This amazing Coconut Rice recipe is so simple to make and it’s so versatile, too. It’s the perfect side dish for any Asian or tropical main dish. This Coconut Milk Rice is savory and slightly sweet and so addicting!
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Something magical happens while the rice is cooking. The coconut cream that is in the coconut milk will caramelize during cooking, and it will leave sweet brown caramelized flecks in the rice. This is my FAVORITE part of the rice.
Cook’s Note – Coconut Rice:
- This rice is excellent served alongside my grilled Hawaiian Chicken with Pineapple Barbecue Sauce!
- This rice would also be fantastic with my Slow Cooker Hawaiian Haystacks with Avocado Crema.
- This recipe will give a nice, subtle coconut flavor to your rice. If you want a more pronounced coconut flavor, then try adding a drop of coconut extract when you add the rice to the pot.
- You can make this Coconut Milk Rice in your Instant Pot, just follow these directions:
- All all of the ingredients (minus the toasted coconut) to the instant pot and press the manual button and change it to 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes are up, let the rice depressurize for 5 minutes before releasing the pressure lock.
- If you don’t know how to toast coconut, you can find out how with my tutorial here.
Cook’s Tools – Coconut Rice
ONE YEAR AGO: Peach Crisp Frappe
TWO YEARS AGO: Loaded Peanut Butter Ice Cream
THREE YEARS AGO: Caprese Pasta Bake
Coconut Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz can coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups Jasmine rice
- Unsweetened toasted large flake coconut optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan whisk together the coconut milk and water. Add in the butter, sugar, and salt and turn the heat to high.
- Once the mixture is boiling, stir in the rice, cover, and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 18-20 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked and no longer firm. Remove the rice from the heat (with the lid on) and steam for 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with toasted coconut as a garnish (optional).
Carmel Mc Hale says
Hi there! Do you think this might work with rice cauliflower somehow? I must restrict carbs as much as possible, but coconut recipes call my name. Thanks!
Jillian says
Hi Carmel,
To be honest, I really don’t know, sorry. If you give it a try let me know how it turns out!
Karen Call says
Jill, I love your recipes. I like to print them but the new format with all the pictures of the process adds up to too many pages. Would it be possible to have a print button that will print without the pictures? I have downloaded recipes for other websites where that is possible.
Thanks for all your great ideas for delicious recipes.
Jillian says
Hi Karen,
I’m not exactly sure. Let me look into this. 🙂
Kavita Favelle says
Love the look of this, I love Thai sticky coconut rice, so I’m sure I’d love this, especially as you mention the caramelising to leave little brown flecks. Yum!
Danielle says
We love coconut rice and it’s a staple in our house. It goes with so many different dishes.
Jillian says
Exactly, I make it all the time!
Jillian says
I agree it goes with almost any meat dish!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
Mmm I do love coconut rice but it’s so addictive, I could keep on eating it. This looks delicious
Jillian says
me, too!
Claudia Lamascolo says
we love coconut rice I always make it but never tried putting the sugar in it. Bet its creamier. I will give it a try
Jillian says
enjoy! 🙂
Sara says
I have been craving rice lately and this looks like exactly what my tummy desires! Going to make this today!
Jillian says
Oh good, enjoy!
Perry P. Perkins says
That sounds amazing! Definitely on the home menu this week, might just have to grill up some Thai peanut chicken skewers to go with it. Thanks for the recipe!
“Restaurant quality food at home”…you’re singing my favorite song! 😉
~Chef Perry
Jillian says
Yum, coconut rice will go nicely with your Thai peanut chicken skewers!
Dayna says
I love this coconut rice! My Fave!