Tropical, sweet, savory, spicy, and absolutely delicious. That’s what this pineapple rice is all about. It’s the best combo of sweet and spicy!
Try pairing this delicious combo of flavors with Spicy Honey Chicken and Sweet Potato Kebabs for the ultimate summer meal!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Pineapple Rice
If you’re not a fan of rice wait till you try this Hawaiian rice. It’s packed with simple fresh ingredients of the summer that give old boring rice so much flavor with a nice spicy kick!
The combination of crushed pineapple combined with spicy red chili flakes and refreshing lime juice make this rice truly the best. Crushed pineapple adds sweetness and texture, while the red pepper flakes balance out the sweetness, and lime juice adds freshness.
It’s very easy to make too! You literally add everything into a small saucepan and let it do its thing.
You can’t go wrong with this side dish.
Pineapple Rice Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Water: Cold tap water is fine here for cooking the rice.
- Crushed pineapple: It normally comes in 8-ounce and 20-ounce cans. You will need one 8-ounce can or 1 cup of crushed pineapple for this recipe.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar and cane sugar both work for this recipe. I personally love cane sugar since it’s minimally processed than granulated sugar.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and prevents the rice from clumping together. Go with unsalted butter.
- Kosher salt: You’ll need 1/2 teaspoon of salt for this recipe. Since salt varies, I recommend you taste the rice before serving and add more if desired.
- Red chili flakes: Chili flakes add the heat to the rice. You only need a little to taste it too. But if you like it spicier, add a little more.
- Rice: Basmati rice or jasmine rice both work. Just make sure it’s not quick-cooking rice.
- Lime: You’ll need the juice of half a lime, which is about 1 tablespoon.
- Cilantro: Chopped cilantro adds a burst of fresh flavor. It’s not complete without it. Use as much as you like!
How to Make Pineapple Rice Recipe
This Hawaiian rice recipe comes together pretty simple. I used basmati rice (jasmine works well too!) Both are aromatic varieties that make a great alternative to plain long-grain white rice.
Sometimes I rinse the basmati to wash off any dust and excess starch and sometimes I do not. Either way is fine. I do not notice a big difference.
- Step 1: To a small saucepan, add water, pineapple, sugar, butter, salt, and chili flakes. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in rice and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, partially covered, until all of the water is absorbed. The rice will have a slight bite to it after 15 minutes and that’s what you want.
- Step 2: Remove the saucepan from heat and let the rice steam another 5 minutes, completely covered.
- Step 3: Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro, to taste.
Serve as a Side Dish
Pineapple rice is the perfect side dish. Here are some entrées that would go well:
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Balsamic Grilled Chicken
- Coconut Chicken with Cilantro Lime
- Easy Spicy Shrimp Tacos
If you try Pineapple Rice, let me know in the comments below. I would love your feedback, along with a rating!
Print
Pineapple Rice
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tropical, sweet, savory, spicy, and absolutely delicious. That’s what this pineapple rice is all about. It’s the best combo of sweet and spicy!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice (1 cup)
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice, not quick-cooking
- Juice 1/2 lime (about 1 Tbsp.)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine water, pineapple, sugar, butter, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in rice and bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered for 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. The rice will be almost done with a slight bite to it.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and let the rice steam another 5 minutes, covered. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro. (I love cilantro so I usually go heavy but you can add as much as you like).
Notes
- Pineapple: For best results, use canned crushed pineapple in pineapple juice. I do not recommend fresh pineapple.
- Sugar: Both granulated sugar and cane sugar work for this recipe. Cane sugar is minimally processed so I personally like to use that more.
- Leftovers: Leftover rice will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It reheats very well too. To reheat the rice, add the rice to a non-stick skillet with little fat, such as butter or swirl of oil and heat, stirring occasionally, over medium heat.
Keywords: seasonal, hawaiian, easy, tropical
Recipe originally published June 2015, updated June 2020 with new photos, rewritten post, and additional information. No change to the recipe.
