Blackstone Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice puts another spin on our classic fried rice, and was one of the highlights of dinner last week!

Blackstone Ham And Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe

Homemade Fried Rice has always been something I wanted to be really good at making, but never actually was. That is until we got our Blackstone.

Great fried rice depends on super high heat. The higher the heat the better when it comes to fried rice. You want the rice to crisp up just a bit but not become dry and crunchy. 

You can use a wok or a frying pan, but just make sure to get the heat as high as possible first, and keep your expectations reasonable if you are using something like a flat-top stove. 

How do you make fried rice from scratch?

Making fried rice at home is easy! You just need the right tools and ingredients to make it truly restaurant-quality. 

Have the right tools

• Gas griddle
• Large spatula
• Squirty bottle of (the right) oil

Have the right ingredients

• COLD rice (we use jasmine or basmati. Keep your Minute Rice away from this forever and always, amen.)
• Prepped fresh vegetables (you can use frozen if you have to, but fresh is best!)

Have the right technique

1. PREP EVERYTHING. You cannot leave the griddle once you start cooking, so be prepared! You need a big tray for carrying everything, your spatulas, oil, finishing sauce, rice, vegetables, meat, beaten eggs, and a vessel to carry the finished rice back too. 
2. Preheat your griddle. 
3. Add the oil.
4. One one side of the griddle, cook the vegetables and sear the meat. When they are done, turn the heat down on that side of the griddle and cover to keep warm.
5. On the other side of the griddle, fry the rice. Don’t let it burn and also don’t move it too often!
6. Make a well in the center of the rice, turn down the heat slightly on the griddle, and scramble the eggs. Mix in with the rice, along with the meat and vegetables. 
7. Add the sauce and continue stir-frying until it is absorbed. 
8. Enjoy!

More Blackstone Recipes here!

What oil is best for hibachi fried rice?

Since ideally, you’ll be cooking this on a gas griddle which gets BLAZING hot, the oil you use needs to have a high smoke point.

Any oil that can withstand going to 400 degrees or higher is crucial. Oils like avocado, but also refined oils like peanut, safflower, canola, corn, grapeseed, and sunflower oil all can go as high as 450°.

It is hard to get that high a temp, even on a gas top range, but you can do it. You just have to be patient when the pan is preheating, and using a cast iron pan will be your best bet.

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Tips for amazing ham fried rice

Here are some tricks to remember so your hibachi ham fried rice is always amazing.

• CHILL YOUR RICE – The colder the rice is to start with, the better it fries and less mushy it becomes. If you start with warm or hot freshly cooked rice, then the outside cellulose wall of the rice breaks down. You end up with mushy rice. Using cold rice helps the outside of the rice to brown and caramelize. This is the cornerstone of great fried rice.
• PREP AHEAD OF TIME – Make sure all your ingredients are prepped first and ready to go, and keep them within easy reach. The high heat and necessity for constant stirring to avoid burning means you can’t be traipsing around the kitchen (or back and forth to the griddle) wondering what goes in next or where the knife and cutting board are, or anything like that. 
• KEEP IT MOVIN’ – Use a consistent “stir and flip” movement with your spatula. Keep the lowest layers moving to the top. Use a figure-eight stirring motion to also make sure the outer edges are also moved constantly to the middle. This way you avoid burning and everything finishes together.

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What is the best ham for ham & pineapple fried rice?

If you just baked a big ham, maybe my Smoked Pineapple Glazed Ham, even, then you probably have leftovers to cube up, and fried rice is a great way to repurpose leftover ham. My Traeger Double-Smoked Ham is also a good bet.

IF you don’t have any ham leftovers then you might have to grab some ham at the grocery store.

You can find some smaller hams out there, but those are still a lot of ham. That’s great if you have plenty of mouths to feed (like me), but not ideal if you don’t.

In that case, look for the big round slices of “ham steak”. They are typically found by the pork in the meat aisle. Usually, they come packed into a brine in a plastic package. Cheap, yet completely flavorful, you can avoid going overboard and use only what you need.

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A few more Asian-inspired recipes to check out

Pineapple and ham fried rice can be your main course or have it as a side dish. Either way, you may be looking for more Asian-themed recipes to check ou:

• Chicken and Rice Noodles
• Potsticker Sauce – You will want to use this on more than just potstickers
• Chicken and Eggplant Stir Fry
• Shrimp Yakisoba