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This Hawaiian fried rice is loaded with sweet pineapple, ham, and veggies and is so much better than takeout! Everyone goes crazy over this meal, and it’s definitely a family favorite!
Is there anything better than food that tastes like its restaurant quality, but you can make it (and have as much as you want!) at home? Try out these other delicious better than takeout recipes and make this a meal that you can’t resist! I love this Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef, this delicious Cashew Chicken, or these Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao).
A Reader’s Review
“This is the absolute best fried rice I have ever made. My husband wants it every week and I am happy to oblige. Thank you for this deliciousness!”
Better Than Takeout Hawaiian Fried Rice
We made the mistake of actually ordering takeout last week. I was just too tired to make anything, but… it was a huge mistake. Every time I give in to ordering takeout, I wish I would have made my ‘better than takeout‘ recipes at home. I promise that this Hawaiian Fried Rice is better than any restaurant! It started with this sweet and sour chicken recipe on the blog. I didn’t believe it was possible to make something at home that was better than takeout. But it is. And that recipe is my favorite recipe on the site!
It is possible to make better than takeout at home! And if you’re going to make homemade takeout chicken, then you MUST have rice to go with it! This Hawaiian fried rice is so delicious, and that secret ingredient (pineapple!) really takes it over the top and adds a deliciously refreshing taste.
Ingredients in Hawaiian Fried Rice
This combination of ingredients is SO delicious and really takes fried rice to a whole new level. I can’t get over the blends of flavors! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Ham: Sometimes, to save on time, I buy the ham at the store that is already cubed and ready to go!
- White Onion: Make sure that you are cutting up your vegetables to be similar in size so that they all cook at the same rate.
- Red Bell Pepper: Seed and chop this up to mix into the rice.
- Vegetable Oil: You can also use olive oil if you prefer.
- Eggs: I like to use large eggs whenever I am cooking in the kitchen.
- Rice: Cook your rice beforehand. Actually, day-old rice mixes in the best for this recipe! I like to use jasmine rice.
- Pineapple Tidbits: You can use fresh pineapple, or you can use a can of them to make things easier.
- Sesame Oil: This adds THE best flavor to the rice.
- Soy Sauce: You can use more or less depending on the flavor that you are trying to achieve.
- Green Onions: These are an optional garnish that I like to put on top, but I wouldn’t skip them! They add in a lot of color and flavor.
How to Make Hawaiian Fried Rice
This is loaded with so many amazing things. The Hawaiian Ham and Pineapple combination is awesome! I love how the pineapple adds a sweet taste with every bite. It balances out all of the flavors. Plus, this is so easy to make!
- Cook Veggies: Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Pour vegetable oil in the bottom. Add chopped ham, white onion, and red bell pepper and fry until tender.
- Cook the Eggs: Slide the ham, onion, and red bell pepper to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix.
- Combine and Add Sauce: Add the rice and pineapple to the veggie, ham and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil on top. Stir and fry the rice mixture and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add chopped green onions if desired
Use Day Old Cooked Rice
A trick that will really make this rice turn out like takeout is if you cook your rice the day before and store it in your fridge overnight! Using fresh rice can sometimes make this turn out mushy, but if you use leftover rice, it has the PERFECT texture for this Hawaiian fried rice!
How to Store Leftovers
If you love Hawaiian fried rice as much as I do, then you know that it’s always better the next day!! The flavors have a chance to blend together, and the texture is just about perfect.
- In the Refrigerator: Once your rice has cooled, then you can store it in your fridge in an airtight container. It will last about 3-4 days. You can reheat it in your microwave until it’s warmed through!
More Fried Rice Recipes to Try
I love making ithis Hawaiian fried rice because I am reminded how incredible it is! Ditch the takeout tonight and make this for your family! They will love it. Or, try out these other varitaions that are just as delicious!
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Hawaiian Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1½-2 cups ham chopped
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 3 cups rice cooked
- 1 cup pineapple tidbits
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce (more or less to taste)
- 2 Tbsp chopped green onions (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Pour vegetable oil into the bottom. Add chopped ham, white onion, and red bell pepper and fry until tender.
- Slide the ham, onion, and red bell pepper to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix.
- Add the rice and pineapple to the veggie, ham, and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add chopped green onions if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Will this last several days in the fridge ? I’d like to try it as a lunch meal and portion to each some over the course of a week. Or should I add pineapple and wet ingredients individually each day?
Hi Alyssa- This looks like a tasty dish ! Just wondering if you have a nutrition count on it ???
Thanks so much! I like to use skinnytaste.com or myfitnesspal.com to find the nutritional information. Hope that helps you find the answers you are looking for. Thanks for following along with me! XOXO
Do you have your recipe URL to get the nutritional information in MyFitnessPal?
On some I do but not all. Sometimes just adding in the ingredients or another recipe that is similar and you can adjust the ingredients in the app. Hope that helps you find what you are looking for! XOXO
Made this with cauliflower rice and leftover Easter Ham!
Made this with leftover Easter ham and it was very good, but my ricee tuned brown from the soy sauce any suggestions.
Any suggestions for a substitute to pineapple? My boyfriend is allergic and I’m worried about it missing the sweet component with nothing there!
I found this recipe last week to use up leftover ham and have made it twice now. My husband is obsessed with this recipe! I added extra veggies (peas, carrots and cabbage) to make it a complete meal. Thanks for the great idea!
That is awesome!! It is so good! I am glad it is a hit at your house!! XOXO
The rice has to be 1 day old cold from the fridge.
This was great HOWEVER I made the rice ahead of time but that was not a smart move. The rice did NOT turn into “fried” rice. The dish itself was awesome!
can you please give me instructions on how to cook the rice?? i would love to make this for my moms Hawaiian birthday party.
do you figure the 6-8 servings as a main dish? I’m thinking this would be a great side for a Hawaiian themed dinner, but am getting kind of stuck on quantity. It sounds delist, can’t wait to try it!
This was another A+. I was surprised at how good it was for being so simple.
Hi! Made this today and it was really yummy and easy to make! 4 out of 5 of my kids liked it (the one doesn’t like pineapple to begin with, lol) so I consider this a big win in my household!
Hi, Alyssa!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful fried rice recipe. I can’t wait to try it, and I’m pretty sure my kids will love it.
This looks amazing!! What type of rice do you recommend??
Any will work. I used Jasmine for this, but white or brown will work too! 🙂
Oh my goodness my youngest son is going to LOVE this! He loves fried rice but I don’t like how salty it is and wonder what weird things are in it. I also love when I already have the ingredients on hand so much more fun than running to the store for things.
Yum, this looks delicious! I hate ordering take out because it is so expensive- I can make three meals for the price of one takeout order!!