The Best Easy Coconut Rice Recipe - Play Party Plan (2024)

This coconut rice recipe is the perfect side dish when you want something different than traditional rice! An easy coconut rice recipe you can make in the rice cooker or even on the stovetop! Goes perfectly with meatballs, chicken, or any Asian dish!

The Best Easy Coconut Rice Recipe - Play Party Plan (1)

The BestCoconut Rice Recipe

I’ll let you in on a little secret, I almost always prefer the sides of a meal to the main dish. When we went to get barbecue for dinner last week everyone else ordered meat, meat, and more meat. And I ordered a three side dish – brussels sprouts, sweet potato fries, and mac and cheese.

If I could, I would really eat just sides for every meal because they are my favorite part of the meal, well other than dessert of course. This easy coconut rice recipe is probably one of my favorite sides ever and is perfect with Asian meatballs and a side of edamame or broccoli.

Honestly we pretty much make this coconut rice with everything now, just omit the sweetened coconut on top if we’re eating it with something like taco meat or almond chicken.

Coconut Rice Ingredients

One of the best things about this coconut rice is that it only takes a few ingredients! Here’s everything you’ll need to make it – whether you’re making it on the stove or in an Instant Pot.

  • White rice – make sure it’s a long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati rice
  • Unsweetened coconut milk
  • Ground ginger
  • Salt
  • Sweetened shredded coconut – optional if you want to add it to the top, we often don’t

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How to Make Coconut Rice in a Rice Cooker

There are some things that I just can’t do no matter how many times I try and cooking rice on the stovetop is one of them. It might have something to do with the fact that I get distracted and forget about it but every time I’ve tried cooking rice on the stove, I always end up with burnt rice on the bottom.

And that my friends is why we bought a rice cooker.

We make this coconut rice using our super basic (one button that you switch on to cook) rice cooker, but I’m sure you could cook it on the stovetop pretty much the same way if you don’t have a super fancy rice cooker like ours. It really is probably on my top 10 list of favorite things we eat on a regular basis.

Want to make this rice in an Instant Pot? The instructions and ingredients are slightly different so I’ve created a new Instant Pot coconut rice recipe here!

1 – Rinse the rice.

Rinse the rice in cold water until the water is almost clear. This might take two or three rinses but helps remove the starchiness of the rice.

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2 – Add all your ingredients to the rice cooker.

Add everything other than the shredded coconut into the rice cooker. Then you turn the rice cooker on and cook it like you would normal rice. Our rice cooker was a push the button and let it cook. If yours is fancier, follow the instructions to let the rice cook like normal.

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3 – Toast the coconut.

If you’re doing shredded coconut, toast the coconut on the stove over medium heat until lightly browned. Make sure to watch it carefully because it can go from browned to burnt in minutes!

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4 – Fluff and serve!

Fluff the rice and serve topped with the toasted coconut if you want.

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The Best Easy Coconut Rice Recipe - Play Party Plan (7)

Coconut Rice FAQs

I get a lot of the same questions about this coconut rice recipe, so I’ve included answers to those questions here. If you have more questions, leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to respond quickly!

Can you reheat coconut rice?

Yes! Simply store it in the fridge in an air tight container then warm it back up either on the stove at medium heat or in the microwave when you’re ready to reheat. I recommend eating within 3-4 days.

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Can coconut rice be frozen?

I’ve never tried freezing this coconut rice but I’d imagine it wouldn’t be great after thawing. It’s so easy to make though that I’d just make a fresh batch rather than freezing and thawing – it’ll probably take you about the same amount of time and effort.

What goes well with coconut rice?

This coconut rice would be great with any of these main dishes!

Can you make coconut rice in an Instant Pot?

Yes, yes you can! Check out this Instant Pot coconut rice recipe for instructions and slightly different ingredients!

Print Rate

4.80 from 5 votes

Easy Coconut Rice

This coconut rice recipe is the perfect side dish when you want something different than traditional rice! An easy coconut rice recipe you can make in the rice cooker or even on the stovetop!

The Best Easy Coconut Rice Recipe - Play Party Plan (9)

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Total: 35 minutes minutes

Serves8 servings

Ingredients

  • cup unsweetened coconut milk cream spooned off and saved for another use
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup long-grain rice
  • ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice in cold water until water is almost clear.

  • Mix all ingredients other than the shredded coconut together in the rice cooker.

  • Turn the rice cooker on and let it cook just like you would normal rice.

  • While the rice is cooking, toast the shredded coconut in a pan on the stove over medium heat until lightly browned. Make sure to watch and stir often to keep it from burning. As soon as it is browned, immediately move the coconut to another dish to keep from burning in the hot pan.

