This Pineapple Coconut Cashew Rice is not just a side dish—it’s a flavor-packed experience that has readers raving: “Ohhhhh WOW!! I absolutely love this!” “It was the hit of the party and I have to email the recipe to all of my family and friends now! YUMMY! 🙂” “Everyone loved loved loved it!” and “Absolutely heavenly!!”
This recipe is crafted with expert precision to create fluffy rice with the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and nutty flavors that will have you OBSESSED. With step-by-step instructions, expert tips, and customizable options, you can trust this tested and perfected method to guarantee foolproof, delicious results every time.
Hawaiian Coconut Rice
I can pretty much guarantee you won’t be able to stop eating this Pineapple Rice. I experimented until I landed on this foolproof recipe that belongs in your dinner and entertaining arsenal. Here’s why you’ll love it:
Pineapple Rice Recipe Ingredients
This Pineapple Rice comes together with minimal ingredients but packs in TONS of flavor! Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
How to Make Pineapple Rice
Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
- Drain the juice from one can of crushed pineapple, then add coconut milk to equal 3 cups.
- Bring to a simmer…
- Add the rice, crushed pineapple, Thai red curry paste, coconut flakes, ground ginger, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper.
- Cook, covered for approximately 20 minutes while the rice drinks in all that tropical goodness. Just think of all that flavor ingestion!
- Just before serving (so the lime doesn’t get lost), stir in the cilantro and lime juice to balance the sweet pineapple. Then, add the roasted, salted cashews to add a depth of nuttycrunch.
- And then it’s eating time! AKA a taste of paradise time. AKA My favorite time. Sweet, creamy pineapple coconut rice. I’ll meet you in the tropics.
Coconut Pineapple Rice Recipe tips
How to serve Hawaiian Rice with Coconut Milk
This Pineapple Rice pairs perfectly with any number of Thai or island-inspired dishes! Here are some of my favs:
Can I Prep Pineapple Rice in Advance?
Yes! While this recipe doesn’t require much preparation, you can still prepare everything in advance, allowing it to come together in minutes.
• Chop aromatics: Chop the cilantro and cashews, then store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
• Measure spices: Measure the seasoning and store it in a separate airtight container.
• Rinse rice: Thoroughly rinse the rice and leave it in the strainer to dry, then refrigerate until ready to use.
How to Store Pineapple Rice
Let the Pineapple Rice cool to room temperature, then transfer itto a tightly covered airtight container or to several small containers for meal prep. Store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
How to Reheat Pineapple Rice
• Microwave: For small portions, microwave rice in a microwave-safe container with a couple teaspoons ofwater for 60-90 seconds or until warmed through.
• Stove:For larger portions, transfer the rice to a nonstick skillet, adding a dash of water or chicken broth. Heat over medium heat, stirring often until warmed through.
Can I Freeze Pineapple Rice?
1. Let the rice cool completely before transferring to a freezer bag (recommended) or freezer-safe airtight container. If using a bag, squeeze out as much excess air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
2. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Let rice defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
4. Reheat in the microwave or stove as directed above.
WANT TO TRY THIS Pineapple Rice RECIPE?
PIN IT to your recipe BOARD TO SAVE FOR LATER!
FIND ME ON PINTEREST FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES! I AM ALWAYS PINNING :)!
©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com
Pineapple Rice with Cashews
Save This Recipe To Your Recipe Box
You can now create an account on our site and save your favorite recipes all in one place!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grained rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 20 oz. can, crushed pineapple chunks in pineapple juice NOT syrup
- 1 13.5 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (I like Chaokoh)
- 3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Garnish
- 3 tablespoons lime juice more or less to taste
- 1/2 cup salted roasted cashews
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain pineapple juice from crushed pineapple in a measuring cup. Add coconut milk to equal 3 cups liquid, adding water if necessary.
- Add liquid to a large nonstick saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer then stir in all remaining ingredients EXCEPT Garnishes. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low (dial should be a little above lowest setting). Simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring at 15 minutes, adding water if necessary.
