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!
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!