This pineapple rice is about to become your new addiction!
This Pineapple Rice is sweet, slightly creamy cooked coconut milk, pineapple juice and crushed pineapple, brightened by cilantro, lime and roasted cashews AKA HEAVENLY! This Pineapple Rice recipe is an easy side for any main dish and impressive enough for company and great at potlucks!
Easy Pineapple Rice Recipe
I am constantly going through different “cravings.” Mostly Mexican, mostly Asian, but right now, it’s everything tropical island. I love the sweetness of pineapple and mangoes, the freshness of lime, and sweet, creamy coconut. Drool.
I currently have in my lineup to share with you: Island Shrimp Salad, Caribbean Sweet Heat Chicken, Island Sweet Chili Chicken and on and on. All seeping with paradisiacal flavors. And what does every tropical (and even Asian) entree need as a side?
The perfect Hawaiian pineapple coconut rice! Hello, gorgeous.
I can pretty much guarantee you won’t be able to stop eating this Pineapple Rice. After all it cooks IN the pineapple juice and coconut milk so it is as tropically delicious as it gets.
Pineapple Rice 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:
- Long grain rice: Rinse and drain the rice before cooking it to remove the starches.
- Pineapple chunks: Buy pineapple that’s been packed in juice NOT in syrup.
- Unsweetened coconut milk: You want to get the coconut milk that comes in a can not in a carton.
- Sweetened coconut flakes: Often found in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
- Thai red curry paste: Don’t worry, it doesn’t make the coconut milk rice spicy. Just adds flavor!
- Spices: This coconut rice recipe is flavored with garlic powder, onion powder, and ground ginger.
- Garnishes: I like to stir some fresh cilantro, cashews, and lime juice into this coconut rice.
How to Make Pineapple Rice
This Pineapple Rice recipe starts with a can of crushed pineapple that you measure the pineapple juice of and add coconut milk to equal 3 cups.
Bring to a simmer…
Then add your rice, crushed pineapple, Thai red curry paste, coconut flakes and 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!
When the rice is done soaking in all the juices, it’s slightly creamy from the coconut milk, sweet refreshing from the pineapple, with just slight undertones of spices. Just before serving (so the lime doesn’t get lost), stir in your cilantro, lime juice to balance the sweet pineapple, and your roasted, salted, cashews to add a depth of nutty crunch.
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.
Tips for Cooking Pineapple Rice
- Rinse and drain rice thoroughly: rice contains a lot of starch, which will cause the rice to stick together and can even make it mushy once cooked. To eliminate the mushy problem, it is crucial to remove the extra starch from the rice by rinsing it with cool water in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear – don’t shortcut this process!
- Use a nonstick pan. It is essential your pan is nonstick because the rice will soak up all the liquid, evaporating the protective barrier between the rice and the pan.
- If liquid evaporates before rice is done: then add just a little liquid, keeping in mind that the rice will continue to steam for 10 minutes once it’s removed from heat, so it doesn’t need to be 100% cooked once liquid is gone.
- If rice is still wet: don’t worry, it will continue to absorb the 10 minutes while it is steaming. When you remove the lid after 10 minutes, you can let the rice sit an additional 5-10 minutes to dry out.
- Let it steam: don’t shortcut the 10-minute steaming process as it gives the rice time to finish cooking and firm up which in turn, makes it fluffier.
- Use a fork to fluff the rice: instead of a spoon or a spatula because the tines help separate the rice grains whereas a spoon can mash or break the grains.
- Salt and pepper to taste: if your Pineapple Rice tastes like it’s missing something – it is probably salt. I add a decent dose of freshly cracked salt and pepper to my rice before serving – just make sure you taste your rice as you season.
Can I Prep Pineapple Rice in Advance?
Yes! While this Pineapple Rice recipe doesn’t require much prep, you can still prep everything in advance so it can come together in minutes.
- Chop aromatics. Chop your cilantro and cashews, then store in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
- Measure seasonings. Measure out all of the seasoning and store in a separate airtight container.
- Rinse rice. Thoroughly rinse rice and leave it in the strainer to dry.
How to Store Pineapple Rice
Let Pineapple Rice cool to room temperature then transfer to 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 water for 60-90 seconds or until warmed through.
- Stove: For larger portions, transfer rice to a nonstick skillet along with a dash of water or chicken broth. Heat over medium heat, stirring often until warmed through.
Can I Freeze Pineapple Rice?
- 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.
- Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Let rice defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in the microwave or stove as directed above.
What to Serve with Pineapple Rice
This Pineapple Rice pairs perfectly with any number of Thai or island-inspired dishes! Here are some of my favs:
- Thai Green Curry
- Chicken Coconut Curry
- Thai Yellow Curry Chicken
- Thai Red Curry
- Asian BBQ Salmon
- Asan Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Baked Coconut Cashew Chicken
- All of my Asian and Island-inspired recipes!
Looking for more Rice Recipes?
- Mexican Style Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Coconut Ginger Rice with Black Beans
- Cilantro Lime Avocado Rice
- Greek Lemon Rice
- Parmeesan Risotto
- Red Beans and Rice
Pineapple Rice with Cashews
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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.
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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!
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!