I’m not kidding when I say this coconut rice is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. There’s something about it that literally just makes my body melt upon the first bite. It’s rich, savory, carby, and just insanely delicious. It’s pretty simple to make, too, which is always a plus. Whether you like to make rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker, you can make this incredible savory coconut rice with very little effort.
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What’s in Coconut Rice?
This incredible rice is deceptively simple. It’s just long-grain white jasmine rice cooked in a mixture of coconut milk and water, with a little minced garlic and salt for depth. THAT’S IT. It sounds so plain, but you’ll be blown away on first bite.
What Kind of Coconut Milk?
For this recipe you’ll need canned coconut milk, not the kind that is meant to be used as a substitute for dairy milk–that’s just too watery. As far as canned coconut milk goes, I’ve used both full fat and light and it turns out great with both. Full-fat coconut milk creates an ultra-rich rice (because it has so much more fat), while lite coconut milk has a slightly more mild coconut flavor and the rice will have a lighter, fluffier texture (less fat weighing it down).
What is Jasmine Rice?
Jasmine rice is a fragrant variety of rice grown in Southeast Asia. Using jasmine rice in this recipe really takes the flavor over the top, so definitely get it if you can! Jasmine rice is becoming more popular in the U.S. so you can find it at most grocery stores these days. Check the bottom shelf of the rice aisle for large 5 lb. bags to get the best deal. While jasmine rice is more expensive than plain white rice, it is totally worth the price. Plus, since it’s shelf-stable, it won’t go to waste! You can use long grain jasmine rice in place of plain white rice in most recipes for an extra flavor boost.
Can I Use a Rice Cooker?
Yes, you can make this coconut rice with a rice cooker instead of in a pot on the stovetop, as directed below. Simply add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and press go!
What to Serve with Coconut Rice
This super delish rice is a great side dish to any Asian or tropical-inspired meal. Use it as a bed for Honey Sriracha Tofu, Teriyaki Chicken, Baked Ginger Salmon, or Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry Bowls. Or serve it as a side with these Chicken Lettuce Wraps!
Coconut Rice
Servings 6 about ¾ cup eachIngredients
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain jasmine rice ($0.48)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 13.5oz. can coconut milk ($2.29)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
Instructions
- Rinse the jasmine rice using a wire mesh strainer or a bowl, making sure to pour off as much excess water as possible. Add the rinsed rice to a pot along with the minced garlic and salt.
- Add the coconut milk and water to the pot. Give the rice a brief stir.
- Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and allow the liquid to come up to a full boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low. Allow the rice to simmer over low for 15 minutes. Make sure the pot maintains a simmer. Do not stir or lift the lid as the rice simmers.
- After simmering for 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let the rice rest an additional 5 minutes without lifting the lid. Finally, after the rice has rested, you lift the lid and fluff with a fork. Serve hot.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Coconut Rice – Step By Step Photos
Rinse 1.5 cups long grain white jasmine rice, making sure to pour off as much excess water as possible. Add the rinsed rice to a pot along with one clove of minced garlic and ¾ tsp salt.
Add one 13.5oz. can of coconut milk to the saucepot with the rice.
Add an additional cup of water. Give the rice a brief stir. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and allow the liquid to come up to a full boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low. Allow the rice to simmer over low for 15 minutes. Make sure the pot maintains a simmer. Do not stir or lift the lid as the rice simmers.
After simmering for 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let the rice rest an additional 5 minutes without lifting the lid. Finally, after the rice has rested, you may lift the lid.
Fluff the rice with a fork and then serve.
I garnished my rice with sliced green onion and toasted coconut, but neither is needed to make this rice taste amazing! It’s mind-blowing on its own!
This recipe was DELICIOUS, as are all of the recipes on this site! It’s my go to recipe site.
Can you post the directions for when using a rice cooker?
We don’t have a rice cooker in our test kitchen! But you should be able to use the general directions on your machine just swapping the ingredients.
Love this recipe, but I tried to substitute brown basmati rice (it’s all I had), and the texture just wasn’t quite right. And recommendations for how to adjust the liquid?
I guess it depends on what it was about the texture that you didn’t like. If the rice was too soft and mushy, I’d reduce the liquid. If the rice was too hard, I would increase the liquid and/or make sure the liquid is simmering the entire time it cooks.
The rule is 2x the amount of liquid to rice. If you don’t have a good way to measure, you can use the “finger trick”, which is just to put the dry rice in the pot, then stick your finger in to measure the depth, then double that depth. So if the rice comes to the top of your fingernail, put your fingertip on top of the rice and add liquid until it comes to the same point on your fingernail. Hope that helps!
So simple but so good. Thank you!