Jana Allain says
Just made this tonight for dinner. I served with tropical teriyaki chicken and steamed green beans. I followed the directions but added sauteed yellow peppers and onions. I didn’t have cilantro so I had to use parsley. It was so delicious. This will be added to our Christmas buffet. Kid friendly!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s great! Thank you.
Karen says
Any idea what the “[email protected] count us per serving?
Katya says
Unfortunately, I do not have that information at this time.
Shari says
This was really good. We had it with grilled salmon but all while it cooked I was thinking ham…HAM! But it was fabulous with the fish. I cooked the recipe in my rice cooker and didn’t change anything in the recipe. Thanks!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s great! Thank you Shari for your feedback. Happy to hear you loved the recipe.
Anna says
Really enjoyed this! Added a little bit (2-3 T) unsweetened coconut flakes at the end!
★★★★★
Katya says
Love that! Thank you.
Tom says
Made it in a Rice Cooker. 1 cup rice with 1 1/4 cup liquid (1/4 cup of juice from the pineapple. Use 1/2 tsp of pepper flqkes. Yummy!!
★★★★★
Cheryl says
Wow, we loved this recipe! So easy and quick to make in my Instant Pot. Combine everything, heat on saute setting until simmering, stir in Jasmine rice, seal and set pressure for 10 minutes. Then quick release. Perfect! I can also imagine this recipe with grilled shrimp added for a meal. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Cheryl! So happy to hear that.
Kara says
This was delicious! I will definitely make it again. I served it with teriyaki meatballs and steamed green beans. The cilantro was a perfect addition. I used 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. That was a perfect spice level for my husband and I but a little too spicy for our 8-year-old. I’ll probably use 1/4 teaspoon next time.
★★★★★
Marianne sutton says
Have you ever used coconut water instead of water to amp up the flavor?
Katya says
I have not but if you try it let me know how it works out for you.
Marianne says
Can you serve this cold and make ahead of time? If not and you serve warm are the left overs still tasty?
Katya says
It tastes the best warm. Leftovers are tasty. Reheat in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Marianne says
Has anyone used coconut water instead of water to add more flavor
Cerwyn says
I love the idea of this. I only have minute rice. Is that doable with this recipe? I don’t have lime juice. Can I use orange?
Katya says
I don’t think minute rice will work without changing the recipe completely.
Lisa says
I’d use regular rice BUT in pinch I’d simmer the ingredients like the recipe says, then add cooked Minute Rice and lime.
Jessica M. says
I have a question. Could I use my rice cooker to cook this recipe? It sounds super delicious but I always use my rice cooker to cook my rice. Thanks and I look forward to trying this.
Katya says
I can’t answer with certainty as I haven’t tried it in a rice cooker but to be honest I don’t see why it can’t work.If you do try it, let me know how it turns out for you.
Adele Burke says
Reading a popular novel set on St. Thomad and pineapple rice was calling. I bought cilantro (had everything else) and THIS is fantastic. ♡
Katya says
Thank you!!
Theresa says
Best rice dish ever-we always have pineapple on hand specifically for this recipe. Never made a substitu; perfect in every way as is! 😁
Katya says
Thank you! That’s so great to hear!
Shelly Smith says
Loved the recipe! I pan fried some diced Portuguese sausage flavored Spam and put it on top instead of the cilantro. Gave it some crunch and salt. Delicious! Everybody raved! Thanks for sharing!
Katya says
Sounds like a great combo! Thanks for sharing.
Holly says
I kinda cheated when I made this. I buy frozen jasmine rice from “Trader Joes” (It’s really good), and I wasn’t quite sure how that would work. I fixed the rice as directed, and then I heated the rest of the ingredients (minus the water), in a saucepan. I brought it to a boil for about 3 or 4 minutes. Then I just mixed the rice with the saucepan, and it turned out fantastic! It might have a little too much liquid in it from the Pineapple juice, so next time, I might scale back on the juice just a tad, but man was this good! I also left out the lime juice. The flavor of pineapple was so good, I did’t want it to change. My 8 year old and my husband scarfed it up!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s great Holly! So happy you made it work with what you had. Thank so much for your review.
