Coconut Rice is one of my favorite things to eat ever - and luckily, it's super easy to make in a rice cooker! This coconut milk rice yields the perfect fluffy texture with little to no effort.
What is it?
This easy coconut rice recipe is the perfect side dish.
You can find coconut rice in many different cultures which makes it a super versatile side dish.
So whether you're serving it with thai curry, with my simple poke tuna recipe, or even with my favorite honey harissa chicken, it's a great side dish that is beyond delicious.
I also love that you can make it ahead of time and that it's such an easy dump and go recipe (as long as you correctly prep the rice first!).
However you serve it, it's a great recipe that your family will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Jasmine Rice: This recipe works best with jasmine rice - most other rices aren't suited for it. If you're using basmati rice, brown rice, long-grain rice or plain white rice, you will have to adjust the amounts of liquid.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: When looking for a can of coconut milk at the grocery store, make sure you buya high quality regular full fat coconut milk - not light coconut milk or coconut cream. And to achieve the best coconut flavor, make sure you check out the quality of the coconut milk itself. Lower quality cans have a more mild coconut flavor compared to the high quality brands. I also recommend getting a can of the unsweetened coconut milk (rather than sweetened) so you can control the sweetness if you have certain dietary needs.
- Water: Regular ole tap water! If you don't like sweet coconut rice, you could also use chicken broth but personally I don't like it that way.
- Salt: Kosher salt is
- Sugar: I love a little bit of sweetness in my coconut rice. But if you prefer a more savory coconut rice, you can leave out the sugar. Also, I should note that there are different qualities of coconut milk which make it sweeter than the others. Always taste your liquid first and if you're happy with it - go for it. If not, add more sugar. And if you're unsure, you can also add more sugar at the end to sweeten it up before serving.
Additional Ingredients
- Toasted Coconut Flakes: I personally don't like the texture of shredded coconut - but I love the texture of toasted coconut flakes or chips. The crunch is unbeatable and I think they make a really gorgeous topping, too.
- Pandan Leaves: When I was in Thailand and Indonesia, I noticed that there would always be tied up pandan leaves in the coconut rice. And although those are super hard to source where I live, they would be a great addition to make this simple recipe more exciting.
- Thai Curries: Try adding some yellow curry powder which will give it a great aroma and color.
- Cilantro and Lime: Cilantro lime rice is such a popular side dish. By adding fresh cilantro, lime zest and lime juice to this recipe, you completely change the flavor profile into something else completely.
Tips on how to make Delicious Coconut Rice
- Achieving perfect fluffy rice always starts by rinsing the rice first. Rinsed rice means that the excess starch are removed which lessens the chance of a gummy, overcooked texture.
- When you wash rice, always make sure to use cold water because warm water can soften the rice and make it mushy.
- While the rice is getting rinsed, I recommend adding the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt to the rice cooker and turning it on to heat the liquid. This will not only melt the coconut fat into the water but the rice has a less likely chance of getting mushy. BUT if you don't have time, room temperature liquid is just fine and works well in a pinch.
- When you drain rice, always make sure that you remove as much liquid as you can to keep the ratios correct.
- After the rice is done, let it sit for 10-15 minutes on the warm function to help any excess liquid burn off.
- When you're ready to serve it, fluff it with a fork to bring out its perfect texture.
- If you're making it ahead of time but eating it the same day, keep your rice cooker on the warm function until you're ready to put it away. This way, it'll maintain the texture and flavor for a few hours if you need to have things prepped ahead of time.
How to make it
Making simple coconut rice is a breeze if you follow these directions.
Rinse Rice: Make sure to rinse your rice completely. You can do this buy filling up a bowl with cold water and the jasmine rice. Once you stir it let it sit for a few minutes then strain, rinse and repeat until the liquid is clear and you've removed as much starch as you can.
Heat the Liquid: While you're rinsing the rice, add the coconut milk, water, salt and sugar to your rice cooker pot and stir. Turn the rice cooker on in order to heat the liquid and melt the coconut fat into the water. If your rice cooker won't let you do this, don't worry about it - it's just an extra step that will help you achieve the most fluffy texture possible.
Add Rice & Cook: Once the rice is fully rinsed and drained, add the rice and stir once more. Place the lid on the rice cooker and reset it back to on to start the cooking function over again. If it's not already on from heating the liquid, skip that part.
Let it Sit: Once the rice cooker flips off and indicated that the rice is done, simply leave the rice cooker on warm and leave the lid on for another 10-15 minutes to remove any excess liquid that might be hanging around.
Fluff the Rice and Sweeten More If Desired: Before serving, use a fork to fluff the right and make it airy. Taste it and add the remaining tablespoon of sugar if you want it more sweet.
Store it: Once you're ready to store it, place the leftover rice in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It's best the next day and sort of deteriorates after that.
What to Serve with it
One of the best things about this simple rice recipe is that it's a good option for a variety of dishes.
My favorite way to serve my Rice Cooker Coconut rice is is with tropical dishes and asian dishes. I recommend trying it with my Teriyaki Tuna Tostada or even with my Spicy Tuna recipe with a drizzle of spicy mayo.
I also love turning it into cilantro lime rice by adding fresh cilantro with a squeeze of lime juice and some lime zest on top. It also makes a great side dish when paired with my Honey Harissa Chicken and some thinly sliced green onions.
You can also turn leftover coconut rice into rice pudding by heating it on the stove top and adding more coconut milk and some sugar. Adding a splash of vanilla and some cinnamon would also be delicious. Or make mango thai sticky rice by adding some sweetened condensed milk and fresh fruit.
Recipe
Easy Coconut Rice Recipe (Made In The Rice Cooker)
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups Jasmine Rice
- 1 13.66 oz can coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoon sugar divided
Instructions
- Rinse your rice by filling up a bowl with the rice and the cold water. Stir it up let it sit for a few minutes then strain, rinse and repeat until the liquid is clear and you've removed as much starch as you can. It usually takes about 5 times.
- While you're rinsing the rice, add the coconut milk, water, salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar to your rice cooker pot and stir. Turn the rice cooker on in order to heat the liquid and melt the coconut fat into the water. If your rice cooker won't let you do this, don't worry about it - it's just an extra step that will help you achieve a fluffier texture.
- Once the rice is fully rinsed and drained, add the drained rice and stir once more. Place the lid on the rice cooker and reset it back to "cook" to start the cooking fucntion over again. If it's not already on from heating the liquid, skip that part.
- Once the rice cooker flips off and indicates that the rice is done, simply leave the rice cooker on "warm" and leave the lid on for another 10-15 minutes to remove any excess liquid that might be hanging around.
- Before serving, use a fork to fluff the right and make it airy. Be careful to not overmix it. Taste it and add the remaining tablespoon of sugar if you want it sweeter.
- Once you're ready to store it, place the leftover rice in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It's best the next day and sort of deteriorates after that.