This is the single greatest recipe on this site in terms of return on investment. Easy to make and requires few ingredients you can always keep on hand. It tastes so good though! You can add it to almost anything. The extra fat makes vegetarian meals so much more filling.
Made this with your baked ginger salmon and sesame roasted green beans and it was delicious! Always nice to have a meal that leaves you time to clean up the kitchen before you eat while the food cooks :)
Would coconut cream work in place of milk?
Hi Mb, Coconut cream is thicker and higher in fat than coconut milk. I think you can still pull it off, though. I would add 8 ounces of coconut cream that’s been diluted with 5 ounces of water.
This was fantastic. I used your recipe but used a microwave cooking method.
I’m disabled so it’s easier for me. I then portioned it and froze it to have on hand. Have come back to make a new batch and leave a comment. If froze beautifully and was just as nice as fresh when l heated it again.
Microwave method If anyone else wants to try it. Use a lidded deep microwave safe dish
5 minutes on high
15 minutes at 50%
Rest 5 minutes
Hi Niki. Thanks for your tips. I too must cook in batches on days when I’m feeling OK. How did you freeze the rice?
-Lisa
I tried this microwave method and used a deep, covered dish (corningware, maybe 2 inches deep) but not deep enough as a lot of the liquid ended up on the bottom of the microwave. It was still good, but a bit gluey. So, use a very, very deep dish.
I’ve recently fallen in love with the coconut rice I get as a side order from Thai restaurants but I can’t afford to keep paying $4 for a small container. I’ve also had this recipe on my to-make list for quite a while and yesterday I finally made it. When I tell you it was so delicious I was shocked I made it myself that is not an exaggeration. So simple but so so good. Love that there are no really unusual ingredients and it’s mostly pantry stuff.
I have to admit I did modify the amounts a little to match the rice/liquid quantities on the back of my package of jasmine rice (so ended up with 1 cup water and about half a can of coconut milk) and adhered a little more closely to the cook time on the back of the rice bag. I think this would be amazing with poached eggs as mentioned. Very glad I have some left over.
Foolproof and delicious!
Hi, I’m thinking about trying out the coconut rice, cilantro lime rice, and tomato rice recipes sometime soon and was wondering if they can be doubled because I have a group of 8 to feed.
Doubling should be no problem with any of these recipes, but the cilantro-lime rice would probably be the easiest choice of the three since it involves the least ingredients. One thing to keep in mind: it will take longer for the liquid to come up to a boil if doubling the recipe; but once it’s boiling, all the rice should cook in the same amount of time as the recipe states. ~ Marion :)
I frequently eat this for breakfast with two poached eggs, green onion, and just a pinch of black pepper on top. Delish!
Pretty interesting. I couldn’t really taste a difference but the rice (texture) was thinner and nicer than when I use water.
I made 2 cups of this in a rice cooker but used far less coconut milk. I only filled it up to the level indicated on my rice cooker pot and it worked out fine when I pressed the white rice button. Your mileage may vary though because it seems another reviewer had worse results.
How would this be done with an Instant pot? I’d love to have it !
Add all of the ingredients to your three to six quart digital pressure cooker, BUT reduce the water to a half cup. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and use 3 minutes cook time. Then allow the pressure to release naturally for 7 minutes. You can finish with a quick pressure release at that time.
Thank you so much!!
Excellent rice! I made your “take 2” version which I don’t see on the site any more. Ingredients are exactly the same only the directions are a bit different (covering the rice with water, swishing, then rinsing three times). It is so fluffy, light, and loaded with flavor. Am always surprised in your various rice recipes (one of my favorites that I make often is your Sesame Rice) how one clove of garlic adds such a wonderful subtle flavor! Great recipe!
For a rice cooker, you’ll definitely want to add more water. We made this last night and had to cook it on the white rice setting three times, adding a cup of water in each time in order to get the rice to cook to an edible consistency. I’ll have to try this on the stovetop to see how it performs there.
I made this to go with teriyaki chicken! It was great with that, but I used the leftover rice to make a vegetable fried rice a few days later and it was SO good!! Will definitely make this again.
Delicious!! I made this rice with Asian style meatballs with impossible meat. Cooked perfectly! My new go to rice dish!
Hi, is the coconut milk sweetened or unsweetened??
Not sweetened. This is the type of coconut milk that comes in a can, not the type that is meant as a dairy milk substitute. :)
Such a cool twist on rice!
Beth,
What a great recipe! I can’t stop eating it. Yesterday, I ate it with Citrus Poached Salmon for lunch and I could not believe what my taste buds were experiencing. Everything was so delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Fantastic! It never occurred to me to cook rice with anything but water. I did the coconut rice in the cooker and while that was working, I made the teriyaki chicken using the Budget Bytes’ recipe. Go for it!!
