Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice – Easy Sweet & Savory Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links.This pineapple shrimp fried rice is one of those easy meals with a little bit of everything—juicy shrimp, sweet pineapple, eggs, Chinese sausage, fish balls, and crunchy cashews. It’s savory, slightly sweet, and really good for using up leftover rice.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
🏷️ Recipe Name: Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
⏱️ Ready In: ~ 20 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 3 portions
🔥 Calories: 855 kcal per portion (estimate)
🧾 Main Ingredients: Leftover rice, garlic, shallots, green onion, eggs, shrimp, pineapple, cashew, oyster sauce, fish balls, Chinese sausage, pepper, salt, fish sauce.
🥗 Dietary Info: Contains seafood.
🧠 Difficulty: Easy
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This pineapple shrimp fried rice is another one of those easy meals I like to make when I have leftover rice sitting in the fridge. Just like my Nasi Goreng Kampung and Shrimp Chicken Fried Rice, it comes together quickly in one pan, but the pineapple gives it a slightly sweet and juicy twist.
I also love this kind of dish for the same reason I love Mie Goreng and other stir-fried noodles: you can throw in a little bit of everything and still end up with a really satisfying meal. Here, I add shrimp, Chinese sausage, fish balls, eggs, cashews, and pineapple, so every bite has something different in it.
It’s savory, a little sweet, slightly spicy from the chili, and perfect when you want a quick rice dish that feels a bit more special than regular fried rice.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Cold rice: Day-old rice works best because it is drier and less sticky, so the grains separate nicely when fried. Freshly cooked rice can work too, but let it cool completely first.
Shrimp: One of the main ingredients in this pineapple shrimp fried rice. Use peeled and deveined shrimp, and try not to overcook them so they stay juicy.
Pineapple: This is what gives the fried rice its sweet, juicy contrast. Fresh pineapple is especially nice here, but canned pineapple can also be used if well drained.
Shallots and garlic: These are the basic aromatics that give the fried rice plenty of flavor from the start.
Green onion: Adds a fresh savory flavor at the end and a little extra color too.
Red chili: Gives the fried rice a mild kick. You can add more, use less, or leave it out if you prefer it not spicy.
Oyster sauce: Adds savory depth and a little sweetness to the rice.
Fish sauce: Gives the fried rice a deeper savory flavor and balances the sweetness of the pineapple.
Salt and pepper: Keep these simple and adjust to taste, especially since oyster sauce and fish sauce are already salty.
Chinese sausage, optional: I like adding it for its sweet-savory flavor, but the fried rice is still delicious without it.
Fish balls, optional: These add another chewy, savory element and make the dish a bit more substantial, but you can leave them out.
Roasted cashews, optional: They give the fried rice a lovely crunch and nutty flavor. I really enjoy them here, but they are completely optional.
How to Make Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
STEP 1. Heat some cooking oil in a wok or large pan. Add the minced garlic and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant and lightly golden (Image 1). Add the Chinese sausage and fish balls and stir for a short while (Image 2). Add the cold rice (Image 3) and press down any clumps with a spatula as you stir, until the rice is loosened and evenly separated. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt, pepper, and mushroom powder (Image 4). Mix well.
STEP 2. Push the rice to one side of the wok to make some space for the eggs (Image 5). Crack in the eggs and let them set slightly before scrambling them and mixing them into the rice (Image 6). Add the shrimp (Image 7). Then add the roasted cashews and pineapple (Image 8).
STEP 3. Keep stir-frying for another 1–2 minutes, or until the shrimp are fully cooked and everything is evenly mixed (Image 9). Serve warm, with a sunny-side-up egg on top if you like.
Pro Tips
- Use cold rice. Day-old rice is best because it is drier and easier to separate in the wok. If you use freshly cooked rice, let it cool completely first.
- Break up the rice before adding the seasonings. Press any clumps gently with your spatula so the rice separates well and the sauces can coat everything evenly.
- Don’t rush the eggs. Let them set a little before scrambling them. This gives you soft pieces of egg instead of having them disappear into the rice.
- Add the shrimp near the end. Shrimp cook very quickly, so adding them later helps keep them tender instead of rubbery.
- Add the pineapple last. Pineapple releases juice as it heats, so adding it near the end keeps the fried rice from becoming too wet.
