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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).

Hawaiian fried rice in a brown bowl, ready to eat.

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!

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
4 pictures showing how to mix the ingredients in a skillet and combine them together.

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!

The top view of Hawaiian fried rice cooked in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

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.

  1. 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!
A close up of a spoonful of Hawaiian fried rice with a bowl of fried rice blurred in the background.

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Hawaiian Fried Rice

4.60 from 5 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
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! 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients 

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

Originally Posted on March 27, 2015
Updated on August 16, 2022

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 14gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 595mgPotassium: 283mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 597IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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35 Comments

  1. 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?

  2. Hi Alyssa- This looks like a tasty dish ! Just wondering if you have a nutrition count on it ???

    1. 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

      1. 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

  3. Made this with leftover Easter ham and it was very good, but my ricee tuned brown from the soy sauce any suggestions.

  4. Any suggestions for a substitute to pineapple? My boyfriend is allergic and I’m worried about it missing the sweet component with nothing there!

  5. 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!

  6. 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!

  7. can you please give me instructions on how to cook the rice?? i would love to make this for my moms Hawaiian birthday party.

  8. 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!

  9. 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!

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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!!