If you’re looking for the perfect side dish to serve with your favorite Asian-inspired meals, this Coconut Rice is it. It’s soft, slightly creamy, and carries just the right hint of sweetness thanks to the coconut milk.
It pairs beautifully with Thai curries, grilled shrimp, teriyaki chicken—or honestly, just on its own with a little chopped cilantro on top. It’s one of those simple but special recipes you’ll keep coming back to.
What You’ll Need
This recipe comes together with just a few pantry staples:
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped cilantro (optional, but adds a nice finish)
How to Make Coconut Jasmine Rice
1. Rinse Your Rice
Start by rinsing the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. This step is super important—it washes away excess starch so your rice turns out fluffy, not sticky. I like to rinse in a bowl, then drain using a fine-mesh sieve.
2. Add the Good Stuff
In a medium pot, add your rinsed rice back in, then pour in:
- The can of coconut milk
- 1 cup of water
- Salt and sugar
Give everything a gentle stir to combine.
3. Cook Low & Slow
Place the pot over high heat and bring it to a gentle boil. Once it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for 20 minutes.
After that, remove the lid and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes to let any extra moisture evaporate.
4. Fluff & Garnish
Fluff your coconut rice with a fork and top with freshly chopped cilantro if you’re feeling fancy (I always am 😄). Serve warm and get ready for some compliments.
Storage & Reheating Tips
This coconut rice stores really well, so don’t be shy about making extra.
- Fridge: Let it cool to room temp, then transfer to an airtight container. It’ll keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- Reheat: Add a splash of water and warm it on the stovetop over medium heat, or microwave it for about a minute until it’s hot again.
Coconut Rice
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium-sized cooking pot or in a mixing bowl, rinse the jasmine rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Drain any excess water in a large fine-mesh sieve and place the rice back into the cooking pot.
- Add coconut milk, water, salt, and sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to low and cook covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
- Fluff and serve with some chopped cilantro on top (optional).
Notes
- Rinsing the rice cleans removes the starch so that the rice does not stick together and be gummy, it also removes any debris and some of the chemicals used in milling the rice (such as arsenic)
- Allow the coconut rice to cool to room temperature first, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
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You can reheat the rice on the stove over medium heat, stirring until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of water. You can also reheat it in the microwave for about 1 minute until warmed through.
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