My coconut-infused jasmine rice is the perfect side to complement your favorite island-inspired main dishes, like coconut shrimp, Hawaiian grilled chicken, and savory curries. And best of all, you enjoy the sweet aromatic rice anytime with the push of a button by trying this rice cooker recipe!

If you’re looking for something different than plain white rice to add some flavor to your next meal, coconut rice is a tasty option that goes with a lot of proteins and veggies. You can easily make a variety of rice dishes in your rice cooker with minimal effort, like my Korean purple rice, rice cooker black beans and rice, and rice cooker “fried rice.” This coconut rice recipe is so simple and only has four ingredients - the rice cooks up light and fluffy, with a hint of savory sweetness from the coconut milk.
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Ingredients
Jasmine rice - Coconut rice is made with long grain rice. I prefer to use Jasmine rice as it cooks into soft and fluffy grains, however Basmati rice may be used as well.
Coconut milk - This provides the essential flavor for the rice. Make sure to get “full fat” coconut milk, otherwise the coconut flavor will not be as prominent. I like to use the Arroy-D brand. I typically like the Asian brand coconut milk because the fat tends to not separate as much.
Sugar and salt
Shredded and toasted coconut flakes for garnish (optional)
Equipment
Rice Cooker – I just got a new rice cooker, the Cuckoo 6 cup Micom Rice Cooker and it cooks the fluffiest rice!
How to make coconut rice in rice cooker
1). Wash the rice three times with water to clean it. Drain well with a strainer.
2). Add the rice to the pot along with the water, coconut milk, sugar and salt. Stir it up well.
3). Press the cook button and let the rice cooker do its magic!
4). Once done, fluff up the rice with a spatula
Pro tips
- Measurements are in US standard cup sizes, not the cup that comes with the rice cooker.
- Make sure to use the appropriate amount of water to cook the rice as directed. If you don’t use the correct ratio of water to rice, the rice will be undercooked with too much coconut milk.
- For basmati rice, the same measurements of water and coconut milk is used.
- Serve coconut rice with any protein such as shrimp, chicken, beef or Thai curry.
Frequently asked questions
3-4 days in the refrigerator, covered.
You can simply portion it out as needed and heat it up in the microwave for a couple minutes until it’s warmed to the desired temperature. If the rice is too dry, just spritz some water onto the rice and microwave it, covered.
No, you should keep it in the refrigerator. Some people like to keep rice in the rice cooker over night, however the coconut rice will dry out.
Coconut rice is a great side dish to pair with Southeast Asian dishes and island cuisine like curries, grilled meats like Hawaiian chicken, papaya salad and fried fish.
More rice cooker recipes to try
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Rice Cooker Coconut Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Jasmine rice or any long grain rice
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup full fat coconut milk if possible, use a Thai brand
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rice three times with water to clean it. Drain well with a strainer.
- Add the rice to the pot along with the water, coconut milk, sugar and salt. Stir together well.
- Set the cooker to start or cook.
- Once done cooking, fluff up the rice with a spatula and serve immediately.
Notes
- Measuring cup used is the standard US measuring cup, not the cup that came with the rice cooker.
- Make sure to drain the rice well after rinsing it, otherwise the rice may get too mushy.
- For Basmati rice, liquid measurements will be the same.
- Enjoy the rice immediately, if you keep it in the rice cooker too long, (depending on the rice cooker) the rice may form a burnt crust on the bottom of the pot.
- Cooking times may vary depending on the rice cooker.
aba
hi
why do you want to add 1 Tb spoon of sugar when you cook with coconut milk, or better still, coconut cream?
When I cook coconut rice then I want coconut taste not sugar sweetness.
Rgds
Kaylie
Personal preference, gives it a hint of sweetness. If you don't like it, you can certainly omit.