  • Once the rice is done cooking, fluff.

  • Serve topped with the toasted coconut.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 159kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 166mg, Potassium: 98mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 1mg

Author: Britni Vigil

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:Chinese

Did You Make This?Tag @PlayPartyPlan on Facebook and Instagram and hashtag it #playpartyplan so I can see your creations!

Other Easy Side Dishes

Don’t forget to pin this coconut rice recipe for later!

The Best Easy Coconut Rice Recipe - Play Party Plan (10)

The Best Easy Coconut Rice Recipe - Play Party Plan (11)

The Best Easy Coconut Rice Recipe - Play Party Plan (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Chrissy Teigen coconut rice? ›

Chrissy Teigen's Sweet and Salty Coconut Rice

In a medium saucepan, combine all other ingredients including rice, coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a barely bubbling simmer, cover, and simmer until rice is fully cooked and liquid absorbed.

What is coconut rice made of? ›

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.

Is coconut rice healthy? ›

The Surprising Health Benefits of Coconut Rice. Coconut rice is made by cooking rice with coconut milk instead of water. The milk infuses the rice with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It also performs wonders for your cholesterol, lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and raising healthy cholesterol (HDL).

Why does my coconut rice come out mushy? ›

The main culprit for mushy, gluey, clumpy rice is not rinsing it before you start cooking. Removing the excess starch is a game-changer! Rinse the rice through a fine mesh strainer until the water runs nearly clear. I like to stir the rice a few times under the water to get a good, even rinse.

How many days does coconut rice last? ›

To make a smaller batch: simply use 1 cup rice, 1 can coconut milk, ¼ cup water, pinch of salt and that's it! To store: let the coconut rice cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or bag. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, and simply reheat it in the microwave before serving.

Why is my coconut rice crunchy? ›

If the heat is too high, the water evaporates before the rice has a chance to fully cook. If you don't add enough water, the rice ends up dry and crunchy. And if you don't cook the rice long enough, it gets soft on the outside but doesn't cook through.

Can I use coconut cream instead of coconut milk? ›

The good news about coconut cream and coconut milk is that although they may be different consistencies, they're very similar. You can use coconut cream in place of milk if you dilute it with additional water. Different coconut cream brands vary on fat content.

What pairs best with coconut? ›

Coconut: Pairs well with almond, banana, basil, Brazil nut, caramel, chocolate, cilantro, citrus, cucumber, guava, honey, makrut leaf, lemongrass, lime, lychee, mango, mint, passion fruit, pineapple, other tropical fruits, and vanilla.

Does coconut rice need to be refrigerated? ›

Let coconut milk rice cool to room temperature then transfer to a tightly covered airtight container or to several small containers for meal prep. Store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

What cultures eat coconut rice? ›

Southeast Asia
  • Indonesia.
  • Malaysia.
  • Myanmar.
  • Thailand.

Is coconut rice made from coconut milk or cream? ›

Coconut Rice Ingredients

You'll need just five ingredients to make this budget-friendly coconut rice recipe: Coconut milk: This rich coconut rice recipe starts with a can of coconut milk. Water: You'll need 1 ¼ cups of water.

Which rice is the best anti-inflammatory? ›

Black rice is particularly rich in anthocyanins, a group of flavonoid plant pigments that have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

How much coconut oil to put in rice? ›

How to Make Smaller Batches
Makes:Ricecoconut oil
8 cups4 cups3 Tbsp.
6 cups3 cups2 Tbsp.
4 cups2 cups1 Tbsp.
2 cups1 cup½ Tbsp.
Feb 28, 2024

How to fix gluey coconut rice? ›

Rinse the rice – this is a must to remove excess starch. I don't do this when cooking normal white rice. It's essential for coconut rice because coconut milk is thicker than water so it can make the rice a gluey mess. Just rinse the rice until the water is pretty clear.

What happens when you put coconut oil in rice? ›

As the fat molecules in coconut oil get cooked into the rice they become an extra barrier to digestion, turning even more of those starches into the resistant kind. So even though coconut oil adds some calories, the benefits from your body absorbing fewer calories overall makes up for it.

Is rice coconut milk the same as coconut milk? ›

Rice milk is thinner and more watery compared to coconut milk, which is thicker and creamier. This makes coconut milk a better option for making creamy sauces or desserts, while rice milk is better suited for use in beverages or cereal.

Can I use coconut milk instead of water in my rice cooker? ›

It only makes sense that we would make this slightly sticky and not-too-sweet coconut rice in a rice cooker. After all… rice is sort of our thing! And all you need to do is substitute a bit of unsweetened coconut milk for some of the water you'd normally use when cooking rice (check the recipe for exact measurements).

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