Yum! We love this rice with some grated lime zest and a squeeze of lime to make it really shine with fish. I wonder if we could do coconut quinoa like that too – I’ll have to experiment! Thx!
This looks like the first thing you’d eat after being sick or running a marathon or having a baby, easy to digest, delicious, restorative. Just what I need after my two hour Sunday nap…in a minute.
Hubby’s version of coconut rice is very similar to this. The only change he makes is that instead of using garlic, he slices up about half a brown onion and cooks it slowly in a pan on the stove until it starts to caramelize. Then he adds it to the rice and lets everything cook together. SO. GOOD.
Yummmmm! I bet that caramelized onion is to die for with the coconut!
I try to sub brown rice for the white one whenever possible. This turned out amazing straight from the rice cooker. I added a bit extra water and increased garlic to three cloves since it was cooking longer than the white rice. I did use brown Jasmine rice. It turned out lush, fluffy, well balanced in flavor. Served with steamed broccoli and carrots, chicken strips and toasted naan. I strongly record brown rice in this dish. Thank you for the inspiring blog!
Made this for the first time tonight in my rice cooker. YUM! Being Filipino though, it was just a little too wet for myself (I measure equal water/equal well rinsed rice) but that is just a personal preference. the flavor was SO good and my husband was in heaven! I will play around with the water ratio (but keep the coconut milk the same) and this will stay in my recipe rotation!
Paired with some Trader Joe’s Pork and Ginger pot stickers and added some green onion. YUM!
I googled around-for the Instant pot you would reduce water to half a cup (plus the coconut milk of course-the recipe I saw recommends full fat coconut milk ONLY for the Instant Pot.) Also they recommended not to use the Rice setting but to set on High for 3 minutes, let it release naturally for 7 minutes, THEN quick release. I’m going to try it this evening.
Hi Connie, just wondering how this recipe turned out in the instant pot? I was hoping to try it! Thanks!
This is one of my favourites. I make it all the time. I don’t always have jasmine rice so I’ve used basmati rice and cooked it according to the directions on the package of basmati rice. Comes out perfect every time.
Mmm, I can smell the rice through reading it! I’m developing a new pan-asian themed recipe menu for my catering biz and this will go great with it! Thanks for the recipe!
Any advice on using a instant pot? I love this recipe and often make it. Like 3 times a month.
I just got an instant pot and would love to try it, but a little intimated.
Unfortunately, I’m not super experienced with Instant pots, but I would think that you could just add all the ingredients to the pot and use the rice function. I haven’t tried it to know if the coconut milk would cause any issues, but that would be my first stab at it. :)
I made it tonight in the Instant Pot. Cook it at High setting for three minutes, let it sit for seven for natural release then do quick release. Cut the water amount down some-half a cup of water, maybe a smidge more. Use full fat coconut milk.
It turned out good! I think you could make a sweeter version adding pineapple juice instead of the water and that would be tasty as well.
We make this rice all the time! It’s super delicious and easy to make.
I’ve made this so many times, it’s absolutely perfect! Tonight I’m pairing it with roasted broccoli, grilled chicken, and a peanut satay style sauce. It’s so versatile and seasoned just right.
This is *good*. I made it with regular (canned) coconut milk, because that’s what I had on hand, and I found that it does lend the dish a certain oiliness, but no more than, say, a helping of butter would (which I normally add anyway, haha). And it’s not at all sweet! Just savory and delicious.
I cannot believe how tasty this rice is!! I don’t want to make white rice any other way now. Thank you budget bytes!
Can I make this into rice pudding?
I think you’d need to make quite a few changes to make it into rice pudding. Since I’ve never done it I can’t offer any guidance, but I would try Googling “coconut rice pudding” to see if someone already has crafted a recipe for it.
Would this work in a rice cooker? If so, how would I modify the recipe?
Ah, I just answered my own question by reading some older comments, thanks!
Beth – this is absurdly simple and absurdly good! l love to pair with tropical recipes, like your jerk chicken, or another recipe I love for a teriyaki-pineapple glazed pork chop. I always make the whole recipe and save half. It freezes great!
I use homemade bone broth instead of water (also budget friendly). Haven’t tried it with water yet but I’m sure that it is great too. This is a perfect combo of flavors.I love this recipe! Thank you.
I had pinned a recipe that included your coconut rice with crushed pineapple and black beans. Can you let me know how to incorporate those two ingredients into this dish? I made it a few years ago and loved it!
Hi Kris! I’ve sent you an email :)
It’s amazing how good this is with so little effort. I took a chance and made it in the pressure cooker since that’s how I prefer making rice. The normal 6 minutes on high pressure was perfect.
