The side dish to end all side dishes, Coconut Rice is super fragrant, packed full of flavor, and pairs well with so many saucy dishes. Ready in only 25 minutes this dish is about to become your next go to any night of the week.
This quintessential South East Asian side dish is super fragrant, rich, and unbelievably craveable. The smell of this dish will fill your house as it cooks and let me tell you, it’ll get your mouth watering. The best part is that coconut rice is incredibly easy to make and quick to boot, ready in just 25 minutes – including prep time!
Now combining coconut and rice may make you think that this is a sweet dish that doesn’t pair well with savory dishes, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! The mild, mellow, and slightly sweet notes of this dish go well with lots of curries and sauces. Feel free to play around and discover what you like to spoon over it best!
Coconut Rice
Coconut rice is typically made either by soaking white rice in coconut milk or by garnishing it with shredded coconut. Because I like to double down on flavor, we’re using both! I’ve also included a splash of coconut water to really ensure that that flavor carries all the way to every last bite.
Ingredients In Coconut Rice
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Rice – I used Jasmine rice which I highly recommend for this dish. Fragrant and long grain, it’s the perfect base for this dish. Feel free to substitute with whatever rice you’d like but keep in mind it may affect cooking times.
- Coconut – We’re using 1 can of coconut milk, coconut water, and shredded toasted coconut. Trust me on this one.
- Seasoning – Just salt today.
- Sugar – We want a bit of sugar to really heighten and round out the flavors in our rice dish.
How To Make Coconut Rice
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Rinse your rice: With cold water. Drain well and set aside.
- Combine the coconut rice: Add the coconut milk, coconut water, salt and sugar to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 18 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Finish the dish: Fluff the rice with a fork and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
How To Prep Your Rice
You might be saying to me, ‘Jo, why do we rinse our rice?’. Well we need to keep in mind the amount of starch that clings to all those uncooked grains of rice and how that affects the way it cooks. By rinsing this starch off we prevent the rice from sticking together as it cooks and allows it to fluff up nicely.
With a strainer
- Use a fine mesh strainer and rinse your rice in the sink till the water runs clear. Shake the rice and stir your hand through it in a circular motion.
In a bowl
- Fill a bowl with your rice and cold water and stir your hand through in a circular motion 30 times. Drain the cloudy water.
- Repeat this till the water runs clear
What Can I Eat With Coconut Rice?
Feel free to experiment with your coconut rice, seeing what flavor combinations you like with it and what works well in your kitchen. Let’s get into it!
- Coconut Basil Chicken Curry
- Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Coconut Shrimp Curry
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- Spicy New Orleans Shrimp
- Baked Salmon Teriyaki
- Chicken Teriyaki
Feel free to put just about anything on top of this rice, it pairs so well with spicy, saucy dishes. The only limits for this side dish are the ones you place on it yourself!
Tips For Making The Best Coconut Rice
- Authentic restaurant style coconut rice includes pandem leaves, if you can’t find any at your local grocer kaffir lime leaves will work just as well. Include them to the pot as your rice cooks and remove before serving.
- Don’t substitute the water/coconut water for more coconut milk. It won’t add more flavor to the dish because all that rich milk will be too thick for the rice to absorb.
- If you find your rice isn’t cooking properly, try soaking it for 20 minutes before cooking to give your rice a nice little head start.
Storing Leftover Coconut Rice
If stored in an airtight container this dish will keep for up to 4 – 6 days in the fridge. You can also freeze this dish! It will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Craving More Thai? Try These Delicious Dishes
- Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps
- Spicy Thai Chicken And Veggie Noodles
- Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Easy Thai Steak Salad
- Thai Chicken Salad
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Craving More? Follow Along:
Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 13.5 ounce coconut milk 1 can
- 1 1/2 cups coonut water or regular water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut toasted
Instructions
- Rinse your rice: With cold water. Drain well and set aside.
- Combine the coconut rice: Add the coconut milk, coconut water, salt and sugar to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 18 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Finish the dish: Fluff the rice with a fork and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Super delicious even though I was out of my beloved jasmine rice. This is a new fave!