- When rice is tender, remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes, covered.
- When ready to serve (not before), stir in lime juice, cilantro and cashews.
- Taste and season with freshly cracked salt and pepper and additional lime juice to taste if desired.
Want To Make This Recipe?
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs
Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!
Kelsey says
Oh my gosh I love this! I’ve been in a very “tropical” mood myself lately!
-Kelsey
Jen says
Thank you so much Kelsey! This should satisfy your “tropics” craving – or it might just make you crave more and more :).
Amanda says
Ohhhhh WOW!! I absolutely love this… cooking rice in coconut milk is my favorite way of cooking it… the pineapple would be such a great addition! I’m definitely making this, and soon 😀 Love, love, love the pictures too!
Jen says
Thank you so much Amanda! The pineapple juice adds such a sweet tropical feel – yum! I hope you love it!!
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
This is the most amazing looking rice ever. It’s full of all the flavor combinations I dream of. If I make this. . .does that mean it will be spring? Pretty please. Seriously, can’t wait to try this one and I can see it as a star served at many of my outdoor summer soirees.
Jen says
Oh yes, I can see this served at many outdoor soirees too – so fun! You sound like the perfect hostess! I hope it feels more like spring where you live – SOON! maybe the rice will do the trick 🙂
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm says
MUST try this! Looks soooo so amazing!! I LOVE tropical flavors, especially in the spring!
Jen says
ME too! I barely crave anything else! I hope you love the rice!
Helen says
I am going to try the rice recipe tonight, but I am wondering : you didn’t use the fresh pineapple in your recipe, did you ? So how did you manage to make this pretty présentation ?
Many thanks in advance 🙂
Jen says
Hi Helen – no fresh pineapple, just canned as instructed 🙂
Helen says
I tried it, with canned pineapple. It doesn’t look as gorgeous as yours, but it was delicious 🙂 . My daughter asked me to do it again, so we’ll have it tonight !
Jen says
So glad you enjoyed it! and your daughter too! yay! Thanks Helen!
Corie says
It is as good as it looks. Loved every bite!
Jen says
So happy you loved it! Thanks Corie!
Amy says
This looks amazing! We are having a large Graduation 18th bday party for my son and he requested Hawaiian food. Would it work to do a large batch in a rice cooker (for easy prep with a yard full of people)?
Jen says
Hi Amy! Congrats on your graduate! Honestly, I have never made this recipe in the rice cooker nor have I ever made a large batch so I am not sure how it would turn out. I would definitely suggest doing a trial run first – maybe doubling the batch? leftovers for neighbors? Sorry I can’t be more help, but I just can’t tell you in confidence when I have never tried it. Best of luck!
Amy says
Hi Jen! Well, I decided to go ahead and try a big batch in my rice cooker. We were having a large crowd (about 45 people). I quadrupled the recipe. I knew my rice cooker wasn’t large enough so I did half in the rice cooker and half on the stove. I needed to add a couple of cups of water to each and kind of babysit the stove top rice (stirring occasionally and adding water). Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for a trial run and we had a lot of food (Hawaiian Theme Meal) so thought, worse case senerio, we don’t serve it. Both batches (double) turned out the same and were excellent. It was the hit of the party. My hubby is the cook in the family and he made KaluaPork, sweet rolls, huli huli chicken (we also had salad, beans and fruit) but the rice (from the non-cook) was the hit and I have to email the recipe to all of my family and friends now! I will be making it again! YUMMY! 🙂 Thank you!
Amy says
Also, I used macadamia nuts instead of cashews and they were excellent! And your photos are gorgeous!
Jen says
Amy! I am THRILLED the rice was such a hit! I love that you were brave enough to quadruple the recipe and just go for it and YAY that it paid off! Your whole party menu sounds amazing so it is the ultimate compliment that the rice was the hit of the party! Thank you for letting me know it was such a success – made my week! And Happy 18th/graduation to your son!
