Easy Hawaiian Fried Rice Recipe (Ham and Pineapple)
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!
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.
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.
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.