Coconut Rice is an easy, fluffy, slightly sweet side dish that pairs perfectly with any number of your favorite weeknight dinners. Try soon!
Rice is a great side for all meals. This easy Coconut Rice recipe can be a change from my Jasmine Rice or Brown Rice. It’s full of flavor and goes great with tropical flavors, Indian dishes, and seafood.
Sabrina’s Coconut Rice Recipe
Coconut Rice is a traditional dish that can be found in many cultures, essentially anywhere that coconuts grow. One of the things that makes this rice so popular is its versatility, there are plenty of cuisines that you can serve with a side of rice. The rice is perfect to serve with Asian food, seafood, classic tropical dishes, and more. It stays tender and aromatic, with each grain absorbing the coconut flavor as it cooks. This will be a family favorite!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
- 14 ounces coconut milk , full fat
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add rice, coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium-low heat.
- Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes.
- Let sit uncovered for 5 minutes with the heat turned off before serving.
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Notes From Sabrina
As soon as the coconut mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Put a fitted lid over the saucepan, and continue to cook on low for 18-20 minutes. Do not remove the lid during that time, or the steam will escape and the temperature in the pot will drop. Keeping the heat inside is what cooks the rice all the way through to the middle of the grain. After cooking, turn off the heat and uncover the rice. Let it sit for 5 minutes before you fluff the Coconut Rice and serve with your dinner.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
Fluffy Coconut Rice is made with just a few basic ingredients. All you need is Jasmine rice, rich coconut milk, sugar, salt, and some water. The coconut milk brings the natural coconut flavor to the dish. As the ingredients cook together the rice absorbs the sweet coconut flavor. The finished product is a sticky, slightly creamy rice dish with a subtle sweetness that’s absolutely delicious! This rice can feel both comforting and slightly elevated, turning a simple side dish into something more flavorful and memorable!
Pairing Suggestions
- One of my favorite ways to enjoy this rice dish is with curries. The mild, creamy coconut flavor perfectly balances out the spicier dish making it an ideal side dish. Try the sticky rice with Chicken Curry, Thai Green Curry, or Japanese Chicken Curry.
- You can also use Coconut Rice to replace sticky white rice in your favorite Chinese dishes like Orange Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, or Crispy Sesame Chicken. There’s really no end to the delicious ways that you can serve this easy rice dish!
How to Store
- Serve: After the cooking time, you don’t want to leave Fluffy Coconut Rice at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Let it cool down, then transfer the rice to an airtight container to store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: For meal prep, you can also seal the rice to store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Variations
- Toasted Coconut Rice: One variation of Coconut Rice that’s easy to try is adding in some toasted coconut. You can toast your own coconut by laying coconut flakes out on a baking tray. Then put them in a 350-degree oven for 2 minutes to crisp up. Keep in mind that coconut will burn quickly, so you may want to keep your eye on them. Set the toasted coconut flakes to the side while you make the rice, then mix the flakes in before serving.
- Coconut and Lime Rice: For a tart, citrus flavor, you can add some lime juice to the rice. 1 teaspoon lime juice and 1 zested lime would be plenty. You can also toss in 4 teaspoons of shredded cilantro for an even more fresh flavor. Garnish the rice bowls with lime wedges and serve.
- Pineapple and Coconut Rice: Adding pineapple is a great option if you’re serving the rice with a tropical dish. Simply mix in ½ cup diced pineapple. You could also toss in a dash of soy sauce to play off of the sweet and tangy flavors.
- Spices: For more flavor additions, try mixing in different spices. Cumin, garlic, paprika, parsley, curry powder, or red pepper flakes would all bring a delicious flavor to this rice.
Related Recipes
More Delicious Rice Recipes
Photos Used In Previous Posts
In my country, no sugar is used for coconut rice. We use pandanus leaves, lemon grass, coconut milk, a teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, salt, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom. Makes the rice very very delicious.
Sounds amazing! What country are you from?
Thank you. For recipe great flavor
Says to let it sit uncovered before uncovering to serve. Conflicting directions.
Hi Cat, You are right! Recipe card typo has been corrected. Sit uncovered for 5 minutes before serving. Thank you!