4.40 from 162 votes

Hawaiian Fried Rice with Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

Oh man, I can’t get enough of this Hawaiian Fried Rice with Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

Hawaiian fried rice in a bowl with chopsticks.


Hiya, Nicky here from Kitchen Sanctuary with a Friday night dinner recipe that the whole family will love!

It’s tangy, brimming with chunks of ham and pineapple, and is loaded with hidden veggies for the ultimate mid-week meal that even kids can’t argue with.

In short, it’s a dream of a recipe!

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    I usually make this dish with a bunch of bell peppers and mushrooms, but if you have fussy eaters in the house, peas, sweetcorn, tomatoes, and broccoli work equally well. If you’re feeling frisky, throw them all in the pot!

    Look, I completely understand that the last thing you’ll want to do after a tough day at the office is slave over the stove trying to make the perfect sweet and sour sauce. So, I’ve crafted the ultimate microwave version that’s ready in a flash and tastes surprisingly authentic.

    It won’t have that signature Chinese takeaway look (hello bright orange sauce!), but it’ll taste just as good – you have my word!

    Whenever I cook this, I usually throw everything in a huge wok with rice. This lets me serve the entire family while having tons of leftovers to chow down on throughout the week. 

    But if I’m being honest, the leftovers rarely survive as everyone is heading back for seconds. Yep – it’s just that good.

    Whether you’re a complete master chef or are still trying to find your way around the kitchen, this quick and easy recipe is bound to become one of your go-to dishes when you’re fancying a Friday night “fakeaway”.

    Hawaiian fried rice in a bowl with chopsticks.

    Why You’ll Love This Hawaiian Fried Rice with Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • It’s made in one pot for minimal clean-up
    • It makes enough for leftovers
    • You can load it with hidden veggies to trick little ones into trying new things
    • It’s a well-balanced meal with carbs, protein, and just a hint of fat

    Ingredients

    • Vegetable oil
    • Onion
    • Red bell pepper
    • Green bell pepper
    • Chestnut mushrooms (white button mushrooms)
    • Cooked ham chunks (or shredded ham)
    • Can of pineapple chunks in juice
    • Cooked white long grain rice
    • Dark soy sauce
    • Garlic salt
    • Eggs
    • Juice of ½ a lemon

    Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • Tomato ketchup
    • Malt vinegar (it must be malt vinegar!)
    • Dark brown muscovado sugar (dark brown sugar)
    • Pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple above)

    To Serve

    • A small bunch of scallions
    • Lemon wedges
    Hawaiian fried rice in a bowl with wooden chopsticks.

    How to Make Hawaiian Fried Rice with Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • Step One: Start with the sauce. Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a small bowl and place in the microwave.
    • Step Two: Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce bubbles. Stir again then put to one side (you can bring to a boil in a small pan if you prefer).
    • Step Three: Heat the oil in a large wok.
    • Step Four: Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly on medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion softens.
    • Step Five: Add in the red and green bell peppers, and the sliced mushrooms. Cook for a further 3 minutes.
    • Step Six: Add the ham chunks and pineapple pieces and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
    • Step Seven: Add in the cooked rice and turn up the heat to high, Toss everything together using a spatula. 
    • Step Eight: Add the soy sauce and garlic salt and continue to cook, moving everything around the pan regularly so it doesn’t stick, until the rice is hot (takes about 5-6 minutes).
    • Step Nine: Once the rice is hot, push the rice over to the side of the pan and crack the eggs into the space. Move the pan so that the bit with the eggs in is right over the heat. Move the eggs around slowly until they start to scramble. As they scramble mix the eggs into the rice.
    • Step Ten: Add the lemon juice, stir, and taste. Add more soy sauce if needed.
    • Step Eleven: Divide between four bowls and top with chopped scallions and lemon wedges.
    Hawaiian fried rice in a bowl with chopsticks.

    Equipment Needed

    You just need a few key pieces of equipment to make this dish a success. 

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    What to Serve with Hawaiian Fried Rice 

    Tips and Tricks

    • Rinse your rice before cooking to remove the excess starch.
    • Keep things hot while you’re cooking! This allows you to get that signature fried rice flavor while keeping cooking times down.
    • To cool your rice as quickly as possible after cooking, spread it out evenly on a baking tray. This will help avoid bacteria buildup and keep your rice safe to eat.
    • Cook your rice in advance for the best results. f you don’t plan on storing your rice for leftovers, you’ll get way better results using pre-cooked rice as it won’t be as sticky.
    Hawaiian fried rice in a bowl with wooden chopsticks.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Feel free to replace the ham with any other protein you like. Beef, chicken, pork – you name it, it’ll work!
    • If you can’t use soy sauce, coconut aminos work well too.
    • Feel free to throw in any other vegetables to bulk things out. Carrots and peas are always great choices!

