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Indulge in tropical flavors with this quick and easy Hawaiian Style Coconut Fried Rice. Packed with savory coconut rice, sweet pineapple, and crisp red bell peppers, and ham, this dish is a 25-minute escape to the islands. Perfect as a side or on its own, it’s versatile and filling, making it the perfect weeknight meal. Leftover rice? Use it for even more delicious fried rice—perfection on a plate.
This is the perfect weeknight Quick + Easy dish you can make in only 25 minutes to give yourself a break from your usual easy go-to weeknight meals. It’s the perfect side dish or amazing just on its own.
I’m a HUGE fan of rice as a side dish, and it’s my go-to for any meal when I just don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking. It’s so versatile, and you can dress it up to change the flavors that perfectly complement any dish. Not to mention it’s SOOO easy to do, and it’s always just so filling. Plus, you always have extra leftovers.
No, just me?
Well, I guess I do ALWAYS make more than I should when I cook rice. So, if you are like me and made way too much rice, divided it up (make sure it’s plain cooked white rice with nothing else added in) and chill it overnight for an easy-fried rice dish the next day.
Day-old rice is absolutely P E R F E C T (and recommended) for making amazing-tasting fried rice. I will do a post in the future going into more depth on this.
Grab these items, and let’s begin.
Basmati Rice · Coconut Milk · Coconut Water · Diced Ham · Pineapple Tidbits · Red Bell Pepper · Green Onions · Garlic · Ginger Paste · Lemongrass Paste · Cilantro · Lime Zest · Olive Oil · 3 Eggs · Sesame Oil · Salt + Pepper · Soy Sauce
Start by rinsing your Basmati Rice to remove excess starch to have perfectly fluffy rice. You can substitute the Basmati Rice for Jasmine Rice or Long Grain White Rice if you prefer them over Basmati. I just love the Basmati Rice as it has a nutty flavor that counters out all the sweetness in this dish.
Add your coconut milk and coconut water to a medium saucepan along with the rinsed rice and 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cook for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
While your rice is cooking, start prepping the rest of your ingredients. This saves time and stops the dreaded need to wait for one part of a dish to be done because you prepped everything ahead of time. I admit this was me until I started finding ways to manage my time better when doing recipes.
Once the rice is done, remove it from the heat and add in the lime zest. Fluff that rice up with a fork and then let it chill in the fridge while you work on the rest, so your rice is not too hot when you incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients.
Grab a large and deep skillet pan and heat over medium-high, then add olive oil and 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Make sure your sesame oil is toasted sesame oil, as this brings that perfect nutty flavor you want to bring to the dish.
Toss in your red bell peppers and the white parts of your green onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the bell peppers are tender.
Lower the heat to medium and move the bell peppers and onions to the edges of the pan, leaving the center empty. Add in the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass paste and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
The lemongrass adds the perfect amount of citrusy flavor with a tiny hint of mint that elevates all the other flavors to make this dish taste like you just got it at an island beachside cafe. We can let our tastebuds dream, right?!
Now add in the pineapple and ham and stir to mix it all up together. Let that cook for 1-2 minutes until warm, stirring it halfway through.
If you want to make this dish vegetarian-friendly, you can omit the ham or use a plant-based veggie ham. It honestly tastes great even without the ham.
Slide everything in the pan to one side, leaving the other half empty. Add in the last 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and pour in the whisked eggs. Scramble the eggs until almost firm, then toss them all together with everything else in the pan—season with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste.
Add in the rest of the green onion, and cilantro, drizzle the soy sauce on top and then toss together to fully combine everything. That’s all you have to do, so grab a bowl (or plate) and dig in.
This dish pairs so well with teriyaki or Hawaiian bbq chicken, shrimp, fish, or pork, or just have it by itself with some YumYum sauce or siracha drizzled on top. There are so many ways to eat Hawaiian Style Coconut Fried Rice.
FRIED RICE TIP: It’s best to use cold or day-old rice when making fried rice to prevent the grains from breaking down and turning into mushy rice when you ‘fry’ it.
[A SALTY TIP] One trick I use to cool the rice down quickly is to spread it out evenly on a sheet pan and stick it in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. It chills the rice quickly and evenly when I’m in a rush and don’t have any day-old rice to use.
This dish is perfect if you want to have leftovers or need to make it ahead of time. I usually try to make extra when I make it for dinner and store it in air-tight lunch containers for my hubby to bring with him to work. I hate that he always grabs fast food, so I try to keep leftovers on hand for him for an easy tasty lunch.
BUT, that’s if he remembers to bring it with him and not leave it in the fridge along with his water bottle. Who else has this problem??? (And I thought I had a problem with remembering things)
Storage: Store in an air-tight food storage container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm throughout.
Freeze: You can freeze this fried rice for up to 1 month in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the microwave until warm throughout.
Equipment
- 1 medium pot for cooking the rice
- 1 12 in large and deep skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice well rinsed + well drained
- 13 oz coconut milk
- 10 oz coconut water
- 1 tsp salt divided
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil divided
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 tbsp green onions white parts
- 3 tbsp green onions green parts, plus more to garnish
- 3 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp lemongrass paste
- 8 oz ham diced
- 8 oz pineapple tidbits
- 3 eggs whisked
- pinch cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro divided, plus more to garnish
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium, add the coconut milk, coconut water, rinsed + drained basmati rice, and 3/4 tsp salt, and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil, lower heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes then remove from heat and top with lime zest and fluff the rice. Allow to chill in the fridge while you prep the rest.
- Over medium-high heat in a large deep skillet, add the olive oil, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil. Heat until oil begins to shimmer then add in the red bell peppers and white parts of the green onion. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until they are tender.
- Add in the garlic, ginger, and lemon grass and saute for about 30 seconds. Toss in the ham and pineapple and cook for about 1-2 minutes until warm.
- Move everything in the pan to the side, add in the remaining 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, and then the eggs. Scramble for lightly until set and season with a 1/4 tsp of salt and a pinch of pepper.
- Add in the cooked rice, green onions, and cilantro and toss together until fully mixed. Drizzle the soy sauce over all of it then toss again to combine.
- Serve warm by itself, or with some island-flavored shrimp, chicken, fish, or pork.