If you’re looking for a festive way to serve rice for parties and get-togethers, give this Thai pineapple chicken fried rice a try. Not only does the presentation look bright and ultra cheerful, the rice dish itself is guaranteed to make family and friends beg for a second, or even a third, helping.
Slightly salty, slightly sweet, slightly spicy with a citrusy aroma that blends perfectly with the pungent curry powder.
How difficult is it to cook Thai pineapple chicken fried rice dish at home? Not difficult at all. The only challenging part is cutting the pineapple and scooping out the flesh without tearing the shell. If you’ve prepared fresh pineapple before, it shouldn’t be a problem. Other than that, it’s all just a matter of slicing, chopping and stirring.
You’ll need a whole fresh pineapple. Cut into halves lengthwise. Leave the leaves on for presentation.
MY LATEST VIDEOSCut out the flesh and scoop out. Cut the pineapple into bite-size pieces.
You’ll also need roasted cashew nuts. Chopped. For better textural contrast, leave some whole.
You stir fry the chicken with spices and aromatics. Whatever flesh and juices from the pineapple shell are added to the chicken for flavor and moisture.
Arrange the pineapple shells on a serving plate before completing the fried rice.
When the chicken is done, add the rice to the pan. Stir in the cashew nuts and cut-up pineapple.
Continue stir frying until the rice is heated through and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Spoon the fried rice into the prepared pineapple shells.
Serve immediately.
This Thai pineapple chicken fried rice is a complete meal by itself. But you can always serve it alongside other meat, seafood or vegetable dish.
Thai Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 whole fresh and very ripe pineapple
- ¾ cup roasted cashew nuts
- 6 chicken thigh fillets (skinless, if you want to cut down on the fat considerably), thinly sliced
- 3 stalks lemongrass (light part only), bruised then finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 finger chilis finely sliced
- 1 leek stalk (white and light green portion only), finely sliced
- 6 cups cold cooked rice
- fish sauce
- ¼ cup chopped onion leaves
Instructions
- Using a large sharp heavy knife, cut the pineapple in half lengthwise. Make sure that you cut through the leaves as well. Using a smaller knife, cut around the pineapple flesh, leaving a one-inch margin.
- Scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
- Roughly chop the cashew nuts. It’s okay to leave some whole. Reserve them for garnish later.
- Heat the cooking oil. Add the chicken, curry powder and lemongrass. Season with fish sauce. Cook until the chicken meat is no longer pink.
- Add two finely sliced green chilis to the chicken. Stir. Add the finely sliced leek stalk to the pan. Stir. Scoop out the remaining flesh and juice in the pineapple shells directly into the chicken in the pan. Stir and cook over high heat for about five minutes or until the mixture is almost dry.
- Meanwhile, arrange the pineapple shells on a serving serving platter.
- Add the rice to the chicken. Next, add the cashew nuts. Lastly, add the chopped pineapple flesh and onion leaves.
- Stir the rice well and cook, with occasional stirring, until everything is heated through. Add more salt if necessary.
- Spoon the pineapple and chicken rice into the pineapple shells. Top with whole cashew nuts.
Recipe Notes
This recipe has been updated to include step-by-step photos.
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