Sticky Pineapple Rice

Sticky Pineapple Rice

This one has become a bit of a weeknight obsession for us. The combination of sticky, caramelised pineapple with that gochujang kick is just unreal; sweet, spicy, a little tangy, and completely addictive. We love how the tofu soaks up all those bold flavours and gets this gorgeous golden crust. Fresh coriander, a squeeze of lime, and a hit of chilli on top make it feel like a proper restaurant dish on your plate. Make this tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 25 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large bowl
  • Large frying pan
  • Microplane or fine grater (for ginger & garlic)

Ingredients

  • 250g pineapple
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp gochujang paste
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 200 smoked tofu
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 3cm ginger
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 red pepper
  • 500g cooked rice
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 lime
  • 2 spring onions
  • 15g coriander
  • 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

Method

1

Prep the veg

  • Dice the pineapple into small chunks
  • Dice the tofu
  • Peel and mince the ginger and garlic
  • Finely slice the chilli
  • Finely slice the red pepper
  • Finely slice the spring onion
  • Pick the coriander leaves
  • Slice the lime into wedges
2

Make the sticky pineapple

  • Place the pineapple pieces in a large bowl
  • Add the gochujang, maple syrup, soy sauce and brown rice vinegar
  • Toss to coat
  • Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
  • Transfer the pineapple pieces to the pan and fry until lightly charred on each side
  • Pour any remaining sauce into the pan tossing to coat the pineapple until the sauce thickens and the pineapple is sticky and caramelised
  • Transfer to a plate and wipe out the pan
3

Cook the rice

  • Return the same pan to a medium heat and add the vegetable oil
  • Add the tofu cubes cooking for 5 minutes until lightly caramelized on each side
  • Add the chilli, ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute
  • Stir through the red pepper and edamame beans cooking for a few minutes to soften the pepper | Add the rice to the pan with the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil, mixing to combine
  • Squeeze over half the lime and taste to season, adding a little more soy sauce if needed
4

Assemble and serve

  • Stir through the spring onion, coriander leaves and sesame seeds
  • Top with the sticky pineapple to serve with lime wedges

Tips & Variations

  • Press your tofu first: We always press the tofu for at least 15 minutes before dicing it. It makes a massive difference to how well it browns and holds its shape in the pan. Just wrap it in a clean tea towel and put something heavy on top.
  • Dial up or down the heat: If you're cooking for people who don't love spice, go easy on the chilli and gochujang. If you want it fiery, add an extra teaspoon of gochujang to the sauce. We usually go somewhere in the middle.
  • Rice tip: Day-old rice works brilliantly here if you've got some in the fridge. It fries up better than freshly cooked rice and doesn't go sticky or clumpy in the pan.

Why This Works

The trick is coating the pineapple in that gochujang and maple syrup mixture before it hits the heat. The natural sugars in the pineapple caramelise quickly and the gochujang adds this deep, smoky heat that you just can't fake. Trust us on this one, that sticky sauce is the whole game.