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Caribbean-Style Fried Rice With Shrimp And Pineapple

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Caribbean-inspired fried rice with shrimp and pineapple offers a burst of tropical flavors your taste buds are going to love! 

This delicious recipe features a medley of peppers, onions, shrimp, and sweet pineapple that is not only visually appealing but also very tasty!

There is a white bowl with a combination of rice, shrimp, chopped up onion, garlic, red, yellow, orange, and green peppers. There is a larger white bowl in the background with the same ingredients in it. There is a light brown cloth napkin laying next to the bowl. Items are on a light gray surface.

Caribbean fried rice is a spin-off of Asian fry rice with Caribbean flavors. It is made from leftover or day old rice and aromatic spices.

Ingredients For Caribbean Rice

There is a white bowl with a red, yellow, green, and orange pepper in it. There is a white bowl with cooked white rice, a white bowl with cooke shrimp in it, and a white bowl with chunks of pineapple in it. There is a whole yellow onion, 3 green scallions, a head of garlic, a piece of ginger root, 2 stalks of celery, a large carrot, a small red habanero pepper, a pepper mill, a light brown container with salt in it and a few sprigs of green parsley. There is also 3 small clear glass bowls. One has a scoop of coconut oil in it, one has light brown sesame oil in it and the last one has dark soy sauce in it. All items are on a light gray surface.
  • Coconut oil
  • Onion
  • Fresh garlic cloves
  • Fresh ginger root
  • Sweet peppers (red pepper, yellow pepper, orange pepper)
  • Green bell pepper
  • Hot pepper (see Variations and Top Tip)
  • Cooked rice
  • Sesame oil
  • Soy sauce
  • Celery
  • Cooked shrimp
  • Pineapple 
  • Green onions
  • Parsley
  • Salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Helpful Equipment / Tools

There is a large rectangular wooden cutting board with a large gray skillet laying on top of it. There is also a large kitchen knife, a set of silver measuring cups, a wooden spoon, a set of silver measuring spoons, and a silver vegetable peeler on the wood board. The board is on a light gray surface.
  • Large deep skillet / 12-inch nonstick skillet
  • Cutting board
  • Large kitchen knife
  • Wooden spoon
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Garlic press

How To Make Caribbean Rice With Shrimp And Pineapple

This tasty dish is very easy to assemble and the total cook time is about 10 minutes. The prep time of chopping, dicing, and mincing is the most time consuming step, about 30 to 40 minutes.

There is a large rectangular wood cutting board. There is a pile of chopped green onions, ginger, garlic, parsley, onion, carrots, jalapeno pepper, and celery. Wood board is on a gray surface.
There is a large white plate with four scoops of chopped peppers. A scoop of red pepper, green pepper, orange pepper, and yellow pepper. Plate is on a light gray surface.

Gather and prep ingredients –

  • Chopped, diced, minced, and measured before starting. 
There is a large gray skillet with chopped onion, garlic, and ginger in it. There is a wooden spoon resting in the skillet. Skillet is on a light gray surface.
  • Heat coconut oil.
  • Add onion and cook until translucent.
  • Stir in garlic and ginger. 
Large gray skillet with chopped red, yellow, orange, green peppers, onion, garlic, and ginger in it. There is a wooden spoon resting in it. There is a light gray cloth napkin laying next to the skillet. Items are on a light gray surface.
  • Add peppers (red, yellow, orange, and green), carrots, hot pepper (if using), a little bit of salt and black pepper.
  • Cook, stirring often. 
There is a large gray skillet with chopped red, yellow, orange, and green peppers in it. There a is a mound of white cooked rice on top of the peppers. There is a wooden spoon resting in the pan. There is a light brown cloth napkin laying next to the skillet. Items are on a light gray surface.
  • Add cooked rice, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
  • Stir until throughly combined.
  • Cook for 2 minutes. 
There is a large gray skillet with a combination of rice, chopped up onion, garlic, red, yellow, orange, and green peppers in it. There is a mound of cooked shrimp and small chunks of pineapple on top of the rice and peppers.There is a light brown cloth napkin laying next to the skillet. Items are on a light gray surface.
  •  Stir in shrimp and pineapple tidbits.
  • Cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Stir in chopped parsley, celery, and scallions.
There is a large gray skillet with a combination of rice, shrimp, chopped up onion, garlic, red, yellow, orange, and green peppers in it. There is a light brown cloth napkin laying next to of the skillet Items are on a light gray surface
  • Stir in chopped parsley, celery, and scallions.
  • Give the pan one good final stir.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Let’s Look At The Main Ingredients


Cooked Rice – There are a variety of rice grains that can be used: Jasmine rice, white rice, brown rice to name a few.

This is a great way to use leftover rice! 

Coconut Oil – The coconut palm was considered the “staff of life” for centuries in the Caribbean. Coconut oil is the cooking oil of choice – It has a high smoke point and great flavor.

Olive oil or vegetable oil can be used. Olive oil is a healthier alternative but will also change the flavor of this dish.

Peppers – The medley of peppers are wonderful flavors in this dish. The red, yellow, and orange add a sweet mild taste while the green bell pepper adds a little bitter and grassy flavor.