    Storage Instructions

    Once your rice has cooled, you can put it in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. 

    You shouldn’t keep the rice for longer than a day before reheating it and eating it. 

    You also cannot reheat the rice more than once!

    Can I Freeze?

    This dish freezes extremely well.

    Simply place the leftovers in airtight containers and pop them in the fridge for up to 3 months. If you want to save space, you can use freezer bags! 

    When you’re ready to eat it, just leave it in the fridge to defrost overnight.

    Rice Recipes

    You’ll also like this Crockpot Pineapple Ham Balls, Yum Yum Sauce, Curried Lentil Rice and Waikiki Meatballs.

    Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.

    If you make the recipe, rate it on the recipe card below and tag me on Instagram and use #simplystacie. I like sharing the photos on my Instagram stories!

    4.40 from 162 votes

    Hawaiian Fried Rice with Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

    Created by Stacie Vaughan
    Servings 4
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Fried rice with pineapple may sound strange, but after you try this recipe, you’ll see that it just works! It’s made with big chunks of ham and pineapple, veggies and an addicting sweet and sour sauce.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
    • 1 red bell pepper deseeded and chopped
    • 1 green bell pepper deseeded and chopped
    • 4 chestnut mushrooms sliced
    • 1 cup cooked ham chunks or shredded ham
    • 1 can pineapple chunks in juice 400ml can, drained (reserve the juice)
    • 6 cups cooked white long grain rice cooled
    • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
    • ½ tsp garlic salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • juice of ½ a lemon

    Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • 9 tbsp tomato ketchup
    • 3 tbsp malt vinegar it must be malt vinegar!
    • 5 tbsp dark brown muscovado sugar
    • 3 tbsp pineapple juice from the canned pineapple above

    To Serve

    • small bunch scallions chopped
    • lemon wedges

    Instructions

    • Start with the sauce. Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and place in the microwave. Cook for 1-2 minute until the sauce bubbles. Stir again then put to one side (you can bring to the boil in a small pan if you prefer).
    • Heat the oil in a large wok. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add in the red and green bell peppers, and the sliced mushrooms. Cook for a further 3 minutes.
    • Add the ham chunks and pineapple pieces and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add in the cooked rice and turn up the heat to high, Toss everything together using a spatula. Add the soy sauce and garlic salt and continue to cook, moving everything around the pan regularly so it doesn’t stick, until the rice is hot (takes about 5-6 minutes). Once the rice is hot, push the rice over to the side of the pan and crack the eggs into the space. Move the pan so that the bit with the eggs in is right over the heat. Move the eggs round slowly until they start to scramble. As they scramble mix the eggs into the rice.
    • Add the lemon juice, stir and taste. Add more soy sauce if needed. Divide between four bowls and top with chopped scallions and lemon wedges. Reheat the sauce for another 30 seconds, and serve it with the rice.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 717kcal | Carbohydrates: 132g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1414mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 53g

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Course Main Dishes
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Hawaiian Fried Rice with Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

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    63 Comments

    1. Kimberly Flickinger says:

      This sounds and looks delicious, a great summer dish! Thank you for sharing.

    2. Judy Cowan says:

      Sounds really good to me, will definitely be trying it out. Thanks for the recipe!

    3. My guys love pineapple in cooking meals…..this would be a hit!

    4. Rosanne Robinson says:

      WOW, it looks really yummy, it reminds me of our Hawaiian vacations, I can’t wait to try it, thanks!

    5. Looks like a nice easy recipe.

    6. DARLENE W says:

      This is a great summer time meal

    7. This is too genius. Every kind of fried rice is delicious, but Hawaiian fried rice just takes it to another level! I cannot wait to try this one out with the fam!

    8. Lynda Cook says:

      Wow this looks absolutely delicious!! I love rice and this one dish is one I would love to have!!

    9. Donna Wilson says:

      This looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

    10. Ham, pineapple, rice (especially fried rice)! What is not to love? Thank you for sharing the recipe.

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