Chicken Pineapple Rice
Sweet • Spicy • Crunchy
Chicken Pineapple Rice is a colourful sweet-and-spicy rice dish made with chicken, pineapple, vegetables and soy sauce, then finished with roasted cashews for extra crunch. The pineapple brings natural sweetness, while the chilli, pepper and soy sauce balance it with savoury heat. Served inside pineapple shells, it makes a vibrant meal that works beautifully for lunch or dinner.
Recipe Details
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Cuisine: Fusion
Serves: 2
Nutrition / Macros — Total Recipe:
Calories: 818 kcal
Protein: 63 g
Carbs: 78 g
Fat: 28 g
Approx. Per Serving:
Calories: 409 kcal
Protein: 31.5 g
Carbs: 39 g
Fat: 14 g
Recipe Highlights
♥ Sweet and spicy flavour combination
♥ High in protein
♥ Loaded with pineapple and vegetables
♥ Finished with crunchy cashews
♥ Perfect for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
- Rice — 50 g
- Chicken — 200 g
- Chopped pineapple — 100 g
- Chopped cabbage — 100 g
- Chopped bell pepper — 100 g
- Chopped onion — 100 g
- Fried cashews — 15 g
- Spring onion — 30 g
- Ghee — 15 g
- Soy sauce — 15 g
- Garlic — as required
- Chopped chilli — as required
- Salt — to taste
- Pepper — to taste
- Paprika — as required
- Lemon juice — as required for marinating the chicken
Method
1. Cook & Cool the Rice
Cook the rice in advance.
Once cooked, spread it out and allow it to cool for at least 20–30 minutes before using. This helps the grains stay separate while stir-frying.
2. Marinate & Cook the Chicken
Cut the chicken into cubes.
Season with lemon juice, salt, pepper and paprika.
Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Heat 5 g ghee in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Add the chicken and cook for approximately 8–10 minutes, or until completely cooked through with no pink remaining.
Remove the chicken along with any juices from the pan and keep aside.
3. Cook the Vegetables & Pineapple
In a large skillet, heat another 5 g ghee.
Add the chopped onion, garlic and bell pepper.
Sauté for around 3 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent.
Add the fresh pineapple cubes and soy sauce.
Cook for another 5–8 minutes, until the pineapple begins to soften slightly.
Add the chopped cabbage and chilli and cook briefly so the vegetables retain some texture.
4. Add Rice & Chicken
Add the cooled rice, cooked chicken with its juices and half of the spring onion.
Mix everything gently and cook for approximately 5 minutes, allowing all the flavours to come together.
5. Roast the Cashews
Heat the remaining 5 g ghee in a small skillet.
Add the cashews and roast until lightly golden.
Allow them to cool slightly, then roughly chop.
6. Finish & Serve
Remove the rice from the heat.
Top with the remaining spring onion and roasted cashews.
Spoon the Chicken Pineapple Rice into the hollowed pineapple shells and serve hot.
Tip
Cool the cooked rice properly before stir-frying. Warm, freshly cooked rice can become soft and sticky in the pan.
Do not overcook the pineapple or vegetables — the dish is better when they still have some bite and texture.
Ipshita’s Note
I love the contrast in this dish — sweet pineapple, savoury chicken, colourful vegetables and a little spice, all finished with crunchy cashews. Serving it inside the pineapple shells makes a simple rice dish feel much more special without changing what is actually on the plate.
