This decadent, Thai-inspired coconut rice is prepared by simmering jasmine rice in rich coconut milk. A delicious side for stir-fries and curries!
Ready for the easiest recipe ever that will totally blow your mind?
This one is so incredibly simple, but the results are amazing. You'll never want to eat regular old rice again.
What is Coconut Rice?
Coconut rice is rice that's cooked in a mix of coconut milk and water. That's it! Told you it was simple. But the coconut milk makes it taste amazing. It's typically made with jasmine rice, it doesn't have to be.
How to Make Coconut Rice
Gather your ingredients. Luckily, there aren't that many. You'll just need some rice, water, coconut milk (the canned kind, full-fat please), and salt.
Stir everything together in a small saucepan. The coconut milk might be a bit separated if your house is cool. No worries! Just add the entire contents of the can to the pot. The solids will melt as they heat up.
Now place the pan over heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Stir it every now and then to break up chunks of coconut milk solids and to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once the liquid comes to a simmer, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it cook for about 20 minutes.
Now remove the pot from the burner and let it sit with the lid on for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the lid, and fluff the rice with a fork.
Top your rice with sesame seeds and scallions, if you like.
Coconut Rice Tips & FAQ
- Resist the temptation to peek at your rice while it cooks. The lid needs to stay on the pot to trap steam. If possible, use a clear lid so you can see when all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Can I use coconut milk from a carton to make this? Nope! Most of the carton varieties contain very little actual coconut milk. Your rice will turn out tasting just like regular old rice.
- Is this recipe gluten-free? It sure is!
- Can I use a variety of rice other than jasmine? You can, but you might need to adjust the amount of liquid and/or cook time.
- How is coconut rice served? I find coconut rice goes best with stir-fries — particularly ones that include sweet and/or spicy flavors. Try it with this spicy tofu & pineapple stir-fry, vegan mango "chicken," or crispy black pepper tofu. It also goes nicely with curries, although I avoid serving it with coconut based curries, which can result in a bit of coconut overload.
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📖 Recipe
Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
For Serving (Optional)
- Chopped scallions
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Stir the water, coconut milk, rice, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Place it over medium heat.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon to prevent the rice from sticking.
- Lower the heat until the liquid is at a very low simmer. Cover the pot.
- Allow the rice to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the pot from heat and let it sit with the lid on for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Season with additional salt, if desired.
- Top with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve.
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Nutrition
Hi, Alissa!
I was wondering if I could make this coconut rice in my InstantPot. I usually use 2C Jasmine rice: 3C water: 4mins.
Hi Estrella! I haven't made this in the instant pot, but I think your usually settings should work. The only change you might to make is to reduce the liquid — I'm thinking cut the water to 1 1/2 cups, but keep the full can of coconut milk.
Can I use cocconut cream instead of coconut nuts milk
You can! Just mix about half coconut cream and half water to replace a 14-ounce can of coconut milk.
This is my no fail-go to recipe for coconut rice! The whole fam loves it!
I made this for the fam last night, Alissa, to serve with Thai Green Vegetable Curry, and it turned out beautifully. I made it in the microwave: I combined all ingredients in a microwave-safe dish; covered it; microwaved at 80% for 6 minutes, three times; and let sit, covered, for another 6 minutes. I packed about 3/4 cup of the rice in a small bowl to mold it for each serving and garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onion. So pretty! And tasty! And easy! Thanks for the recipe!
Can this be done with brown rice?
It can, but will probably need to cook longer. I think 45 minutes should do it.
We just tried using a rice cooker, and I don't know if it's because our rice cooker is cheap or not, but it didn't work. It stopped cooking after just a few minutes and said it was already done. We recommend just doing it on the stove :)
Good to know! I never use a rice cooker myself, but I recently got a cookbook with a coconut rice recipe that called for the rice to be cooked in the rice cooker, and then adding the coconut milk. Now I know why! :)
I made this in the rice cooker and it turned out perfectly. I just mixed the water and coconut milk together before I added the salt and rice.
Glad it worked out for you! I have to get a rice cooker so I can start experimenting. Thank you for sharing your results - always much appreciated. :)
Thank you for this recipe. It looked to be in a solid state when I took it off the heat, but after letting it set for the 5 minutes it was perfect. I tried it tonight with Thai coconut shrimp/vegetables and it was a perfect accompaniment. Delicious!
hi. what other type of rice have you used? was the taste very different?
Hi Anna! I've also done this with basmati rice. This was also delicious, though basmati is less sticky than jasmine rice, so the coconut milk doesn't seem to absorb as much and tends to form more of a creamy coating on the grains.
Could you make this in a rice cooker?
I haven't made this recipe using a rice cooker myself, but I can't see any reason this wouldn't work. It might actually work well that way because the rice cooker would regulate the heat and prevent any possible scorching of the coconut milk. Please let me know how it works out if you do give it a shot!