Hi Brian, thank you for your comment, I was wondering if this would work in a pressure cooker! Did you use the proportions in this recipe for the rice and liquids? Normally in the pressure cooker I do a 1:1 ratio for rice, which works perfectly, but I’m worried about a burn notice with the coconut milk.
Yep, I used the same ratio as in the recipe. I actually always use a 1:1.5 ratio in the pressure cooker, I never considered lowering it but that makes some sense with so little evaporation. I do a forced release too, never natural release, maybe that makes a difference.
Can boxed coconut milk be used?
Boxed coconut milk is not as thick as the canned. But you could certainly give it a try to see and let us know!
Have you tried this with brown jasmine rice? I’ve made it with white and it was a huge household hit!
We haven’t tried it with brown yet! If you do, let us know how it turns out.
Mild, slightly sweet and subtle coconut flavour in my hands. Would pair really well with some sort of light/fresh vegetable medley, but was heartily overpowered by the orange chicken I served with it. I like the yellow jasmine rice option better in comparison, but this was still a nice-change up!
Thanks Catherine!
The instructions on my Jasmine rice are to cook for 15 minutes and let sit for 10. Do different brands cook differently?
It’s possible that different brands cook differently. I would go with what your package says first.
This is absolutely delicious! I was wondering if I were to double the recipe, do I need to cook it longer on the stove?
It may take just a little bit longer but not by much. You should be okay!
Can you use jarred minced garlic instead of fresh garlic?
Yes, use about a teaspoon.
ok so I made this yesterday with your jerk chicken & pineapple black bean salsa and let me just say it was delicious. I only had basmati rice but it still turned out great. I had to physically stop myself from eating straight out of the pot.
Hahaha, I usually have to restrain myself from eating it right out of the pot, too. :)
I tried making this rice in my little inexpensive rice cooker. I dumped all the ingredients in, gave it a good stir, and pressed the cook button. When it was finished, the coconut milk was still sitting on the top which was a bit scary, but after fluffing the rice, I thankfully discovered it was cooked throughout though on the wet side. I let the rice air out for about 5 minutes inside the pot and closed the lid with it on the warm setting while waiting for the main dish to cook, and when everything was ready, the rice was perfect and ready.
I might tone down the water a bit for the next batch, but will definitely make this again with your Thai Peanut Chicken recipe.
can this be made with regular long grain white rice instead of jasmine? i have that on hand already and would like to make this this week, but dont want to buy something if i dont have to
Yes it can, but it is SO much better with jasmine rice. :) Jasmine rice is very flavorful and adds a lot to the recipe.
Made this in my instant Pot, I got small curdles throughout from the coconut milk but the flavor was still wonderful and i dont mind “ugly food” when I modify a recipe. I think next time I’ll heat the milk and water with the saute function before adding the rice and pressurizing to hopefully cut back on the curdling.
did you ever try this again? This rice recipe is our go to in my house, but I just bought an instant pot and would love to use it on this! Did you have to modify anything else?
I love rice and can’t wait to fix the coconut rice. I also want the recipe for lime cilantro rice please. I just love all the recipes.
Here you go: Cilantro Lime Rice
Used this as a bed for my grilled sesame soy chicken with a watermelon salsa. What a transformation from straight jasmine rice. Than you
The recipe calls for a 15 oz can of coconut milk. If such an animal exists, I couldn’t find it! All brands at my local grocery store are roughly 13.5 oz. I didn’t add any additional water to make up the difference and it came out just right. I really LOVE this rice! I probably tripled the garlic, decreased the salt to 1/2 tsp and used a non-stick sauce pan. I’ve made this recipe four times now and find that it does come out more fluffy when pre-rinsed as instructed. I load it up with the green onions as well. This is soooo good!
Oops. I used regular extra long grain canilla rice instead and the goya coconut milk. There was weird coconut milk curdles in it when I was done. Does anyone else’s have visible curdles? Was it because I used the wrong type of rice?
Kinda late to the party, but: Coconut milk separates out at room temperature. I didn’t know that and went to dump the can straight in the pot and it came out in a a big chunk like cranberry sauce, and about half a can of coconut water. I stirred it to break it up into small chunks, and then stirred some more while it was on the stove until it melted back together. Your “curdles” were probably little bits of coconut cream that didn’t get all the way melted into the cooking water before the rice soaked it up. Next time I make it, I’m going to heat it with the rest of the cooking water or something to get it all smooth before I add it to the rice.
Any suggestions for transitioning this to a pressure cooker? I use 1 cup of rice to like 1 and an eighth cup of water.
And it cooks for 3 minutes, with a 10 to 15-minute natural pressure release.
