Sticky-sweet pork, juicy pineapple, fresh herbs, jalapeño, and crispy onions all served over a bed of fluffy coconut rice. SO GOOD!
Pineapple Pork with Coconut Rice
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This was so easy and delicious! Will 100% be adding this to my weekly rotation. Thanks so much for doing this series!
Jess
This is a fan favorite recipe that’s part of our Fall 2022 SOS Series! View the full series.
Let’s tuck right into this comforting, super-satisfying bowl of yum. Immediately. Get your fork. Hurry, hurry.
I mean, sticky-sweet pork with that caramelized pan-fry goodness, the juicy chunks of pineapple, a handful of fresh herbs, slices of jalapeño, and crispy onions (yes, crispy onions! so underrated!) is all getting served over a hot pile of super luscious coconut rice (remember this rice from that delicious Ginger Peanut Chicken?), and WOW to the EEE. I hope you actually got your fork already because this is not a bad situation. Not at all.
The rich flavor, the caramelized texture, the totally indulgent and fragrant coconut rice… I mean, this is hands-down one of my favorite (easy! lifesaving! SOS!) meals of the season.
Why Pork and Pineapple Are a Match Made In Food Heaven
Nothing quite beats the sweet, tangy pop of fresh pineapple, really with anything…but it’s such a special flavor alongside pork in particular. It’s a sweet-salty combo that cannot be beat! And when you grill or sear the pineapple and all those natural sugars start caramelizing and turn into the most delicious sticky-saucy-sweet situation? HELLO WHAT A DREAM.
In fact, pineapple has a natural enzyme in it that tenderizes meat. That’s not so much at play here because you are not marinating in the pineapple juice itself, but just saying, even science wants them to be together!
So, if you are for some reason feeling weird about fruit and meat mixed together, please know that this is the absolute best and you will want to keep eating it forever. And then if you need other ways to love the pineapple pork combo, maybe you want to try these pork tacos with a little pineapple salsa.
Or get thee to some tacos al pastor! Or…do people still put pineapple rings on their holiday ham prep? See! It’s a thing!
This Pineapple Pork Comes with a Deliciously Short Ingredient List
Since this is part of our SOS series, I promised you a short, friendly ingredient list and this recipe will deliver. Here are your five major players for this bomb weeknight recipe:
- pork
- pineapple
- teriyaki sauce – store-bought, no guilt, SOS series FTW!
- coconut milk
- rice
Cilantro, jalapeños, and crunchy onions are also obviously encouraged in borderline inappropriate quantities, but not required.
This recipe honestly feels like a gift that someone gives you at dinnertime and you get to unwrap it bite by bite, dinner by dinner, the next 2-3 days, or sadly, less, depending on how long your leftovers last. Which, in our house, was not long at all. A double batch would not be a bad idea.
It’s sticky, caramelized, comforting, and just a lil crunchy. I can’t quit it.
How To Make This Pineapple Pork
Not much to bring this addicting little number together. There is a teeny little marinate step, but it is very low-key and low-stress. A few hours is ideal, but also if you forget altogether, just pop it in that sauce when you pull ingredients out of the fridge. NBD!
- Make your rice. Toss all the coconut milk, water, and rice in the Instant Pot and then beep-boop you’re done! (You can also do it on the stovetop/rice cooker if that’s your jam – see the FAQ below.)
- Caramelize your pork. Pull that pork out of the sauce and toss it in a hot pan. You want it to be able to sear and caramelize so make sure you don’t dump the sauce in too (then it will steam the pork, not as ideal!)
- Pineapple and finish. Once the pork has a nice sear, toss your pineapple chunks in to get it all nice and caramelized and saucy. You can also add a little more teriyaki at this point if your heart calls for it.
That’s it! Then top with some fresh jalapeño and cilantro and a truly embarrassing amount of crispy onions, if you’re doing it right.
Pineapple Pork with Coconut Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t like pork. What can I use as a substitute?
