I’ve been loving sharing some of my go-to, simple side dishes with you for easy weeknight meals. Dinnertime is always a fun challenge trying to wrangle Sidney and feed Viggo at the same time, so quick and nourishing side dishes like my favorite coconut rice recipe have been staples in our house.
Not only does this creamy coconut rice take under 30 (hands-off) minutes to make, but it’s also filled with slightly sweet flavors that pair so well with savory main dishes. We love serving this rice with any type of protein, but be sure to get even more ideas for pairings at the bottom of the post! Trust me, you’re going to LOVE this one and probably make it weekly.
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The magic of coconut rice
If you’ve never infused your regular side of white rice with coconut, you’re in for a delicious surprise. This coconut rice recipe:
- Has a wonderful, creamy texture that’s fluffy at the same time
- Is naturally a little sweet from delicious coconut milk
- Makes the perfect side dish that’s easy to customize with even more flavor variations!
Everything you’ll need to make the best coconut rice
Good news: this easy coconut rice recipe requires just four simple ingredients! You’ll want to make this one again and again to pair with your favorite main meals. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Jasmine white rice: I love using jasmine rice for the perfect, fluffy texture. You can also use brown rice but note that it won’t be as fluffy.
- Coconut milk: I like to use full fat coconut milk from the can because it’s super creamy and has the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Water: to thin out the coconut milk you’ll also need a little water.
- Salt: season your coconut rice with just a bit of salt.
Simple ingredient swaps
While this simple coconut rice recipe uses just four ingredients, here are a couple swaps you can make:
- For the rice: feel free to also use white basmati rice.
- For the coconut milk: you can also use lite coconut milk from the can — the rice will just be a little less creamy & flavorful. I would not suggest using almond milk or coconut milk from a carton.
The key to creamy coconut rice
If you want the perfect creamy coconut rice, remember to let it steam after it’s done simmering. You’ll want to leave the lid on your pot, remove the whole pot from the heat and leave it be for about 10 minutes. This will let the rice steam, reduce any leftover liquid and create the best texture.
How to cook the best coconut rice
- Combine the ingredients. You’ll add the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to a medium pot and bring it all to a boil.
- Cover & simmer. Once everything is boiling, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low so that the rice simmers for 15 minutes.
- Steam it. As I mentioned above, this is the key to super fluffy coconut rice! After 15 minutes take the pot off of the heat and let the rice steam for 10 minutes without opening the lid.
- Fluff & serve. After 10 minutes, fluff the rice with a fork and serve it with your fav meals!
Add fun flavors
This coconut rice is a wonderful base for adding even more delicious flavors! Here are some of our favorites:
- For a sweet option: add 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Tropical & fruity: add 1 diced mango or 1 cup diced pineapple.
- Cilantro lime: add ¼ cup chopped cilantro + 1 lime, juiced.
- Turmeric ginger: add 1 teaspoon ground turmeric + ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or sub ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
- Curry flavored: add 1 tablespoon curry powder.
Easily make a smaller batch
Cooking for just one or two? Feel free to halve the batch to serve just a couple of people or meals. You’ll then just need 1 cup rice, 1 can of coconut milk, ¼ cup water and a pinch of salt. Easy!
Storing & freezing tips
Coconut rice is the perfect side dish for meal prep because it’s super easy to store and you can even freeze it for later!
- 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.
- To freeze: let the coconut rice cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe, airtight container or bag. Freeze the coconut rice for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the rice thaw in the refrigerator before reheating it in the microwave. If the rice appears dry, simply reheat with a bit of water.
What to eat with coconut rice
This easy, creamy coconut rice is probably my favorite side dish EVER to pair with meals. Here are some of my go-to’s:
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
- Healing Lemongrass Chickpea Thai Green Curry
- Kung Pao Chickpea & Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry
- One Pan Ginger Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
- Serve it with Delicious Grilled Tofu
- Sheet Pan Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower
- Ginger Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
- Mango Chicken Stir-Fry
- Slow Cooker Yellow Chicken Curry
Get all of our delicious rice recipes here!