Hmm, not sure. I haven’t used my IP for rice much, so I’m not well versed in the differences between the IP and stove top versions.
Are the steps the same for using a rice cooker?
You should be able to just add everything to the cooker and follow the same method used to make plain rice. :)
This. Recipe. ROCKS! This was as big of a hit as the sesame seed chicken recipe and pairs so nicely with it. Thank you for posting these recipes. This was quick and easy. The coconut milk kicked up the flavor of the Jasmine rice.
Wondering if this recipe can be made with brown jasmine rice?
You probably could, but brown rice generally needs more liquid and a longer cooking time than white rice.
Does this recipe double well? I’m making it for about 20 people.
It should, although I’ve never tried it. I think having a really good quality, heavy-bottomed pot will be key to cooking a larger batch. You really need it to heat evenly. Or, you can do it in a large rice cooker.
Does not rinsing the rice beforehand make a difference?
I’ve actually done it both ways and the texture is the same, but a lot of people prefer to rinse the rice just to remove that starchy coating or any dust that may be on the rice.
I’ve made this twice now. My husband finds it a deligful treat after all the brown rice we eat and hs requested it become a staple. We make it in a rice cooker with 2 scoops of rice and one 13.5 oz can of lite coconut milk and fill with water to the 2 line. Delicious! But I honestly don’t taste the coconut… Am I supposed to?
Yes, you should be able to taste a faint coconut flavor. Perhaps try using a different brand of coconut milk?
Duuuuuude, I just got this to work with an Instant Pot! Only put two tablespoons of water in and you’re set.
one two tbsps on water total???
can you use a different rice? brown rice? if so do you have to change the amount of liquid since it cooks for longer?
Personally I think the flavor of brown rice would clash a little with this. But, if you prefer brown rice you can do it, but you’ll need to change the amount of liquid and the cooking time. I’d need to test it out before suggesting an exact amount and cooking time.
I’m sorry, I am confused. How much coconut milk and water do I need for 1 1/2 cups of rice?
one 15oz. can of coconut milk and 1 cup of water.
If i double the recipe, how long do i cook it for?
It should cook for the same amount of time once it reaches a boil. It may take slightly longer to come up to a boil, but you don’t begin to time it until that point anyway.
Looks like I bought unsweetened coconut milk, hope it’s good!
Ok so I am really late to the party. I made this tonight with NYT Curried Chicken Breast with Zicchini It is fantastic!! The flavor is so subtle yet so wonderful! will definitely make this again and again!!
Added fresh mango. I love this recipe.
I am a new user of the instant pot and I have not tried cooking rice yet. Will this recipe work?
This should work in a rice cooker or Instant Pot the same way it works on the stove top. :)
Thoughts on using homemade chicken broth in place of water? Would the flavor be weird?
This might be one of the few times I wouldn’t suggest using chicken broth in place of the water. I think it might make the flavors too muddy, if that makes sense.
I made this tonight to go with Pepper Steak. Although I did’nt have the same brand of coconut milk or salt and used Jasmati rice, it eas delicious.
Could you use a rice cooker for this?
Probably, although I’ve never tried it.
I combined this with your cumin rice recipe by dry-toasting the cumin in a frying pan, then tossing it into the rice cooker with everything else… it came out faaaaaaaaaabulous. It went very well with heavily spiced chicken as Thanksgiving dinner!
Thank you for helping alleviate some of my anxiety about cooking! I’ve been struggling with depression for a while and cooking for myself had been too stressful until I discovered your blog. Everything I have made so far has been wonderful and easy.
Coconut rice was epic. I didn’t have garlic so I threw in a large shallot and it was great.
Garlic in coconut rice? Garlic in plain rice made with broth, yes… but coconut? Ok, I decided to give this recipe a try. My daughter didn’t care for it. My two year old grandson made a face after tasting the first bite. As for me, it was okay but I really liked the method, it made a perfect fluffy coconut rice! I was glad to find this recipe. I think the secret is rinsing the rice first. I’m going to eliminate the garlic and salt, and add coconut sugar instead. Thanks for the recipe. :)
Delicious! I haven’t used coconut milk before. It gives a subtle, creamy taste to the rice. I did use the lite coconut milk to meet lower fat & salt goals. Hence, I also used 1/2 tsp salt. I can see how one could start adding other ingredients like some peas/broccoli and some ginger. Just as is was great with your Turkey Sriracha Meatballs.
this is how i will cook rice henceforth. excellent recipe. the coconut milk and garlic fragrants the dish and each ingredient completes the other. 2 Thumbs Way up!! 👍🏾👍🏾
Omg, I could eat this rice for always. I use the ingredients as written and cook it in my rice cooker.