Chicken would work well here or, for a vegetarian option, tofu would be great.
Is this spicy?
This dish has a lot of flavor, but it isn’t spicy. If you’re concerned about spice though, try omitting the jalapeños.
I have leftover crispy onions. What else can I use them for?
First, how? These underrated little things beg to be eaten by the handful! If you have extra crispy onions, please visit the Crunchy Roll Bowls next. SO YUMMY!
Where do I buy crispy onions?
You can find them at almost any grocery store near the canned green beans or some Asian markets sell them, too.
I don’t have an Instant Pot. How can I cook the rice?
Cooking the rice in a rice cooker (affiliate link) or just on the stove top should work well. To make it on the stove, you can add 2 cups of rice, 1.5 cups of water, and a 14-ounce can of coconut milk to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, you can reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook the rice for about 15-20 minutes.
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Pineapple Pork with Coconut Rice
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Sticky-sweet pork, juicy pineapple, fresh herbs, jalapeño, and crispy onions all served over a bed of fluffy coconut rice. SO GOOD!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pork:
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (I like the SoyVay brand!)
- 1 pound thinly sliced pork tenderloin (you can buy this pre-cut at a lot of stores, sometimes labeled as “stir fry”)
- 1–2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- olive oil for sautéing
Rice:
- one 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups jasmine rice
Toppings:
- lime zest
- cilantro
- thinly sliced jalapeño
- crunchy onions
Instructions
- Prep: Marinate the pork with 1/4 cup of the sauce for 2-3 hours, or a full day. This is low-key and low-stress. Just do it whenever you think of it.
- Rice: Add the rice ingredients to an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes (just let it sit there). Release the steam, fluff with a fork, season with a little salt, and attempt not to eat the whole thing.
- Pork: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Add *just* the pork, discarding the excess sauce – if you add all the sauce with it, it will steam the pork instead of caramelizing it. Leave the pork undisturbed in the hot pan for a few minutes at a time to get better caramelization. Throw the pineapple in there and let it get saucy and caramelized, too. Add a few additional tablespoons of sauce AFTER you’ve gotten it nice and brown.
- Serve: Top your luscious rice with a scoop of the saucy pineapple pork and finish with lime zest, cilantro, crunchy onions, and little slices of jalapeño.
Equipment
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Notes
Use more sauce if you need it – all the store bought sauces are a little different in their thickness and some might need more than 1/4 cup to marinate. We have one that is a sesame teriyaki and it’s SO good, but it’s really thick, almost like a hoisin sauce, so the amounts vary between that one and the SoyVay brand shown here which is a little more runny. The main thing is that you don’t want too much sauce to go into the pan when you brown the pork, otherwise it will steam instead of fry / caramelize.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pineapple pork, pork recipe, coconut rice
More Pork Favorites To Enjoy!
- Easy Crockpot Carnitas (juicy, flavorful, and perfectly browned pork – THE BEST!)
- 15-Minute Egg Roll in a Bowl (just 15 minutes? SOLD!)
- Caramelized Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa (a quick and easy fav meal)
- Ang’s Creamy Tortellini Soup (creamy, cozy, and oh-so good)
Time To Show You Off!
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of delicious rice recipes. Check it out!
Filed Under: 5 Ingredients All Recipes Bowls Dinner Jalapeño Main Dishes Meat and Chicken Quick and Easy Recipes Rice SOS Series Spring Stovetop Sugar-Free
September 14, 2022
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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a new favorite! ridiculously good! doubled the meat for my young adult son. also used hoisin that we diluted with water.
OMG I just found the pineapple pork with coconut rice. This is delicious!!! The crunchy onions and the rice! ❤️
This was so simple and delicious!
Made with chicken tenderloins bc that’s what I had on hand. Did the coconut rice in the rice cooker.
Def adding this to the busy night dinner rotation!