ZoMcYo says
Thank you for this recipe! I made a maple glazed ham and wanted a pineapple rice to go with it… unfortunately, I was out of pineapple AND red pepper flakes! I made some substitutions with what I had on hand. I chopped some canned peaches and used the light syrup juice and chopped some pickled jalapeños. Since I only had salted butter on hand, I used that, and did as another person suggested and swapped out half of the water with canned coconut milk. I doubled the recipe since there are 6 of us.
I know that mine didn’t turn out anything like yours, but thank you so much for the template!
This quarantine has us thinking outside the box for some meals!
★★★★★
Katya says
I’m glad you made it work with what you had on hand! I think it makes cooking so much fun that way.
Shayna says
I’ve been coming back to this recipe for years! It’s a favorite of mine and comes out perfect every time. I love to drizzle some teriyaki sauce on it!
★★★★★
Katya says
Teriyaki sauce sounds delicious! Thank you for your feedback.
Terri says
The flavor combination was spot on. Made such an interesting flavored rice, instead of boring plain rice. I must confess (and some people may not like this) but…I used frozen, steamable brown rice from Trader Joe’s. In a saucepan, I mixed all the ingredients listed, except the water, then tossed in then cooked rice. It really worked and was sooooo simple. Next time I’ll try the recipe as is, but happened to have some frozen rice, so gave it a try. Served with the Coconut Milk Chicken with Cilantro Lime. Such a great combo.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks Terri! So happy to you loved it.
Denise says
i need to try this. I make rice all the time but this will be a nice alternative when it’s just me or my daughter and i.
Julie says
Hi I want to make this but I have to serve 40ppl. Should I tweak it in any way?
Katya says
Wowza! That’s a lot of people. So if you scale the recipe to 3X that’ll feed approximately 12-18 people. So you want to scale it twice by 3X. Then you’ll need one more recipe scaled by X1. Gosh, I don’t know if that all makes sense? But that’s the best I can do. At least you’ll have an idea of the amounts for the ingredients.
Alison says
Made this for our Hawaiian themed Christmas party with ham. I subbed half the water for coconut milk which made for a stickier, but delicious dish!
★★★★
Katya says
Thank you!
Melanie says
Would this be terrible with brown rice ? That’s all I have tonight. Plus I have frozen pineapple but I think I can make that work.
Katya says
I think brown rice should work! You might just have to adjust the liquid to rice ration and timing. Hope it works out for you!
Samantha says
Hi, what would the ration be for brown rice? That’s all I have, too.
Katya says
I would use the suggested water ratio on the back of your rice package.
Leshab says
Love!
★★★★★
Leshab says
Love! I used 1 cup of store bought fresh pineapple salsa as this is what I had on hand. Although I didn’t add lime juice and additional cilantro (some already in salsa), it was very delicious. Also this rice cooks perfectly in a rice cooker. Thank you so much for sharing.
Katya says
Thank you! So happy to hear you enjoyed the rice.
Semmiko says
He’ll there trying this recipe for the first do you think I cam substitute lime with lemon juice?
Katya says
I think it should work fine.
Debbie says
Made this for our family’s annual Labor Day weekend camping trip to go with our BBQ fresh tuna fillets. The family loved it! Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you!
Suzanne says
We had a package of Polynesian Style Pork Chops that were part of a gift package from Omaha Steak Company and this went perfectly with them. I did need to add a little more butter and water since I was using a paella pan and the rice was sticking and I was afraid it would burn. Will definitely make this again. Would be good with jerk chicken.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you for the feedback Suzanne! Your dinner sounds so lovely.
Lynn Cherie Elias says
Made this for a party and it was a huge hit. I doubled the red pepper because I was cooking for a spice loving crowd. People went back for thirds!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s awesome! Thank you for feedback.
