Saucy Rossy BBQ
Pork

Pulled Pork Pineapple Stir Fry

Tender pulled pork stir-fried with rice, peppers, jalapeño, and pineapple, kicked up with Hot Chili Garlic Oil and served in a grilled pineapple half.

Time~30 min Prep10 min YieldServes 2–3 CategoryPork Watch3:47
Pulled Pork Pineapple Stir Fry — watch on YouTube

Watch the full cook on YouTube

Method

  1. 1Halve the pineapple and hollow out one half for serving, saving the fruit.Hollow the half carefully. You want a shell sturdy enough to hold hot food, so leave a good half-inch of fruit against the skin.
  2. 2Grill the hollowed pineapple half and dice the reserved fruit.Grilling the shell is not just presentation. The heat caramelises the sugars at the cut edge and warms the shell so it does not chill the stir fry.
  3. 3Cook down the jalapeño, red peppers, onion, and garlic until softened.Aromatics first, and cook them down properly. Onion needs to go translucent and peppers need to soften before anything else joins them, or you get raw crunch in a finished dish.
  4. 4Add the pulled pork, cooked rice, and diced pineapple, and season with South Shore Sea Salt BBQ Seasoning.The pork and rice are already cooked, so this stage is about heating through and letting the surfaces catch. Spread the rice out and leave it alone for a minute at a time rather than stirring constantly.
  5. 5Stir-fry everything together until hot and well combined.High heat and space in the pan. A crowded pan steams instead of frying, and steamed rice in a stir fry is the difference between good and dull.
  6. 6Finish with a generous hit of Halifax Honey Company Hot Chili Garlic Oil.The chili garlic oil goes on at the end, off the heat. Its aromatics are volatile and cooking them just flattens them.
  7. 7Pile the stir fry into the grilled pineapple half and serve.Pile it in hot and serve straight away. The shell holds heat but not forever.

Watch it on YouTube

What each ingredient is doing

Pulled pork
Leftover smoked pork shoulder is ideal here. It is already tender and smoky, so the smoke reads as a bonus flavour rather than an ingredient you had to add. About a cup per person.
Cooked rice
Day-old rice from the fridge fries far better than fresh. Fresh rice is too moist and clumps; chilled rice has firmed up and the grains separate.
Fresh pineapple
Fresh, not canned. Canned pineapple is packed in syrup and goes to mush in a hot pan; fresh holds its shape and its acidity cuts the richness of the pork.
Jalapeño
Green heat and a vegetal note. Seeds in for more heat, out for less.
Red peppers and onion
Sweetness and body. Cook them down before the pork and rice go in so they are soft rather than raw.
Hot Chili Garlic Oil
A finishing oil, added off the heat. Its garlic and chili aromatics are volatile, and cooking them flattens the whole point of it.
South Shore Sea Salt BBQ Seasoning
Seasons the whole pan. Go carefully if the pulled pork was already heavily rubbed.

Temperature guide

StageTempWhat it means
Aromatics5–6 minutesUntil the onion is translucent and the peppers have softened.
Pork, rice and pineapple6–8 minutesHigh heat, spread out, stirred occasionally rather than constantly.
Pineapple shell3–4 minutes cut side downUntil the edges caramelise.
Finishing oilOff the heatSo the garlic and chili aromatics survive.

Pitmaster tips

  • Use day-old rice from the fridge. Fresh rice carries too much moisture and clumps in the pan; chilled rice has firmed up and the grains separate.
  • Fresh pineapple, not canned. Canned is packed in syrup and collapses in a hot pan; fresh holds its shape and its acidity is what cuts the richness of the pork.
  • Get the pan properly hot and do not crowd it. A crowded pan steams, and steamed rice in a stir fry is the difference between good and dull.
  • Cook the aromatics down first. Onion should go translucent and peppers should soften before anything else joins them.
  • Stir less than you think. Leave the rice alone for a minute at a time so the grains catch on the pan.
  • The chili garlic oil goes on off the heat. Its aromatics are volatile and cooking them just flattens them.
  • Leave half an inch of fruit against the skin when hollowing the pineapple so the shell is sturdy enough to hold hot food.
  • Grill the shell before filling it. It caramelises the cut edge and means the shell does not chill the stir fry.
  • Go easy on the seasoning if the pulled pork was heavily rubbed. You are seasoning a pan that already carries salt.
  • This is the best use for leftover pulled pork there is, and it comes together in the time it takes to reheat the rice.

