If you’re seeking a great accompaniment to complete your meal, this coconut rice is the perfect balance of savory and sweet. With just 4 ingredients and 25 minutes required on the stovetop, this simple yet satisfying side is a great way to elevate any dish.
I love using this recipe to build a fresh and flavorful bowl, like in this Spicy Salmon Bowl, or to pair with any protein and roasted veggies.
In this recipe, you’ll learn the easiest stovetop technique to get perfectly cooked, well-seasoned, and deliciously flavored rice every time, using a can of coconut milk and coconut oil (optional, but recommended).
Guided by principles of green living, I love making recipes that highlight more eco-friendly ingredients. Consider organic coconut milk for this recipe if you can!
Green tip: Coconut milk is one of the lowest impact milk choices when it comes to our environmental footprint. Coconut trees use little land, little water, and the production of coconuts requires no deforestation.
Coconut Rice Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Rice. My favorite rice to use in this recipe is Basmati, but Jasmine or Jasmati works, too!
- Coconut milk. Full fat preferred, but lite works as well.
- Coconut oil. You can very easily leave this out, but I highly recommend for added flavor and a richer, creamier texture.
- Salt.
How to Cook Rice in Coconut Milk
Making Coconut Rice on the Stovetop
For best results, I recommend rinsing your rice. I’ll be completely honest with you, when I’m in a rush, I do skip this step, and still have delicious results. Still, I have noticed that rinsing the rice gives you a fluffier texture.
You can easily rinse the rice in cold water with a sieve. I also recommend shaking the can of coconut milk before opening it.
Often, especially with full fat coconut milk, you’ll find that the fat separates and forms a thick, solid layer. If shaking doesn’t work, you can stir everything together once you open the can.
Once the coconut milk is re-combined and rice is rinsed, add them both to a small pot with the coconut oil.
Bring everything to a boil, stir to combine, ensuring the oil is distributed throughout, and cover. Bring the heat all the way down to the lowest setting and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes until all of the liquid if absorbed.
Fluff and Season the Rice
Once your rice is cooked, add the salt and fluff it with a fork.
I typically add about ½ teaspoon of salt, but of course this can be tailored to your taste. You can also add some black pepper, or furikake to give the flavor a little more punch.
Serving Your Coconut Rice
The subtle sweetness in this coconut rice makes it a very versatile side. My absolute favorite thing to do is to build a bowl with this rice with a spicy and a sweet element. Here are some of my FAVORITE dishes to serve with this rice:
How to Properly Store and Reheat Leftover Coconut Rice
Leftover rice cooked in coconut milk can last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
You can easily reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. When reheating, I like to add a splash of water and a little bit of extra coconut oil (just about ½ teaspoon will do!).
On the stove over medium heat and covered, it typically takes about 15 minutes to reheat thoroughly. In the microwave on high, you’ll likely need 2-4 minutes.
Make sure you stir while you’re heating, and that the rice is fully hot all the way through before enjoying leftovers.
Green tip: Did you know that of the billions of pounds of food wasted annually, it is estimated that 50% of it happens in our homes? It’s always best to avoid food waste by properly storing and consuming leftovers.
25-Minute Stovetop Coconut Rice
PIN Print RATEIngredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 13.66 ounces Coconut milk (1 can = 13.66 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse your rice with cold water (optional) and stir the coconut milk to ensure it's well-combined (sometimes the fat in canned coconut milk will separate out and form a solid layer, so we want to integrate it back into the liquid).
- Add the rice to small pot with the coconut milk and coconut oil (optional) and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat all the way down to low. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed, and rice is tender.
- Season the rice and fluff with a fork.
Pro Tips
- You can skip rinsing the rice if you’re in a hurry, but for the fluffiest rice, it’s best to rinse it!
- You can absolutely omit the coconut oil and still get great results, but I find even a small amount of coconut oil adds tons of flavor and gives the rice a more luxurious texture.