For those who love spicy food, add a finely minced jalapeno pepper or if you want add a super hot pepper, use either a half of habanero or scotch bonnet. (see FAQ’s)

Onion – For this recipe I used a yellow onion. Red onion or white onion can be substituted.

Garlic – There is a lot of fresh garlic in this dish which I love! You can adjust the amount to your liking.

Fresh garlic is better than garlic powder for this recipe.

Soy Sauce – There is a difference between light and dark soy sauce. Dark base soy sauce which has a more intense flavor and is more saltier in taste is perfect for this recipe.

Sesame seed oil – This oil adds a savory flavor to rice when it is fried.

Vegetables – Chopped carrots and celery add texture and layers of flavor.

Pineapple – I love adding pineapple to this spicy rice dish. It balances the peppers so nicely. Fresh or frozen (that has been thawed).

There is a large white bowl with a combination of rice, shrimp, chopped up onion, garlic, red, yellow, orange, and green peppers in it. There is a light brown cloth napkin laying in front of the bowl. Items are on a light gray surface.

Variations For Caribbean-Style Fried Rice With Shrimp And Pineapple

It’s easy to make this vegetarian fried rice dish a complete meal by adding a combination of proteins like, black beans, chunks of shrimps, diced ham, scrambled eggs, or even bite size pieces of rotisserie chicken.

Popular spices to add are cayenne pepper (for heat), ground cumin, curry powder, green seasoning (see FAQ’s), and paprika.

Often beef flavor bouillon or chicken broth are added. Bean sprouts and cabbage are also great vegetables to use.

Top Tip

Wear gloves when working with peppers and wash your hands with soap and water after.

The capsaicin (what makes peppers hot) can still be on your skin and can easily be transferred to other places.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is A Scotch Bonnet Pepper?

The Scotch Bonnet is a type of chili pepper named for its resemblance to a Scottish tam o’ shanter bonnet. It can be found everywhere in West Africa and the Caribbean. 

Scotch Bonnets are routinely ranked among the world’s hottest hot peppers. Use cautiously!

What Is Green Seasoning?

Almost every island country has their own blend of this seasoning, and it’s believed that Trinidad is the home base for this creation.

Caribbean Green Seasoning can be made with just a few simple ingredients like onion, garlic, peppers, ginger, and a few herbs. 

If you like this dish, check out a few more delicious recipes from Join Me In The Kitchen!

Yield: 8 servings

Caribbean Fried Rice With Shrimp And Pineapple Recipe

There is a white bowl with a combination of rice, shrimp, chopped up onion, garlic, red, yellow, orange, and green peppers. There is a larger white bowl in the background with the same ingredients in it. There is a light brown cloth napkin laying next to the bowl. Items are on a light gray surface.

This delicious recipe features a medley of peppers, onions, shrimp, and sweet pineapple that is not only visually appealing but also very satisfying.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup diced onion (approximately 1 small onion)
  • 6 - 8 minced garlic cloves (approximately 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped ginger
  • 1 small red bell pepper (3/4 cup - diced)
  • 1 small orange bell pepper (3/4 cup - diced)
  • 1 small yellow bell pepper (3/4 cup - diced)
  • 1 small green pepper (3/4cup - diced)
  • 1 small hot pepper - seeded and finely minced (see Variations and Top Tip)
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots (approximately 1 large carrot)
  • 2 cups cooked day old rice
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1 pound boiled peeled shrimp (cut into pieces)
  • 1/2 cup pineapple (chopped)
  • 3 green onions - sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley - chopped
  • A pinch of salt - to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions

  1. Prep all the ingredients - This is the most time consuming step of the recipe but you want to have all the ingredients chopped, diced, minced, and measured before starting. Allow about 45 minutes for this.
  2. Heat coconut oil in large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes or until translucent. Stir in garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add peppers (red, yellow, orange, and green), carrots, hot pepper (if using), a small amount of salt and black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Stirring often. 
  4. Add 2 -3 cups of cooked rice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir until throughly combined. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the bottom of the pan so that the rice does not stick.
  5. Stir in shrimp and pineapple tidbits. Cook for 2-3 minutes.  
  6. Stir in chopped parsley, celery, and scallions.
  7. Taste and add more soy sauce or sesame oil if preferred.
  8. Give the pan one good final stir. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Add your own personal twist on this recipe by trying different seasonings.

Popular spices to add are cayenne pepper (for heat), ground cumin, curry powder, green seasoning (see FAQ's), and paprika.

Often beef flavor bouillon or chicken broth are added. Bean sprouts and cabbage are also great vegetables to use.

Top Tip

You should wear gloves when working with peppers and wash your hands with soap and water after.


© Laura @ Join me in the Kitchen
Cuisine: Caribbean / Category: Main Dishes

Angie Dittmar

Saturday 22nd of July 2023

This recipe is AMAZING!

Laura @ Join me in the Kitchen

Monday 24th of July 2023

Thank you so much Angie! I'm glad you liked it.

Cooper Evans

Sunday 16th of July 2023

This was the best, great and flavorful!

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