If it goes wrong

The rice is mushy
Fresh rice, or a crowded pan. Use day-old chilled rice and cook in batches if the pan is small.
It is bland
Under-seasoned or under-charred. Season in layers as things go in, and let the rice sit still long enough to catch on the pan.
The pineapple disintegrated
Canned pineapple, or it went in too early. Use fresh and add it in the last few minutes.
It is too salty
The pulled pork already carried rub. Taste before adding the BBQ seasoning rather than measuring it in blind.
The garlic oil tastes flat
It was cooked. Add it off the heat, right at the end.
The pineapple shell leaked
Hollowed too thin. Leave half an inch of fruit against the skin.

Ways to change it up

Add egg
Push everything aside, scramble an egg in the space, then fold it through. Classic fried-rice move.
Different protein
Chopped smoked chicken, brisket burnt ends or sausage all work the same way.
More heat
Extra jalapeño with the seeds in, or a spoon of sambal with the aromatics.
Skip the shell
Serve it in bowls. The shell is presentation and the dish stands without it.
Add greens
A handful of spinach or shredded cabbage in the last minute for bulk and colour.

What to serve it with

  • In the grilled pineapple half, straight away while it is hot.
  • Scallion and cilantro scattered over.
  • Lime wedges for squeezing.
  • Extra chili garlic oil on the table.
  • Cold beer or a light lager.

Storage & reheating

Leftover stir fry keeps 3 days refrigerated in a sealed container. Cool it quickly and refrigerate within two hours. Cooked rice held warm is one of the few genuine food-safety risks in a home kitchen, because Bacillus cereus spores survive cooking and multiply at room temperature.

Reheat hard and fast in a hot pan rather than a microwave, which steams it. Add a splash of water and a little fresh oil, and finish with more chili garlic oil since the first hit will have faded.

It does not freeze well, because the pineapple goes watery and the rice loses its texture. Better to freeze the pulled pork separately and make the stir fry fresh, which takes thirty minutes anyway. Do not reheat cooked rice more than once.

FAQ

Can I use fresh rice instead of day-old?

You can, but it will clump. Fresh rice carries too much surface moisture to fry properly. If it is all you have, spread it on a tray and chill it for 30 minutes first, which dries the surface enough to make a real difference.

Can I use canned pineapple?

Fresh is much better. Canned pineapple is packed in syrup, arrives already soft, and collapses to mush in a hot pan. Fresh holds its shape and brings the acidity that cuts the richness of the pork.

Why add the chili garlic oil at the end?

It is a finishing oil. The garlic and chili aromatics in it are volatile, and heating them drives them off and leaves you with plain oil. Off the heat, right at the end, is where it does its work.

How much pulled pork do I need?

About a cup per person. This is a good way to use up the tail end of a shoulder, because the pork is already tender and smoky and needs nothing more than heating through.

Is it safe to keep leftover fried rice?

Yes, if you cool it fast and refrigerate within two hours. Cooked rice held at room temperature is a real risk because Bacillus cereus spores survive cooking and multiply as it sits. Reheat once, hard and hot, and do not reheat a second time.

Do I have to serve it in the pineapple?

No, it is presentation. But grilling the hollowed half does two useful things: it caramelises the cut edge, and it warms the shell so it does not chill the stir fry the moment it goes in.

Know your cook

More information, cause recipe back stories are stupid

No 500-word life story — just the good-to-know stuff on what’s actually in this cook. Here’s the rundown on every real ingredient, health and nutrition wise.

Pork
Pork is a protein-rich meat that's especially high in thiamine (vitamin B1) — more than most other meats — plus B6, niacin, and selenium. Tenderloin and loin are lean; shoulder and belly are richer, so portion the fattier cuts.
Chili peppers
Chili peppers are low in calories and high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and their heat comes from capsaicin, which may give metabolism a small nudge. Dial the amount to your spice tolerance.
Garlic
Garlic adds big flavour for almost no calories and contains sulphur compounds (like allicin) long studied for heart and immune benefits. It's one of the healthiest ways to season a cook.
Onion
Onions are low-calorie aromatics rich in fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidants such as quercetin. They add depth and gentle sweetness without much fat or salt.
Pineapple
Pineapple brings bright, tangy sweetness plus vitamin C and bromelain, an enzyme that helps tenderize meat. It cuts through rich pork especially well.
Honey
Honey is a natural sweetener that adds gloss and flavour; it's still sugar, so it's used sparingly. In raw form it carries trace antioxidants and beneficial compounds.

General nutrition info only, not medical or dietary advice — portions, brands and add-ons change the numbers.

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