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 loaded with hidden veggies—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 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!

    I throw everything in a huge wok with rice whenever I cook this. 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 will become one of your go-to dishes when you fancy a Friday night “fakeaway.”

    The recipe in a bowl with chopsticks.

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • 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

    The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

    • 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
    The rice in a bowl with wooden chopsticks.

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

    Follow along to learn how to make Hawaiian Fried Rice!

    • 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 it 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 it softens.
    • Step Five: Add the red and green bell peppers and the sliced mushrooms. Cook for another 3 minutes.
    • Step Six: Add the ham chunks and pineapple pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes.
    • Step Seven: Add 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 it 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.
    The rice in a bowl with chopsticks.

    What to Serve with It

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • Rinse your rice before cooking to remove the excess starch.
    • Keep things hot while you’re cooking! This lets you get that signature fried rice flavor while decreasing cooking times.
    • Spread your rice evenly on a baking tray to cool it as quickly as possible after cooking. This will help avoid bacteria buildup and keep your rice safe to eat.
    • Cook your rice in advance for the best results. If you don’t plan on storing your rice for leftovers, you’ll get better results using pre-cooked rice, as it won’t be as sticky.
    The 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, 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.

    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 Hawaiian Chicken, Crockpot Pineapple Ham Balls, Yum Yum Sauce, 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.

    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.

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    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.
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    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 fried rice

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    4.40 from 162 votes (161 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




    64 Comments

    1. It looks wonderful! I love fried rice and I bet I will love this can’t wait to try it Will give it a go and try it out on my friends Thank you so much

    2. It looks wonderful! I love fried rice and I bet I will love this can’t wait to try it Thank you !

    3. I’m gong to make this but I’m thinking polish sausage instead of ham, yum!

    4. If ham doesn’t give enough omph Becky, fry some bacon up ahead and set aside until the
      End &add crumbled. Fry onion, peppers and meat in bacon fat. What makes fried rice perfect for me is lots of green onion, bacon and the addition of chopped pepperoncinis without seeds. I’ve never added lemon juice or lemon or sweet/sour sauce or garlic (salt) as soy and ham
      Are salty. The great thing about fried rice is you can try different things until it’s the way you like it. The basics stay in place and add what you like. You do want to make lots because there is no better snack food! Fried rice has and never will be a side dish for me.

    5. Becky Polley says:

      Made this tonight and a bit disappointed.  The dish is a very traditional tasting sweet and sour but the ham isn’t enough to add much flavor or texture.  Tasted ok but next time I would add chicken or pork.  

    6. Elva Roberts says:

      This sounds like a wonderful supper recipe. The ingredients are simple and easy to find. The recipe sounds delilcious. I have saved it to my favorites. Thank you for this recipe.

    7. Crystal Rogers Walker says:

      I tried this recipe and trust me everyone, it is so yummy and you have to try it. It is easy to make and your family will love love love this dish

    8. Cynthia C says:

      I like the pineapple and ham combo in this dish. I’m sure it’s delicious.

    9. shannon fowler says:

      This looks so great! I love fried rice, and this sounds like a great twist to the original recipes. Thanks for sharing!

    10. kathy downey says:

      This looks and sounds delicious and the presentation is spot on!!

    11. Julie Wood says:

      Oh yum! I love this recipe and it looks so delicious and I am going to make it for Sunday dinner. It does not look hard for me to make. Thanks for sharing.

    12. Darlene Demell says:

      This is another one of those mouth watering recipes. I love fried rice with sweet and sour sauce. This looks very good. Thanks for sharing.

    13. This looks amazing and delicious! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!

    14. Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at the #InspirationSpotlight Pinned & sharing

    15. Rice with pineapple is delicious! One of our favorites. Great pictures BTW! Thanks for sharing at #SmallVictories

    16. Your Hawaiian Fried Rice looks awesome, thanks so much for sharing it with us at Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you are having a great day and we sure look forward to more of your recipes!
      Come Back Soon,
      Miz Helen

    17. Hello Beautiful! Just stopping by to let you know we will be featuring you tonight at our linky party!!!!! We have pinned and tweeted your masterpiece! We can’t wait to party with you! Lou Lou Girls

    18. I love fried rice and I’ve tried a zillion recipes to make it at home, it never comes out quite as good as a restaurant. I’m going to try this one, it sounds like it’d be a hit with the boys! Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday Linkup and I hope you linked up with our Pretty Pinterest Party too. Pinning to our linkup board and hope you found some great posts to visit this week! 

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