Maureen McCarthy says
I want to serve this for 12 people. Do you have any cautions for tripling the recipe?
Katya says
I would taste as you go. Start with less and add more if needed.
Tony says
I added ham, so good
Katya says
Thank you!
Marc says
Absolutely loved this rice recipe! Will definitely make it again. Had it with grilled chicken!!
Katya says
Thank you! So appreciate your feedback.
Kate says
Delicious! Made it exactly as instructed, and it turned out great. Will definitely be making this again.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s great! Thank you you so much for feedback.
Karen Lunzman says
I’m making this tomorrow for a community table. I will try fresh parsley from my garden as some don’t like cilantro
What about putting everything in a rice cooker?
Katya says
Hi Karen: I’ve never tried it in a rice cooker so I can’t answer with certainty. If you do try it, would love to know how it worked out for you.
Rose says
If you try making it in the rice cooker, decrease the amount of water or pineapple juice. By following the ingredients as written, I wound up with something that more of a thick dessert rice. My mother and I enjoyed some of it and gave the rest to our dogs.
Jackie Weise says
What a perfect summer dish. We had it with bbq chicken breasts and fiesta corn and LOVED it. So easy to make, I made just as the recipe said, no modifications needed.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you JAckie! Your dinner sounds so lovely. Thank you for feedback.
KonaGirl says
I use 1c. water with 1c. rice. Too mushy with the extra water.
Mike says
You also have to figure the crushed pineapple and juice from it add to the moisture content of the rice -which doesn’t appear to be factored into the recipe. That’s just a ridiculous amount of starting moisture to deal with that’s not going to get absorbed by that amount of rice.
I just know that with the brand I use, even the package instructions can be too much water sometimes, let alone if I don’t pay attention and put even a smidge too much water in the pot.
Samantha says
This was seriously delicious! Followed the recipe exactly. Well, we may have even overcooked the rice slightly on accident, but it was still so good–it made it even more like a sticky rice. Ate it with Ina’s Indonesian ginger chicken recipe. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Jacqui says
Amazing rice dish! Made with Jasmine rice and it
Is superb! Daughters loved it. We will be making this as a regular dish now.
Thank u!!
Jacqui
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Jacqui! So happy to hear that.
Emily says
Can you do this with brown rice?
Katya says
I think it will work but keep in mind that the brown rice requires a little more liquid to cook. Check the box for the amount.
Rhonda says
This was awesome! Served with grilled marinated island style pork ribs. YUM!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Rhonda! So glad to hear you enjoyed this pineapple rice recipe.
T Noga says
Loved….
Instead of sugar I used 1sp of Organic honey, and Korean style red peppers.
Taste amazing!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you! I appreciate your feedback. I love that you sub honey in place of sugar. Gotta try that next time.
Dina says
This pineapple rice… just WOW! So good with grilled fish tacos!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Dina!
ND says
I really like this idea of adding pineapple to rice! I am thinking of grilling the pineapple and adding it to the mix and some bbq chicken. SO GOOD
★★★★★
Katya says
Ohh…that would be so good! Grilled pineapple..yum.
Julia says
I absolutely love the sweet and spicy contrast in this pineapple rice, Katya! What a cheery looking dish and so tasty too!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Julia!
Angie says
I just tried the recipe and my rice was not done after 20 minutes. I used basmati rice (on the ingredient list) and did everything instructed. Also it says on the package of rice I bought to cook for 45 minutes ????
Katya says
Was it a blend you were using? As those may require more time. Usually basmati rice is done in 15-20 minutes.
Mary says
Could this recipe be used in a pressure cooker
Katya says
I’ve never tried it in a pressure cooker so I can’t really answer with certainty.
Melanie Ford says
This is extremely easy to make and also a very healthy and flavorful recipe to create this at home, Last time I visited this website for create the good rice recipe.
Katya says
Thank you!