- Keep the heat fairly high. Fried rice tastes best when it cooks quickly over higher heat. Just keep stirring so the garlic and shallots don’t burn.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Oyster sauce, fish sauce or soy sauce, and Chinese sausage are already salty, so adjust the final seasoning only after everything is mixed together.
- Add the cashews at the end. This helps them stay crunchy instead of softening too much in the pan.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this pineapple shrimp fried rice warm with a few crispy sides like fried meatballs or chicken karaage. If you want to add some vegetables to the meal, bok choy stir fry or chicken mushroom stir fry would go really well with it.
For drinks, I like something light and refreshing alongside the savory-sweet fried rice. Cucumber juice drink or lychee tea both work nicely and help balance the richer flavors.
Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice FAQs
Yes, but cold leftover rice works better because it is drier and separates more easily in the pan. If using freshly cooked rice, spread it out and let it cool first so it does not make the fried rice too soft.
Yes. Just drain it very well before adding it to the pan. Too much extra liquid can make the fried rice wet.
Absolutely. They are optional add-ins. The shrimp, pineapple, eggs, aromatics, and seasonings are what really make this pineapple shrimp fried rice.
Yes. The cashews are optional. I like the crunch they add, but you can simply leave them out if you prefer.
Medium or large peeled and deveined shrimp work well. Fresh or frozen shrimp are both fine, but thaw frozen shrimp completely and pat them dry before cooking.
Use cold rice, drain the pineapple well, and add the pineapple near the end of cooking. Also avoid adding too much sauce at once.
Storage
Store leftover pineapple shrimp fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes, or simply warm it in the microwave until heated through.
Because it contains shrimp and egg, I’d avoid leaving it at room temperature for too long before refrigerating.
More Stir Fry Recipes
If you love quick stir-fried meals like this pineapple shrimp fried rice, here are a few more easy recipes to try next.
- Szechuan Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Three Cup Chicken
- Beef Chow Mein
- Chow Mei Fun
- Stir Fried Glass Noodles
- Chicken Pad Thai
- Ground Pork Stir Fry
Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
Equipment
- 1 wok
Ingredients
- 500 gr rice cold
- 3 garlic
- 3 shallots
- 2 eggs
- 75 gr shrimps
- 75 gr pineapple
- 75 gr roasted cashew
- ½ Chinese sausage
- 2 fish balls
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp mushroom powder
Instructions
- Heat some cooking oil in a wok or large pan. Add the minced garlic and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant and lightly golden (Image 1). Add the Chinese sausage and fish balls and stir for a short while (Image 2). Add the cold rice (Image 3) and press down any clumps with a spatula as you stir, until the rice is loosened and evenly separated. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt, pepper, and mushroom powder (Image 4). Mix well.
- Push the rice to one side of the wok to make some space for the eggs (Image 5). Crack in the eggs and let them set slightly before scrambling them and mixing them into the rice (Image 6). Add the shrimp (Image 7). Then add the roasted cashews and pineapple (Image 8).
- Keep stir-frying for another 1–2 minutes, or until the shrimp are fully cooked and everything is evenly mixed (Image 9). Serve warm, with a sunny-side-up egg on top if you like.
Notes
- Use cold rice. Day-old rice is best because it is drier and easier to separate in the wok. If you use freshly cooked rice, let it cool completely first.
- Break up the rice before adding the seasonings. Press any clumps gently with your spatula so the rice separates well and the sauces can coat everything evenly.
- Don’t rush the eggs. Let them set a little before scrambling them. This gives you soft pieces of egg instead of having them disappear into the rice.
- Add the shrimp near the end. Shrimp cook very quickly, so adding them later helps keep them tender instead of rubbery.
- Add the pineapple last. Pineapple releases juice as it heats, so adding it near the end keeps the fried rice from becoming too wet.
- Keep the heat fairly high. Fried rice tastes best when it cooks quickly over higher heat. Just keep stirring so the garlic and shallots don’t burn.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Oyster sauce, fish sauce or soy sauce, and Chinese sausage are already salty, so adjust the final seasoning only after everything is mixed together.
- Add the cashews at the end. This helps them stay crunchy instead of softening too much in the pan.
This pineapple shrimp fried rice is an easy way to turn leftover rice into a complete meal. The sweet pineapple, juicy shrimp, eggs, and savory seasonings all come together in one pan.