I just made this because I had the ingredients I needed and it was deeeeeeelish! I love the subtle coconut and garlic flavor. I sautéed some veggies to go with it, but it’s actually really good on its own as well. I was also excited because my rice didn’t end up mushy or burnt like it usually does!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Beth!! We need to TALK! This coconut rice is AMAZING! I’ve tried so many coconut rice recipes where the flavour was just ‘blah’. Finally, I’ve found one just like when I go out to a restaurant. Thank you :)
Yay! :D Glad someone else loves it as much as I do!!
Hmm, this did not work for me. Strangely flavorless. So I added sugar, coconut oil, and blackberries to my bowl and THAT worked!
This looks delicious! Just wondering, have you ever tried just making rice with salt and some coconut oil mixed into the water? I love the way the coconut oil perfumes the rice, and I was curious whether this was drastically different (and worth all the calories!).
I just discovered your blog while searching for some new vegan recipes and made this rice dish tonight to accompany a stir fry. I have attempted coconut rice a few times before with not-so-great results (I think the liquid to rice ratios were off) and OMG, this was delicious. I will definitely be making this one again and again. Thank you!
I love rice, and I was dying to try this recipe. I was kind of scared of the coconut/garlic combination, so instead of mincing the garlic, I just threw a whole clove in. It was great that way, but now I want to try it with minced garlic. I was expecting a big hit of coconut, and was pleasantly surprised by the lightness of the taste (more scented than flavored). I have been checking out your blog for a while, and I will be making lots of your recipes. Can’t wait to try the no-knead breads! Thanks for taking the time to do the number crunching for us. I enjoy your writing. More, please!
So good. So so so good. The boyf and I loved it. Keeps well in the fridge. I also had no idea that rinsing the rice would keep it from being sticky! Going to make more of this tonight, along with the sesame chicken and the Asian salad.
Thank you for your website. You are helping a poor young artist out!
The first time I tried this, I thought I followed the directions to a T but I ended up scorching the rice in contact with the pot. Most of it was still good and even the burned rice wasn’t that badly burnt, but any tips on how to avoid that in the future? I’ve never tried cooking rice in a pot before (and I don’t have a rice cooker).
Still tasted amazing and went great with the slow-cooker chili chicken bowl!
It can take a little practice, but the key is to turn the flame down to its lowest level where the liquid is barely simmering. I usually turn it all the way down to low and if the little bubbles stop, inch the heat up a little until it begins to simmer again. It sounds like the heat was a little too high as it cooked. Also, it really helps to have a decent quality pot. If the pot is too thin on the bottom, the heat will not distribute evenly and the rice is more likely to scorch.
I was recently served a slightly saffroned coconut rice at an upscale restaurant in Indianapolis and I was over the moon with how subtle and delicious the flavours were as an accompaniment to my dinner.
I would like to try this recipe but I have a question.
In the past I have purchased this exact brand of coconut milk for a curry recipe I tried a few years ago and I am rather unfamiliar with it. Is it supposed to be part liquid, part fatty glob? Or is it supposed to be more homogenized? It made my curry an unappetizing oily mess. Do you just use the liquid portion of the can? Or did I get a bad can?
This recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Yep, full fat coconut milk will have one big glob off semi-solid fat and the rest will be liquid. If you get “lite” coconut milk, they remove most of that fatty glob, so it will be a more consistent white liquid. Full fat definitely tastes the best (and the fatty glob melts into the dish so it doesn’t stay solid). I’ve used both for this coconut rice and the coconut flavor will be more subtle with lite coconut milk.
I found this to be a awesome addition to my pina collada pineapple chicken.
I made this some time ago for some friends who came over for dinner. Awww it was delicious! Everybody loved it!
I try not to make it too often because it is dangerously tasty!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
I also tried the light and the full fat… the full fat is a bit too strong for me, since my stomach gets upset every time I eat too much fat… even if it is good fat!
This rice was delicious. I made some chnages my second time around and I enjoyed it more. I adding a little but of ginger (~1tsp) and I cooked it on a skillet rather than a pot and it turned out flufly. Adding the ginger just gave it a little “upgrade” to all the tastes. First time around – it was too sticky for my taste.
I love this recipe. I use medium grain rice, preminced garlic and unsweetened coconut milk from a carton. I cook it for 25 minutes, and then remove from the stove to sit covered for another 8 minutes. Comes out perfectly every time, and tastes especially well with curry chicken.
I’m making this and your coconut fried chicken strips thursday. I’m so excited.
Thank you! <3
Excellent, easy and a crowd pleaser. Had it with chili lime beef and Chinese broccoli. Definitely making for family dinner again soon! Thanks.
So delicious , I made it next easy chicken seasem recipe from your blog https://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/08/easy-sesame-chicken/
Thank you .