Andrew Bostelaar says
Hi … just an FYI … Pinterest is blocking me from pinning your recipes – it is saying the site may lead to Spam. Hopefully you can get that cleared up with Pinterest!
Jen says
Hi Andrew! Yes Pinterest has erroneously marked me and hundreds of food bloggers as span yesterday (even Pilsubry’s account!). Their “spam bots” must have had a glitch! Sorry for the inconvenience, I hope it gets resolved soon!
Mike Higgins says
Wow! I love your recipes! I’m making the Teriyaki chicken and pineapple rice tonight for my son before his big swim meet. Thanks for the recommendations!
Cheers,
Mike
Jen says
Hi Mike, I am so happy you are enjoying my recipes, thank you so much!! Hope you love this one too!
erica says
have you tried this with the lower fat coconut milk?
Jen says
Hi Erica, I haven’t but I am sure it would still be good!
Karan Conover says
Looks great – has anyone tried to cut it in half or freeze leftovers?
Patty says
Ok. Is this best served hot or cold. I know silly question but I’m curious!
Jen says
Not a silly question! I personally like it hot 🙂
Christina says
I followed the recipe exactly this evening and everyone loved loved loved it ! Thanks for a new addition to my recipe collection.
Jen says
You are so welcome Christina, I am thrilled everyone loved it so much!!! Thank you!
Millie says
Hi, Was wondering about making these into individual risotto cakes and freezing – will it be OK to freeze?
Jen says
Hi Millie, I have never personally frozen this rice but it should work just fine just be sure that the rice cools completely before freezing. enjoy!
Amanda says
Can I do this with jasmine rice?
Jen says
Hi Amanda, I am sure it would be delicious with jasmine rice but the liquid ration would have to be changed as jasmine rice takes about 3/4 water to 1 as opposed to 1:1 for traditional long grain rice. You could try but reduce the coconut milk by 3/4 cup – that is my best guess without having personally tried it. Please let me know how it turns out!
Allison Waken says
I tried this last night and it was fabulous! I used Jasmine (it’s what I had) without changing the liquid but I also live in the desert so that may make a difference. My entire family loved it and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Jen says
Awesome Allison, I’m so glad this was a winner and thank you so much for the tip on Jasmine rice, so glad that worked out perfectly!
SophieEV says
I made this today, with fresh pineapple (here in France I can only find canned with syrup), it was delicious! Even my mom who’s not a big coconut fan loved it! I also think it could work with macadamia nuts as well.
Thank you for this recipe!
Jen says
You are so welcome Sophie all the way from France! I love the substitution of fresh pineapple – mmmm – and you are so right macadamia nuts would be heavenly – I’ll have to try that next time!
Nicole says
Do you think this would turn out without red curry paste? My husband has an allergy that would prevent me from adding spice to this dish.
Jen says
Hi Nicole, sorry for the delay as I am way behind after recovering from pneumonia, but I would have said that it will still turn out without the red curry paste and be delicious. If you want a little more flavor after its done, then you could add a dash of chili sauce, or additional garlic powder and ginger powder. enjoy!
Darren says
I made this exactly as recipe directed but my rice turned to a big sticky mess…didn’t bother wasting the cashews or coriander by adding it… what did I do wrong?
Jen says
If the rice isn’t well rinsed then the extra starch can make the cooked rice very sticky – that’s the only thing I can think of. Sorry yours didn’t turn out!
Holly says
This rice looks amazing! Plannin a trip to Hawaii and might make it for inspiration tonight! Have you made it with Cauliflower rice? Or have suggestions on how to?
Jen says
I hope you love it Holly and your trip to Hawaii sounds amazing! I have never made cauliflower rice so I can’t help you there -sorry!
Mochelle says
I’m attempting with cauliflower rice right now and I’ll post when done! I was just checking the comments to see if anyone’s done that before!
Michelle says
Sorry for delay! I used cauliflower rice and it actually came out great. However I would definitely decrease the amount of liquid by half or you’re going to be simmering this forever!
