My pineapple rice recipe combines sweet pineapple with sriracha, ginger, and coconut aminos for a sweet-spicy, one-pot side or main. It comes together in about 30 minutes with basic pantry staples and fresh pineapple, no fancy equipment needed.
Our House Runs on Pineapple and Rice
We go through a lot of pineapple in this house, and just as much rice, so this recipe was pretty much inevitable. The sriracha and ginger turn plain rice into something with real flavor, sweet, spicy, and a little unexpected in the best way. We eat it on its own most nights, but it holds up just as well as a side dish or served next to a favorite protein. If you’re into rice with more going on, this one sits right alongside our pesto rice, dill rice, and garlic fried rice in our regular rotation.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Oil: I love to use a neutral-tasting oil like avocado oil, but any oil will work. Olive oil is another great choice! If you are not vegan or dairy-free, you can also use butter if you prefer.
Ginger and garlic: Ginger and garlic not only complement pineapple, but add a great flavor base to the rice itself.
Rice: A white long grain rice like basmati rice or jasmine rice works best in this recipe.
Pineapple: I love to use fresh pineapple and cut it into chunks, but you can also buy the pre-cut frozen pineapple chunks for similar results.
Sriracha: This mild garlicky hot sauce really works well with the other flavors in this recipe. If you do not have sriracha, you can use whatever hot sauce you have on hand or prefer in a pinch.
Coconut aminos: Coconut aminos add a bit of umami flavor and works really well with sriracha. If you do not have coconut aminos, you can use soy sauce or even tamari if needed. Just be certain these are gluten-free certified if necessary.
Sugar: I love to use coconut sugar, but you can use regular white sugar or even maple syrup or honey if preferred. If on a no added sugar diet, you can simply omit it.
Red pepper flakes: Red chile flakes add most of the spiciness in this recipe. Feel free to omit if you are not a fan of spice.
How to Make Pineapple Rice
Serving Ideas
- You can serve this pineapple rice as is as a side dish to accompany a main course.
- You make this rice recipe the main course for vegans and vegetarians and can even mix in some cripsy tofu or tempeh or even sprinkle with some hemp seeds before serving for additional protein.
- I love to make a wrap with this rice and a thin layer of hot sauce for extra spice.
- You can repurpose leftover pineapple rice to make a vegan pineapple fried rice by sauteing the leftover rice in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown
My Favorite Ways to Serve Pineapple Rice
- You can serve this pineapple rice as a side dish to accompany a main course.
- Enjoy on its own!
- Serve alongside my mango salad for even more tropical fun.
- You make this rice recipe the main course for vegans and vegetarians by mixing in some cripsy tofu or tempeh.
- I love to make a wrap with this rice and a thin layer of hot sauce for extra spice.
- You can also repurpose leftover pineapple rice to make a pineapple fried rice by sautéing the leftover rice in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown.
How to Store Leftover Pineapple Rice
Let the rice cool briefly, then move it to an airtight container and refrigerate within an hour of cooking. It keeps for 3 to 4 days. When you reheat it, make sure it’s steaming hot all the way through, rice that isn’t reheated properly can carry a risk of foodborne bacteria, so don’t just warm the surface. For longer storage, freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Delicious Pineapple Recipes You Might Like
Pineapple Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil I like to use avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 2-inch knob fresh ginger root grated or minced
- 1 cup uncooked white rice I like to use Jasmine or Basmati
- 2 cups fresh or frozen pineapple chopped
- 1 tablespoon sriracha or any red chile-based hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or any sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1 ½ cups water
Method
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil, garlic and ginger.
- Saute for 5 minutes, while stirring.
- Add the rice and toast it, while stirring frequently, for 2 minutes longer.
- Add the pineapple, sriracha, coconut aminos, sugar, salt, and red chili flakes.
- Saute for 1 minute longer, while stirring.
- Add the water, turn the heat to high and bring all to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer (medium-low), place a lid on and simmer for 15 minutes or until all water has evaporated.
- Turn off the heat and let the rice rest with the lid on for 5 minutes longer before serving.
- Fluff with a fork and enjoy!
Notes
- Keep the lid on while it simmers. Lifting it lets steam escape and can leave you with undercooked rice.
- If the rice isn’t fully tender after 15 minutes, give it a few more minutes covered rather than raising the heat.
- Coconut aminos can be swapped 1:1 for soy sauce if that’s what you have on hand.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using a third-party calculator and is an estimate only.
Has anyone tried making this with canned pineapple and swapping in some of the pineapple juice from the can in place of some of the water??
Question: Do I cook the rice first? Or place it in there raw?
Hi! Raw/uncooked rice. Thank you for asking! I’ll update the recipe card to include this. 🙂
This is so good! Adding to my favorites. The flavors are amazing. I love the blend of sweet and spicy. Thanks for sharing.
Made this for brunch and they taste so flavorful and delicious! This was so easy to make and the best part is it’s gluten-free and vegan-friendly! Thanks a bunch!
This recipe is exactly the sweet, spicy, savory combo that I love. I always use fresh pineapple because it’s more affordable where I live. If you like pineapple pizza and pineapple pork chops like me, you’ll probably love this dish too. The difference for me is my family gives me a hard time about pineapple on pizza, but they all love this rice recipe.
It’s my first time trying pineapple with rice and I must say, I really loved it. This has the perfect salty, sweet, and spicy flavors. Also love the addition of ginger. Highly recommended!
BIG YUM!!!! I absolutely loved this recipe! Perfect balance of salty and sweet. I topped mine with a fried egg and it was excellent.
This is such a great twist on fried rice! I loved the tropical flavors! I’ll be making this again and again!
This was so easy to throw together! I had a pineapple sitting on the counter, and it was a great use for it. Thank you for this unique way of making rice!
This is the perfect side dish recipe to use up my leftover pineapple!! I made your rice recipe for dinner and my whole family loved it and asked me to make it again.
The tropical flavors of this side dish really brought some warmth to the table on a rainy winter night. Can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers for lunch today!
Pineapple and rice are two of my daughter’s absolute favorite foods, and this recipe is amazing!! I wasn’t sure about the spice for her, but it’s perfect and delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!