Put that leftover holiday ham to good use with this 15-minute, one-pot, ridiculously easy and yummy Pineapple and Ham Fried Rice! It’s easily made gluten-free, and it has a great combination of sweet/salty/umami flavors. It’s the perfect recipe to make on a busy weeknight.
Seriously- the hardest thing about this recipe is dicing an onion, carrot, and celery. I don’t know about you, but I’m in desperate need of easy recipes during the busy holiday season. If you’re feeling like you want an even easier shortcut, buy the already diced mirepoix at the store- no judgement here!
Whenever I cook rice, I almost always make extra so I have it on hand for fried rice- I made this from Mandarin Orange Glazed Salmon leftovers. Simple fried rice only takes 10-15 minutes to make if you already have cooked rice. You can buy cooked rice at the store, too. White or brown works fine in this recipe- whichever you prefer.
I love the smoky ham flavor in this rice- it’s different than other fried rice ingredients, and pairs so well with the sweet pineapple. It’s like Hawaiian pizza in fried rice form. You can use any cooked ham you want- I had a ton in my freezer still from making Instant Pot Split Pea Soup (I literally bought a ham JUST for the bone to make the soup- #FoodBloggerProblems).
I usually opt for green onions in my fried rice, but I used cilantro instead for this. You can use whichever you prefer. This is what I LOVE about fried rice- you can add whatever you want to it for the most part and it will still be delicious! It’s very hard to mess up.
Best of all? Zoey (my 11-month-old daughter) gobbled this right up. The kids will love it- what kid wouldn’t love pineapple in their dinner?
Other Savory Pineapple Recipes
Here’s the recipe for this super quick and easy Pineapple and Ham Fried Rice!
Pineapple and Ham Fried Rice
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced (see notes)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups cooked rice see notes
- 1 cup cooked ham cubed
- 1 cup pineapple canned or fresh
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce see notes
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish (see notes)
Instructions
- Heat the oil (2 tablespoons) in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, carrot, and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened and starting to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ginger (1 tablespoon) and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Stir in the peas (1/2 cup).
- Move the veggies to the side of the pan to make a clear space. Crack the 2 eggs directly into the pan and immediately scramble, incorporating into the vegetables until fully cooked (about 2 minutes).
- Add the cooked rice (2 cups), cubed ham (1 cup), diced pineapple (1 cup), soy sauce (2 tablespoons), sesame oil (1 teaspoon), and black pepper to taste. Stir until fully heated and rice is broken up.
- Remove from heat and stir in fresh cilantro. Garnish with extra when serving, if desired.
Notes
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger can be used if fresh is not available. I keep fresh peeled ginger in my freezer and grate it with a microplane zester directly from the freezer when I need it. It's an easy way to ensure you always have fresh ginger, without worrying about peeling it or it going bad before you can use it!
- Whenever I make rice, I almost always purposefully make extra for fried rice. You can use store-bought cooked rice for extra convenience.
- For a gluten-free option, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce, or liquid aminos.
- Not a fan of cilantro? Use green onions instead.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Jutta M
Just made this with a few teaks minus ham and eggs….. Just wanted a flavorful fried rice to go with the meat for tonight.
I used orange ginger soy sauce and some pineapple juice. So yummy.
Bet it will even be more flavorful once it sat a bit.
Thank you for your recipe!
Elizabeth
Thanks! So happy you liked it!
Michelle Murga
My husband requested fried rice with ham so I googled it and came across your recipe. IT IS DELICIOUS!!!! And so incredibly easy to make. I will absolutely be making this again. Thank you!!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! Thanks so much!