This rice is amazing. i make it at least once a week and everyone I’ve made it for has done the same. Have you had luck doubling the recipe for a larger group? the last time i tried, the consistency came out more like a risotto (still delicious!) just wondering if you have any tips
Hmm, nope, I haven’t tried doubling it. If it was a bit gooey, try reducing the water a bit (by maybe a quarter?) to see if that helps.
Jackie this happened to me too! Mine is such a weird, gluey texture. It still tastes amazing though. And I halved the recipe for my batch. Maybe the trick is just making it exactly as written! :)
Making this again, using my last precious can of coco milk. It’s so good that I think I will invest in that shovel after all, to help put this rice directly into my face!
Could you substitute basmati rice and cook it the same way?
Yep, I’m sure you could!
My modifications: Basmati rice, 100% coconut milk, 1/2 cup sweet peas and, 1 1/2 tsp Cajun spice. Served it with grilled fresh water prawns and grilled broccoli. Ok, no longer budget, nonetheless the rice was unbelievable!!
Can I make this is a rice cooker?
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. :)
There’s only one thing that can be said: this rice kicks ass. I could have eaten the entire thing by itself for dinner. But I paired it with your Tandoori Chicken Bites and it was perfection.
I was so excited to try this recipe but my rice turned out super wet and I had to cook it quite a while before it was normal. Unfortunately by that point the coconut flavor was gone. Any tips for next time? I want to try again!
Are you using full fat coconut milk in a can? Not the kind in a carton that is meant to be a dairy milk substitute, right?
Should I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk for this?
Definitely unsweetened. And make sure to buy the kind in a can, not the diary milk substitute. They’re quite different.
Ok thanks! Fortunately, there’s an Asian supermarket near my house that sells the right kind (I’m in Mexico, and the closest thing to coconut milk I find in the regular supermarkets is that stuff you put in pina coladas…eek!).
Making the rice now, and it smells so good!!!
I tried this with long grain white rice and it worked wonderfully. Added some toasted sliced almonds and a garnish of chopped Thai basil. Delicious! I did use the light coconut milk as recommended. Thank you!
OMG! There is an asian restaurant that has coconut fried rice that I absolutely love! Well…I no longer have to spend $6 for a small order of their rice because I just made this for dinner tonight with http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chinese-Pork-Chops/ and I AM IN LOVE! I am not the world’s greatest cook….yeah I am not even a GOOD cook (which my bf is not afraid to point out). Well tonight we did not have any leftovers! He even said I should make this for the 4th of July! We have been together for two years and he has NEVER asked me to make anything I have made before so…THANK YOU! I also made your Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal and it was great to have such a yummy breakfast ready all week! I love your site! Oh I also made your hummus…another HIT!
As everyone else has said, “This is. GOOD!”
Thanks for sharing this dish w/ us,and showing the steps! I’m making it tonight.
I am so excited to make this after reading all the good reviews! I’m throwing a dinner party for my siblings and their husbands at our new house and I am going to pair this rice with the apricot dijon pork chops recipe and some steamed broccoli. I’m also going to make the everything white bean dip as an appetizer. I just love your whole philosophy and your recipes. I am on a tight budget and your blog has really helped me develop a love for cooking on the cheap. Can’t wait to buy your cookbook too!
Hey, Beth! I wonder if you’ve ever heard of “nasi lemak”. It’s a Malaysian dish with coconut rice like this, usually served with sambal (usually cooked with anchovies or shrimp), eggs (hard boiled or fried), fresh cut cucumbers, and roasted peanuts.
No, I haven’t heard of it but I’m glad I have now! That sounds delicious!!
Well, I hope you get the chance to try it! Coconut rice and sambal were made for each other, imho. Oh, and cooking the coconut rice with screw pine leaves adds another dimension of fragrance!
Beth – I have a question about cooking rice! Your recipe says to cook the rice for 30 minutes and then sit for 15 minutes. What if my bag of rice says something totally different? Cook 15 minutes, sit for 5 minutes. Should I follow your recipe because of the liquid you’re using or follow what the bag says? Thank you! LOVE all your recipes and website!
I think I would still cook longer for this one. The liquid is much thicker than just plain water, so it may need more time to absorb. I’ve never tried the coconut rice recipe with a shorter cooking time, but better safe than sorry I think :)
Thank you! your answer came in just the knick of time as I am making for dinner shortly! I will definitely follow what your recipe says, cannot wait to try it! Thanks!!
I gotta say that this is my all-time favorite recipe on this website (which is really saying something because I love ALL the recipes on this site!). The coconut rice goes with EVERYTHING and I never get tired of eating it. Seriously, I have to control myself while cooking it so that I don’t start scooping the rice straight into my mouth while still hot!