Holly says
I don’t like the texture of coconut flakes, if I leave this out should I use sweetened coconut milk to make up for the lost sweetness? Or should i make no adjustments besides leaving out the coconut and see what happens? Ps I’ve made the pecan/ cran rice maybe 2 dozen times at this point… you could say I’m addicted lol.
Jen says
Hi Holly, I’m thrilled you love the Cranberry Pecan Rice! As far as this recipe goes, you can omit the coconut flakes but I would still use unsweetened coconut milk. If you feel like it needs to be sweeter than you can stir in some brown sugar but I don’t think it should need it. If you want to to taste more “coconuty” you can also add a little coconut extract.
Kat says
Has any one tried this with quinoa at all? Im curious since I have no rice lol
Annie Brusati says
Hello!
This recipe looks awesome! My boyfriend is not a big fan of coconut, though. Can I substitute the coconut milk with something else?
Thanks for your help!
Jen says
Hi Annie, I would substitute with chicken broth and cook your rice how you usually do with other added ingredients. I hope that helps!
Kim says
This looks delicious! I’d like to add chicken thighs and red bell peppers to this dish to make it a full meal. At what point do you recommend adding them?
Jen says
Hi Kim, chicken thighs take about 15-20 minutes so it is almost perfect timing – I would just sear and cook the thighs a few minutes first and then add them to the top of the rice while its simmering and it should be about perfect. Good luck!
Liz says
I just made this for my husband (who is an oddly picky eater), and he absolutely adored it! Thank you so much for giving me another meal to throw into the rotation. 🙂
Jen says
You are so welcome, thanks Liz!
Johanna Crase says
I was looking at the chicken with the mango and honey dip. My husband is highly allergic to honey. Do you have a suggestion on what would work as a substitute?
Jen says
Hi Johanna, you can substitute with equal parts sugar or 2/3 agave. enjoy!
Valerie says
Do you add the drained crushed pineapple chunks?
Jen says
Yes, add it step 2 where it says, “Add liquid to a large pan and bring to a gentle simmer then stir in all remaining ingredients EXCEPT Garnishes.” Enjoy!
Stephanie says
I made this AMAZING rice to go with your Huli chicken to keep the tropical dinner theme and it was so good! i’ve made other coconut rice recipes before but the addition of the pineapple but especially the red thai curry paste, really takes the flavor to the WOW level. I did make 2 mistakes to point out to readers so they don’t make them, first I accidentally added the rice to the pan before bringing to a boil and I also used a medium sized sauce pan instead of a large skillet. This resulted in my rice becoming more mushy, but the flavor was still great and will make it again, the correct way!
Jen says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with this dish Stephanie! I’m SO sorry for this much overdue response but I just wanted to say Happy New Year and I hope you are continuing to enjoy my recipes and trying out new flavors in the kitchen!
Hailey Hibbard says
This was absolutely heavenly!! I will definitely be making this again.
Jen says
I love hearing that, thank you Hailey!
Sherri says
This was a big hit !! Loved all the flavors!
Will have to make for family y friends!
thank you
Jen says
Thanks so much Sherri, I’m so pleased it will be on repeat!
Idit says
i am confused . Recipe says “crushed pineapple chunks “. but a can of crushed pineapple is a different than a can with chunks . So what should i use here?
Jen says
Sorry for the confusion – use crushed pineapple.
Karen says
You show a Pic of this beautifully stuffed pinapple but no directions on how to stuff it. Please share.
Jen says
Just slice the pineapple in half, score, chop and scoop out the pineapple, then fill. Enjoy!
Gail says
Dam this is good! Made it for my hubby and he loves it! You have the best recipes! Thanks for all the hard work you put into making these recipes for all to enjoy!
Jen says
You are so welcome, Gail! I am so happy this was such a hit and I’m thrilled you are enjoying my recipes! Thank you for taking the time to leave an awesome review!
Kathy says
Different, delicious and EASY! Thank you for such a fun recipe!
Jen says
Hi Kathy! I am so glad that you found this fun to make and delicious to eat!