So delicious, made for dinner last night and leftovers for lunch, so easy very good
I’m a big fan of sweet & savory so this one was right up my alley and it did not disappoint. I did make a few tweaks – cut the pork in chunks rather than slices; used canned pineapple chunks and threw a little pineapple juice in to the sauce at the end. Didn’t have any jalapenos and I’m one of those anti-cilantro folks, but I did use the french fried onions and what a great addition.
I also cooked my rice in the oven which I do often. Used the same amounts given. Just dumped everything in a covered casserole, tossed in a handful of shredded carrots (it looks pretty!) and cooked at 375 for about 45-50 minutes. The coconut milk made it scrumptious!
Thanks so much. This one’s a keeper!
Delicious!!! I didn’t have time to do the full marinade and it was still great. I think the trick is using sweet pineapples in season. Thank you!☺️
this was so delicious!!
I made this last week and was quite impressed. Going to make it again tonight. The lime zest and sliced jalapeno are perfect with it.
Any thoughts on using pork chops for this vs tenderloins??
I have boneless chops in my freezer I’d like to use up. Will it work?
I wanted to try your recipes, but you don’t let people get them through email. Why? just asking. I can’t do that pin thing, so I can’t try them.
YUM! Will be making this recipe again very soon.
So good! I made the pork portion of the recipe in the air fryer because I was feeling lazy. I cooked it at 375 for about 5 or 6 mins in 2 batches. Turned out great!
I made this for dinner last night and my family loved it. I read a lot of reviews and ended up deciding to cut in slices, marinate and then grill the pork. I served it with the rice, roasted broccoli, cashews and mango. My kids loved it!
Would this work with ground pork?
Yes! You could use ground pork!
This recipe is SO good and could not be easier! It’s now on our dinner rotation.
This recipe is amazing! It’s delicious, super easy and actually takes less than 30 minutes to make. It’s a hit with my whole family! I’ve already made it twice in less than a week! I’m loving your SOS series! Thank you!
We have a pineapple allergy in the house. Any substitution suggestions for the fruit?
Hmmm I feel like peaches might be a good sub!
Okay..super confused by the rice here. I use my instant pot all the time so I’m not to new to it by any means. I thought the 3 min high pressure time was too little but tried it out according to the exact instructions, including letting it sit on natural release for 15 min. My rice was rock hard and not cooked, and very liquidy. Not sure what kind of instant pot you are using but 3 min is..not right.
This was amazing! So simple and fast! And the flavors!! I used Soyaki (Trader Joes version of Soyvey). I also did cubes of pork tenderloin I had in my freezer. Love the reco to just put the meat in the hot pan WITHOUT the marinade..it got super crispy. I cook a lot and didn’t realize how good this hack was on keeping meat crispy and tender. took out the meat when it was almost done, stir fried the peppers and the mushrooms …added back the meat and the pineapple to finish cooking with 1/4 cup sauce mixed with 1 tbsp of cornstarch to thicken it up a bit. So yummy…already thinking about leftovers for lunch tomorrow 🙂 Another SOS dinner winner!
Woohoo! Glad to hear it, Janet!
Should I buy unsweetened coconut milk for this?
Yes, unsweetened is what we’d suggest here.
Is it possible to make this in the slow cooker with pork butt vs pork tenderloin? Would love tips to try it that way!
We haven’t tried that, but it could work. The pork butt would likely just need a few hours to cook.
A bit frustrating to go to make this amazing, easy, 30 minute recipe for dinner only to see that I have to marinate for 2-3 hours.
Could you start including marinating time in the recipe time?
Very good recipes and thank you for them. I now often use meat recipes from your site to use them in my Keto diet. I study quite a few tips from the site https://www.ketodietblogger.com/ to get more results
So good! The pork got beautiful caramelization! I didn’t have crispy onions so I used green onions on top. It was very good that way. The next time, I’ll make sure to have the crispy onions. That sounds delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Can I use beef instead.?
We’d probably suggest chicken in place of the pork. We’re not sure if beef would be the right flavor profile here.