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    Coconut Rice

    Updated March 4, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    Fluffy and just barely sweet, why make plain white rice when you could make this easy coconut rice recipe. Cooked quickly on the stove top, it’s 100% next-level.

    A bowl of creamy coconut rice made with coconut milk, salt, and sugar, garnished with a touch of cilantro

    We love to cook Southeast Asian dishes at home, especially our favorite Thai restaurant dishes. Recently we realized that in the same amount of time it takes to make plain rice, we could whip up a batch of lightly sweet coconut rice! Our easy recipe is fool proof, and cooked on the stove top for a steamy, fluffy potful of delicately sweet rice that’s ideal for serving with big, bold Asian flavors. We play up the natural milky sweetness of canned coconut milk by adding just a pinch of sugar to the mix. That ever-so-slight hint of cool sweetness is SO good with spicy dishes in particular. Best of all? Coconut rice only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, so you can usually plan to cook up whatever you’d like to serve it with while it simmers on the stove. For even more delicious rice recipes, check out our Coconut Fried Rice, Lemon Rice, Cilantro-Lime Rice and our Jeweled Rice recipes. 

    jasmine rice, sugar, salt, water and coconut milk in separate prep bowls to make coconut rice

    Ingredients

    • White rice: We like to use long grain white rice here, because it has the texture we love. Basmati rice is a type of long-grain white rice, and would work great here! 
    • Coconut milk: Use full fat coconut milk for a texture that’ll make you swoon. It’s normal for coconut milk to separate in the can, so before you open the can, give it a vigorous shake. 
    • Sugar: Just a pinch to highlight the earthy sweetness of the coconut. However, if sugar makes you nervous, just skip it. 
    • Salt: Salt is good. This is our number one cooking tip. 
    coconut milk, water, jasmine rice, salt and sugar cooking in a sauce pan
    a sauce pan full of creamy coconut rice made with water, coconut milk, sugar and salt

    How To Make Coconut Rice

    1. Rinse the rice. Don’t skip this quick, easy step. Rinsing the rice (a fine mesh sieve is the tool for this job) before you cook it washes away some of the starch that’s on the surface of the rice, which is a good thing in this case. It’ll help ensure that your coconut rice is nice and fluffy, instead of mushy or gummy.
    2. Make your simmering liquid. Combine the canned coconut milk, sugar, salt and water in a lidded pot and bring it to a boil
    3. Add the rice! Stir to combine and then let the liquid return to a boil.
    4. Lid on! Crank the heat down to low and simmer the rice gently in the covered pot for 18 minutes.
    5. Done! Give the rice a fluff and let it sit for a few minutes. Then it’s ready to eat.
    homemade coconut rice in a pot being stirred with a spoon

    What To Serve With Coconut Rice

    We serve this fluffy, flavorful rice with SO many things—when we’re really feeling virtuous we love it with this healthy, colorful Salmon Bowl—but these four Thai recipes might just be our very favorite.

    A bowl of creamy coconut rice made with coconut milk, salt, and sugar, garnished with a touch of cilantro
    A bowl of creamy coconut rice made with coconut milk, salt, and sugar, garnished with a touch of cilantro

    More Coconutty Recipes 

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    Coconut Rice Recipe

    Updated March 4, 2025

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  5 min
    • Cook Time:  18 min
    • Calories:  135
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    Ingredients

    • 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, shaken
    • 1 ¼ cups water
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed

    Method

    1. In a small saucepan, stir together the coconut milk, 1¼ cups water, salt, and sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

      jasmine rice, sugar, salt, water and coconut milk in separate prep bowls to make coconut rice

    2. Stir in the rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 18 minutes. 

      a sauce pan full of creamy coconut rice made with water, coconut milk, sugar and salt

    3. Remove the lid and fluff the rice using a fork. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit on the hot stove for another 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

      A bowl of creamy coconut rice made with coconut milk, salt, and sugar, garnished with a touch of cilantro

    Notes

    To make in a rice cooker: 

    1. Pour the coconut milk, 1¼ cups water, salt, sugar, and rice into a rice cooker. 
    2. Set to ‘quick mode’ or setting for long grain white rice. 
    3. Fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 135
    • Protein 2 g
    • Carbohydrates 18 g
    • Total Fat 6 g
    • Dietary Fiber 0 g
    • Cholesterol 0 mg
    • Sodium 118 mg
    • Total Sugars 2 g

    Coconut Rice

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Leah

      Can you please tell me what the green garnish is?

      That is cilantro.

    • Christine

      Hi ladies. Was about to make this but need clarification please; ingredients dont list water but in the directions it states water. Just wanted to make sure about this. Thank you :)

      Yes, use the water. We do not add water to ingredient lists.

    • Lisa

      Could you substitute jasmine or basmati rice for white long-grain?

      Sure! We've made it with jasmine and it works great.

    • Brittany

      Can you sub in brown rice instead? I know white will be better but trying to eat more whole grains!

      Sure!

    • Spencer

      How would you convert this to a rice cooker?

      We haven't tested this yet.

    • Spencer

      To make in a rice cooker: add one 14oz can of coconut milk into a large measuring cup, then add enough water so you have 3 total cups of liquid (including both coconut milk and water). No change to any other measurements.

      Thanks Spencer glad you liked it! We are working on testing this in a rice cooker as well, glad it worked for you!

    • Brianna

      Was yummy paired with the Hawaiian kabobs

      Thanks Brianna, glad you liked it!

    • Tresa

      YUM! This was so dang good! I made it with your sticky pork & asparagus from your book (also YUM!) but I couldn't get over this rice I could eat it plain as a dessert I am obsessed. Can't wait to try it with other things!

      Thanks Tresa! Glad you loved it!

    • JezMez

      Delicious! I threw all the ingredients in a rice cooker and it came out perfectly.

      Thanks Jez, so glad you loved it!

    • Toni

      I had been wanting to make this coconut rice for a while. I finally made it with part of the dinner for my husband for Valentine's day and he loved it. Usually when I make rice he doesn't ask for seconds this time he told me to make sure that I pack some of this rice for his lunch and he asked how you make this. I made plenty for leftovers. I was so pleased with it myself. I would have loved to add the green flakes but was not sure what they were and didn't want to ruin it. Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely have again.

      Thanks Toni, we are so happy you both loved it!