When I was in 7th grade and in home-ec for the first time, one of the first things we learned to make was fried rice. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how much it tasted like the fried rice from our favorite Chinese restaurant.
Since then, I love playing around with fried rice recipes (including this recipe, which is one of my all-time favorites.) It’s a great way to use up leftover rice, half-used red onions, and those colored bell peppers that you bought with great intentions a week ago and now you need to use up before you’re filled with $5 of regret.
When we were in Hawaii a few years ago, we had Hawaiian fried rice for breakfast a few times–it was loaded up with things like fresh pineapple and bacon or ham (or Spam…don’t hate on it until you’ve tried it!). Throw in some scrambled eggs or top it off with a fried egg and you have an amazing breakfast (or dinner…or lunch…or late-night snack. This is anytime food.)
You’ll need some chopped red onions, green onions (chop the whole bunch, but keep the firm ends separate from the green ends), some garlic, a red or orange bell pepper, some fresh pineapple, and about a cup of cooked, crumbled bacon or chopped ham. Or Spam.
You could also throw some mushrooms in there. I kind of wish I had. Hashtag regrets.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) olive oil. I used 2 teaspoons of our chili oil and 2 teaspoons of our garlic oil and it added just the right amount of heat and flavor. When hot, add the red onion, firm ends of the green onions, garlic, and bell pepper and sauté until the onions are fragrant and the peppers are tender crisp.
While the veggies are cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger. Set aside.
Add the rice to the pan and stir to combine, cooking until the rice is heated through. Add the bacon or ham and cook until heated through. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir to combine. Add the green tops of the green onions and the pineapple and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and turn heat to low to keep warm.
In a separate pan, cook eggs as desired (we’ve done scrambled and fried and I think we prefer them scrambled; if you fry the eggs, plan on frying at least 1 egg per person.) If you scramble the eggs, mix them in with the rice before serving. If frying, divide the rice into individual portions before serving, then top with an egg and serve immediately.
Makes 4-6 large servings.
Print Hawaiian Breakfast Fried Rice
Description
This Hawaiian Fried Breakfast Rice from Our Best Bites is AMAZING for breakfast or dinner and a great way to use up leftover rice and veggies!
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used 2 teaspoons of our chili olive oil and 2 teaspoons of our garlic olive oil)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 medium red onion)
- 1 large bunch green onions, chopped (chop the firm ends and keep them separate from the chopped green tops)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 small red bell pepper, minced
- 4 cups leftover white or brown rice
- 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (about 1/2 medium pineapple)
- 1 cup crumbled bacon, chopped Spam, or chopped ham (about 4 ounces bacon, weighed before cooking)
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Eggs (4-5 if scrambling; 1 egg per person if frying)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the red onion, firm ends of the green onions, garlic, and bell pepper and sauté until the onions are fragrant and the peppers are tender crisp.
- While the veggies are cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger. Set aside.
- Add the rice to the pan and stir to combine, cooking until the rice is heated through. Add the bacon or ham and cook until heated through. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir to combine. Add the green tops of the green onions and the pineapple and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and turn heat to low to keep warm.
- In a separate pan, cook eggs as desired (we’ve done scrambled and fried and I think we prefer them scrambled; if you fry the eggs, plan on frying at least 1 egg per person.) If you scramble the eggs, mix them in with the rice before serving. If frying, divide the rice into individual portions before serving, then top with an egg and serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Be sure to grab our chili olive oil and garlic olive oil to really make this recipe pop!
Questions & Reviews
I really liked this recipe. I was in a rush, and did not have any day-old rice, so I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered steamed rice and laid it out into a cookie sheet for an hour to dry out and cool to get it as dry as possible. It worked. I, of course, used spam, which I sautéed quickly. I used canned pineapple too. I doubled this recipe as I made for a large group. It took some time to make this but it was very good and I would make again.
I am in love with this recipe! Made it twice now and my whole family loves it! Thank you!
We visited the spam museum in Minnesota this year and i need to use up the cans of odd flavors we bought lol. Thanks!
This was so yummy! I loved it! I didn’t have any flavored oils, so I used a little of the bacon grease to fry up the rice. So so good 🙂
Oooooo, I’m making Kalua Pork this week (that’s what we use to make our Hawaiian Haystacks rather than the chicken gravy stuff) so I’m thinking the leftover meat and rice will be PERFECT for this. Thank you!!!
I am going to try this with the bacon olive oil 🙂
Mmmmm! Sounds so different and good gotta try this! 🙂
Ok…I’m totally jealous of your home-ec class (we never made anything that great in ours)! I have never been able to successfully make fried rice at home that tasted anything like the yumminess from a Chinese restaurant and both the fried rice recipes here lean more towards the Polynesian side of flavors. Someday could you maybe, possibly, please share how to make a Chinese fried rice? I’d be forever grateful! I can never get the flavors or textures quite right.
I *DO* have one! And I totally forgot about it. I’ll post it soon! 🙂
Oh! Thank you thank you thank you!
I made this last night with our dinner & it was the BOMB!
Kids & Hubby loved also!
Hooray!!! I’m so glad you loved it!
This is my FAVORITE way to clean out the fridge 🙂 I always throw pineapple in along with some dashes of sriracha..love the ham and brown sugar additions!
Oh divine! We just went to Hawaii this winter, and I didn’t see a thing like this. I obviously was not in the right place:( this looks like something I could eat breakfast, lunch, dinner!