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.
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
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!
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.