I hope you love this delicious coconut rice recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
How to Make My Favorite Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine white rice
- 2 (15 ounce) cans full fat coconut milk (can also use lite coconut milk from the can)
- 1/2 cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine rice, coconut milk, water and salt in a medium pot, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low and simmer rice for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from heat (keep the lid on -- DO NOT OPEN), and allow rice to steam for another 10 minutes, then fluff rice with a fork. Stir in any flavor additions, and serve with your favorite meal such as salmon, stir fry, etc.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
Delicious
I made this recipes twice and it came out horribly. It doesn’t seem to have enough liquid. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out undercooked, dry, not fluffy. Any ideas?
Hi! So strange – this should have plenty of liquid with the 2 cans of coconut milk and additional water. Was the temperature on stove too high? Was it boiling instead of simmering?
I’m Thai. If you use full cream coconut milk and then add water you might as well use regular coconut milk. If you add sugar you are turning this into a dessert dish and you might as well use sticky rice, the correct rice for dessert dishes. Never add lime juice to a boiling product, Lime juice changes flavor when you cook it. For sour flavor add lemon juice or lemon zest. Rice does not stay good for 5 days after cooking, even in the fridge. It will stay good quality for 1 day in the fridge, after that only people who can not afford anything better will still eat it.
Thank you for the feedback! This is just how I like to make mine, but feel free to make yours how you like it 🙂
Wow! First time making coconut rice and I’m so glad I used your recipe! Longtime follower on Instagram. I was worried when there was still some visible liquid at the end of the first 15 minutes – the following 10-minute steam is essential, as the rice soaked all the coconut milk up in that time 🙂 I did add the sugar to make it a bit sweet to contrast my savory bean chili. So good! Thank you!
So glad you loved it! One of my fav sides for tons of different meals 🙂
Very delicious!
Glad you enjoyed!
My only disappointment is that I didn’t find this recipe sooner. I’ve been eating plain old boring rice my whole life. This coconut rice is a game changer! And it adds healthy fats which is always a plus!
So glad you found this one! I make it to pair with TONS of recipes 🙂
Thank you for the simple recipe!
Absolutely!
Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said it was your favorite coconut rice! Holy cow this was SO good. My husband just wants to eat the rice alone with nothing else! I told him he had to try it with chicken curry and it didn’t disappoint. Really made an HUGE difference in flavor profile vs regular rice or even saffron rice. Extremely easy to prepare, even in high altitude. I followed the recipe exact, except for high altitude you just need around a tablespoon more water and cook the rice just about 5-8 minutes longer. Other than that, just follow the steps and ingredients exact. Thank you for sharing this most delicious recipe!
Amazing! So happy you both loved this!
This was super easy and fast to make! I used “lite” coconut milk and loved the subtle coconut flavor. I also tried adding 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of white sugar to 1 cup of cooked rice and it was basically dessert. Will be making this again!!!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
I want to know if you can make this in a rice cooker. Do you have to steam it? I love this rice recipe!
Hmm I haven’t tried this in a rice cooker so I’m not 100% sure!
I made this exactly the way the recipe said and there was too much liquid left. I tried draining the liquiD but the rice was still hard. Will not make again and do not recommend.
Sorry to hear that! Was your rice simmering? It sounds like it could’ve been cooking on too low of a heat.
The most delicious creamy side dish. I paired it with Grilled Pineapple Shrimp Skewers. I followed the recipe but added a little sugar and stirred in some toasted coconut after it had steamed. Perfection!!
Love that!!
It is necessary to rinse your rice first, I do mine in a wire mesh strainer until the water runs clear. This helps keep it from becoming a gummy mess.
Absolutely!
This was such a great recipe. I appreciate the directions for a smaller batch. The steaming tip was spot on. Thank you!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
So easy and soooo delish🥰👏🏼😁🌷
Hi I love this recipe I’d love to make it but I’m curious do we need Unsweetened or Sweetened regular coconut milk. You mention full fat so I know not to buy light coconut milk but there’s also Unsweetened full fat or regular (which I belive is Sweetened) coconut milk. Thank you
I use unsweetened!
Your recipe sounds wonderful and easy. I have a question, when should I add the extra flavorings? Should the added flavors be added at the beginning with every ingredient, after it comes to a boil, or at the end?
Thank you,
Great question! Stir in any of the flavor additions after the rice is done cooking 🙂
Can you use coconut milk from a carton not canned ?
I recommend the can so that it’s nice and thick with the right flavor!