As soon as the warm weather hits, I start craving this summery fried rice dish. This Sweet BBQ Fried Rice is so rich with flavour, and the perfect blend of sweet and smoky if you ask me. Every bite will transport you to a tropical paradise with every bite. Whether you’re hosting a summer barbecue or simply craving a taste of the tropics, this dish is sure to delight your senses and leave you longing for more.
The fact that this Sweet BBQ Fried Rice is served in a pineapple bowl, is no longer just a meal, it’s an experience. You know how potatoes taste even better when they are stuffed with a bunch of stuff? I think the same thing applies to pineapples. I don’t know the science behind it but any food item made to be a bowl always ends up being a slam dunk. It certainly makes this dish extra delicious in addition to being gorgeous to look at.
While the pineapple bowl makes this dish extra special, so does the addition of plant-based jerky pieces. This recipe for Sweet BBQ Fried Rice is so delicious blend of sweet and smoky and only made better with Noble Jerky – Sweet BBQ Jerky mixed in.
I was so pleased with how this recipe turned out, and was even more happy to find out that Noble Jerky was just as happy with it! Take a look at my feature on the Noble Jerky Website!
Flavourful Sweet BBQ Fried Rice: Sweet and Smoky
What makes a dish truly great is its ability to amuse and surprise your taste buds with a merriment of flavours. This recipe for Sweet BBQ Fried Rice has it all – sweet, smoky, and salty.
Sweet:
This fried rice recipe welcomes sweetness from two ingredients. The pineapple chunks and the pineapple bowl deliver that juicy sweetness that balances the smoky and salty flavours of the rice mixture. But we also get the hint of a more subtle sweetness from the honey BBQ sauce. This combo makes for the perfect sweet-to-salty ratio making each bite tickle your taste buds.
Smoky:
You can’t have a rich BBQ flavour without that quintessential smoky factor. While any BBQ sauce you use will naturally provide that smokiness, adding a few splashes of liquid smoke will certainly enhance the overall experience and that delicious hickory taste.
Main Ingredients for a Tasty Sweet BBQ Fried Rice
With these key ingredients, a sensational dish is born. Let’s take a look at the main players of this dish, shall we?
Fried Rice:
I personally use basmati rice most often. I just like how fluffy and long the grains are. The trick to making the perfect fried rice is using day-old rice. If you try to use fresh, it will be too moist and your fried rice will have a mushy texture. Now, if you’re reading this and realizing you do not have leftover rice ready to go, do not worry. Let me share one of my favourite tricks.
TIP: Cook your rice according to instructions. Transfer it to a container and place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Tofu:
The protein of choice for this dish is tofu. I use a medium-firm block and cut it into cubes. Tofu is a very absorbent sponge-like texture so it will soak up liquid the longer it sits. This dish works best if the tofu has time to marinate and absorb the BBQ sauce, whether overnight or for a few hours. But if you don’t have the time, the dish will still turn out fine.
Pineapple:
The main ingredient that puts the “sweet” in this recipe title. While you could opt out of adding pineapple to this dish, I highly recommend that you include it in the recipe. The sweetness really does compliment the smoky BBQ flavour so beautifully. It makes this dish a tropical delight.
The pineapple bowl does allow the sweetness to further seep into the fried rice mixture. That said, it is not necessary should you decide to skip it. However, in my opinion, it does elevate the meal and makes it so freaking cute to eat out of!
BBQ Sauce:
Without the sauce, this dish would be a snooze-fest. The hickory and smoky flavours found in BBQ sauces are the perfect accompaniment to the sweetness of a pineapple. A regular store-bought BBQ sauce would be fine to use for this recipe but I wanted to add to the sweetness and sought out a honey BBQ sauce. It can be tricky to find a vegan-friendly honey BBQ sauce but there are some great recipes online.
Sweet BBQ Fried Rice Extras:
Plant-based Jerky:
Using plant-based jerky in this recipe not only adds a dreamy texture but adds to the flavour profile. It also provides an extra dash of protein to the dish. I can’t speak to all brands but Noble Jerky is made with clean familiar ingredients and is delicious to enjoy on its own. That said, I have really enjoyed adding jerky to my dishes since trying this.
Green Onions:
Green onions will always be my favourite way to add a tasty splash of colour to any dish. It also adds a fresh crunch to every bite.
Looking for more fried rice recipes? Check these out!
I hope you enjoy this recipe for my Sweet BBQ Fried Rice! If you make it, please leave a comment below (it helps others to find the recipe). As always, please feel free to share your creations with me! Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest so that I can see your yummy dishes!
Sweet BBQ Fried Rice
Ingredients
Bowl:
- 1 pineapple halved and hollowed (save cubed pieces)
Fried Rice Filling:
- 1 cup basmasti rice pre-cooked
- 1 small onion diced
- 3-4 garlic coves minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 celery stalks diced
- ½ red pepper diced
- ¾ cup pineapple chunks
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 bag Noble Jerky Sweet BBQ Jerky sliced into pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
BBQ Tofu:
- 1 block firm tofu drained, pressed & cubed
- 4-5bsp tbsp BBQ Sauce I used a vegan honey BBQ sauce
- 5 drops liquid smoke
- 2 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Make 1 cup of basmati rice according to instructions. **
- In a container, coat tofu cubes in BBQ sauce. Store it in the fridge overnight or for a few hours to marinate.
- Halve the pineapple and scoop out the insides. Cube the carved-out pineapple pieces and set aside, you’ll want to toss some of these pieces in the fried rice later.
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Next, add garlic and ginger and saute for a few minutes. Then add celery and red pepper.
- In the same skillet, add cooked rice, spices, and soy sauce and let it cook.
- In another skillet, heat oil, and sauté the marinated tofu. Add the liquid smoke and soy sauce, flipping occasionally until tofu is browned.
- Add the tofu, pineapple chunks and green onions to the fried rice skillet and mix until combined. Add salt and pepper to the mixture. Adjust any spices to your taste. Add pieces of diced jerky and mix once more.
- Scoop the fried rice mixture into the pineapple bowls and devour.
Notes
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Fried rice served in a pineapple takes me right back to my trip to Thailand! Absolutely delicious, thanks for sharing!
Thailand must have been so beautiful. I’m sure you had lots of tasty food there too. So happy I could bring back the nostalgia for you!