I feel the EXACT same way about it! Just the smell makes my mouth water uncontrollably! Hahaha… What did I ever do without jasmine rice, let along coconut jasmine rice?
Good gosh this recipe turned out amazingly delicious!!! Thank you xo
Like someone else mentioned, yes, you can get coconut milk for less than a dollar at Trader Joes, and also at pretty much any asian market. Thai Kitchen is one of the most expensive brands out there!
Sam – I use fine sea salt (you can see it in the step by step photos if you’re curious), but the measurement should be the same for iodized. Kosher has larger crystals, so the measurement is usually different (twice as much I think, because it’s less dense in the measuring spoon).
What kind of salt do you use? Iodized? Kosher? Sea salt? The measurements make a difference and I don’t want to mess it up!
I make a coconut rice a bit differently, I just though I would share it with you. I spread out some unsweetened shredded coconut on a baking sheet and broil it for a minute unitl it’s browned (it can burn really fast to you have to keep your eye on it). And then I chop up some cilantro and add these both to my basmati rice. It makes a really delicious side for fish, chicken, kebobs or anything bbq’d. It’s very fresh and summery.
I love your blog, thank you for all of the wonderful recipes! Tonight I am going to make the (not) butter chicken and creamed spinach!
I just want you to know that I made this last night and served it with some baked fish for dinner. I had about a cup of the rice total. My darling husband ate what I served him, then went and got the pan and a spoon and finished the rice. He asked me to make it again tonight. Unfortunately, I don’t have any more coconut milk, but I had to promise to pick up some more this weekend. This was the most unexpectedly delicious rice recipe I’ve ever used!
Ooops – I accidentally erased some comments today, but someone asked about why their rice may have turned out mushy. Try adding 1/4 cup less water next time. When there’s too much moisture it can make the rice mushy :)
Made this using basmati rice. Delicious! I’m almost sad I made chicken in curry sauce to go with it, could have eaten just the rice :)
This is good. I made it with the sweet chili shrimp and had “the one” chocolate mug cake for dessert. Yum!!
Kschul3 – I’ve seen brown jasmine rice at whole foods and I think one other market. You could use that, but I wouldn’t use regular brown rice. The jasmine rice is responsible for at least half of the flavor in this recipe.
This is delicious! Do you think you could substitute brown rice?
to help with the cost, you can get a can of coconut milk at a Trader Joe’s if you have one for only 99cents!
If you ever feel like changing it up a bit, throw 3 thick slices of ginger into the rice and fish them out before serving. Yum!
Really great for a snack between classes in college.
I’m late to the party, but I had to give props. This. Is. Outstanding! The coconut worried me at first, but I’m trying to stretch both my family’s and my own palate. I served it with a shrimp and napa cabbage stir fry. The combination of the sauce and this rice – crazy good. The entire family loved it. I had two helpings – and I never have two helpings. I ate the leftovers the next night. Again, two helpings. You hit it out of the ballpark and over into the next state with this one. Thanks for sharing!
Amanda, as long as you turn the heat down to the very lowest setting after it reaches a full boil, it shouldn’t stick. If you have a super thin bottomed pot and a burner that doesn’t get to a very low heat, there might be some slight sticking. If you open it up to stir, you’ll let the steam escape and you’ll end up with sticky, gooey rice from all the stirring :P
Is it normal for it to stick so much to the bottom of the pot? I’m making it right now and I want to keep the lid on but I feel like I should be constantly stirring it so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. What do you think?
This looks really good (and easy)!
You could always use it in place of regular rice to make a fried (or not fried) rice, or pilaf!
Any more tips on what can go with this rice to make it more of a complete (or vegetable rich) meal?
I usually keep mine for about 5 days!
How long does the rice typically keep in the fridge? I made this last night (with fresh coconut) and it is amazing! It’s perfect for my busy college schedule.
You’ve inspired me, too. I use my rice cooker all the time, but just for plain rice. I shall have to take a stab at this.
Anon – I don’t think you’ll have to change anything at all to prepare it in a rice cooker. Just add everything in there, give it a quick stir, then turn it on! :)
I <3 coconut rice. Chopped peanuts and golden raisins are also delicious, cheap additions that help to make it more of a meal.
LOVE coconut rice!!!! I actually made coconut rice to go with your Tumeric Chicken about a month ago and it was a delicious combination!
Have you made this in a rice cooker? Would you change anything to cook it in one? (I have a rice cooker that I use ALOT and plan on trying this in the rice cooker).
SO going to make this – thanks for posting! I don’t have a rice-cooker – it’s been on my maybe? list for a while. I worry I won’t use it! Why? Must think on these things.