Alexis Burkhalter says
I never get rice to cook correctly, so I need tios beofre ai try this delicious recipe. the recipe says to add all of the ingredients into the water you boil then add the rice… any tricks to getting it right? One of your comment replies mentioned cooking the rice first then adding everything so I got confused
Katya says
You want to cook everything together as indicated. The crushed pineapple and the spices will flavor the rice. AFter 15 minutes I would taste the rice to make sure it is done. There’s no big tips. Just use low heat and keep the rice partially covered. I hope you give it a try. Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks!
Molly says
Loved this! Was a little nervous about it bc my family can be picky eaters. It was a hit. I served it with Caribbean jerk chicken. Used the basmati rice. However, instead of water I used low sodium chicken broth. Will definitely be adding this to my arsenal!
Katya says
Thank you Molly! So happy it was a hit. Thank you for your feedback!
Aleshia Blackshear says
OMG thank you for this recipe!!!!! I made it with shrimp in coconut oil and cayenne pepper which added more kick!
★★★★★
Katya says
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Jinthekitchen says
SO good! I followed recipe to a t, except didn’t have cilantro. It was incredibly easy to make, came out perfect, and was seriously delicious! We (adults and kids) loved it on its own and with pulled pork. Making second batch, after first when went in 24 hrs and I got a request for MORE! Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper!
★★★★★
Katya says
So happy you loved it! Thanks so much.
Wendy Lawrence says
Wait…do you use uncooked rice? Is there a kind of rice that cooks in 15 minutes? Maybe I’m just used to brown rice, but that seems really fast to me. Let me know–I want to make this for company soon and don’t want to mess it up. 🙂 Looks delicious!
Katya says
It’s probably more like 15-20 minutes depending on your stove and cookware used. But you basically want to cook the rice and then add all the add ins. Hope you enjoy it Wendy. Thanks!
John Balzer says
OH MY LAWD, I made this pineapple rice with my Hawaiian pork chops and sautéed sweet potatoes the only thing I did different was cooked the rice with the lime juice and instead of butter used coconut oil. BONKERS!!!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s awesome John! So happy you loved it.
Gin says
Served this rice (exactly by the recipe) with teriyaki pork loin. Phenomenal!!
Katya says
That’s awesome! So glad you loved it. Thanks so much Gin!
Helen says
I made this last night and it was so good! It was the perfect amount of heat and was cut by the lime and cilantro. Yum! I added a ton of cilantro though because I love it.
So delish – thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s great! So glad you enjoyed it Helen.
Monique Thompson says
This was yummy! I added toasted cashews and finely grated candied ginger! It was perfect with my Citrus marinated grilled chicken skewers!
Thanks!
Katya says
Thank you for sharing Monique! Sounds delicious and glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Jaxie Jilly says
Paired your recipe with Teriyaki Chicken and just perfect together!!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
★★★★★
Katya says
Sounds delicious! Thanks Jaxie!
Leann Keefer says
Over the top … I grilled Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs (Cooking Classy blog) served with this tropical rice (used basmati) for Mother’s Day and this is a family keeper! Be certain to use the red pepper flakes as it brings a slight bit of heat to the back of the tongue! I added a bit of lime zest and 1/2 tsp sesame oil (reduce butter to 1/2 TBSP) during cooking. Thanks for sharing, Kayta!
Katya says
Thanks so much for your awesome feedback Leann! So happy the rice worked well with the hawaiian chicken.
Rhyan says
This rice is phenomenal! I live in a dorm and I don’t have access to a kitchen. However, I was able to make this whole meal in a rice cooker with no problem. So good & filling.
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s so awesome Rhyan! Glad you were able to make it and enjoy it. Appreciate your feedback 🙂
Kymm says
Rhyan, did you follow the recipe exactly while using your rice cooker?
Vicky says
I’ve been searching for the perfect pineapple rice recipe and I’ve found it here! Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks so much Vicky! I hope you enjoy it.