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!
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.