That is perfect Ellen, thank you so much!
Gianne
The combination of ham and pineapple added a delicious sweetness to the dish. It was quick and simple to make, and the flavors were incredibly satisfying.
So glad you loved it!!
Carrie Robinson
This is such a tasty twist on traditional fried rice! 🙂 Love ham and pineapple on pizza, so I know that I would love this.
Right?! That’s what I thought too!!
Jacqueline
That looks gorgeous! I’m going to try it without the ham.
You could use chicken, turkey, tofu whatever your protein choice is!!
Lauren Harris
We’re big fans of ham and pineapple on pizza so I just knew my family would love this fried rice recipe. I was right! This was a hit and my husband requested I add it to our rotation.
It’s always a win when a family member asks for it to go on rotation!
Nathanaelle Yoshimura
What a great recipe! Used coconut aminos and leftover ham. We love fried rice in our family, but we never made it with a Hawaiin spin before. Will do again!
YAY! Love that you used coconut aminos (my favorite too)!! Thank you. I’m glad you loved it!