I do like my rice pretty plain in general but when combined with a nice and rich squid curry it's something else. Cooking your instant pot coconut rice in an instant pot is such a win-win. It is a quick and super-efficient way and let's be honest, quick is always a bonus. So, here you have a super delicious and fluffy Insta pot coconut rice ready to accompany your desired curries.
Coconut rice can be served with an array of Thai and Indian dishes such as curries, fish dishes stir-fries, or seafood dishes. This easy coconut rice recipe is made in the instant pot, and the slightly nutty and floral notes of coconut and jasmine rice 'mingle' together so well, this may well become your favorite rice side dish for any Asian feast.
How to cook the perfect instant pot coconut rice
Making your rice in an instant pot is great from many perspectives. You do not need to worry about time, overcooking your rice, making heat adjustments, or the possibility of forgetting about it and burning it.
Learn how to make this super easy, delicious, and fluffy Instant Pot Coconut Rice.
Your rice should always be cooked al dente, and the pressure cooker is the best and easiest option to make this side dish. It goes with so many delicious Asian dishes, like Monkfish curry, whether you choose them to be spicy, super spicy, or pretty bold.
How to cook the rice al dente?
Just like pasta, the rice should also be cooked al dente meaning that it should be cooked through but still have a slight bite to it. It is probably harder to set a pressure cooker if you have a rice setting on it.
I generally set it manually for 5-7 min, depending on the grain. Wild and brown rice takes more time to cook so I would add a 3-4 min extra.
Ingredients for instant pot coconut rice
- rice - choose good rice, long grain rice is the best for this recipe - basmati rice, jasmine rice;
- coconut milk - this gives richness and sublime flavors to this rice
- desiccated coconut - or freshly grated coconut can also be added if desiccated coconut isn't an option
- lemon zest - adds extra flavour to your rice but it is optional
- any fresh herbs - mint, coriander or cilantro, parsley, sage, or some scallions or green onions.
Don't have an instant pot?
Do not worry! There are a few other ways you can cook this delicious and fluffy coconut rice:
Other ways to cook the rice
- In a regular pot on the stovetop
- Use a sieve (colander) to rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear and allow it to drain any excess water;
- Transfer to an appropriately sized pot, add the coconut milk and the water;
- Place on high heat and allow it to boil. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat right down to low and cook covered for 11 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Fluff it all up once cooled slightly and served as desired.
- In a steamer
- For extra-fluffy rice, rinse well before you cook it. Asian sticky rice and black "forbidden" rice steam faster if they're soaked ahead of time.
- I soak it in coconut milk for at least 2 hours. Ideally is to soak for 6 to 8. Basmati or Jasmine rice doesn't necessarily need soaking to speed its cooking, but it's longer, lighter, and fluffier if it's soaked for at least an hour. And for this particular recipe, soak it in coconut milk for extra flavor.
- Place the rice in a steamer containing cold water - ! the water should not be boiling when the rice is placed into the steamer!
- Turn the heat on to high, cover, and cook for approximately 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the steamer with the lid on for an extra 5-7 minutes or until it's ready to serve.
- In a rice cooker
- Gather the ingredients ( Jasmine rice, coconut milk, water, desiccated or shredded coconut)
- Place rice in the rice cooker, add the water, coconut milk, and the desiccated or shredded coconut. Stir a little with a wooden spatula.
- Cover and set to cook.
- When ready, allow your rice to sit for an extra 5 minutes or until this is needed to be served.
- In the oven
In the oven, you may ask? Yes, in the oven and I call it baked coconut rice. An easy and fail-proof option especially when you are already using an oven and have some space why not reduce the ecological footprint and a few cents in your pocket too? Simply throw the rice in to bake along with the rest of the dinner.
To do this you need to do the following:
- Preheat the oven to 180C or 375F.
- Boil the water and coconut milk and pour it into your prepared baking dish.
- Add the rice and stir to combine everything. Cover it with a lid or foil to prevent steam from escaping
- Bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes.
- Take it out from the oven and allow it to rest (still covered) for an extra 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid or foil and fluff with a fork before serving. The coconut cream will be visibly settled at the top of the rice but it will blend in when you fluff the rice.
Recipe FAQs:
It all depends. I Like my rice to be separated and fluffy and never soaked in water. For this, I always use the same dish to measure rice and the water. To 1 part of rice add 1.25 - 1.5 parts of water or liquid whether that is coconut milk, water, stock, or any liquid you may choose to use.
There is a very simple solution to this, just add more liquid whether that's water, stock, coconut milk, or other types of milk. I personally like it separated and fluffy 😉 but I do know some people who like it stickier and more hydrated.
Absolutely! Al dente rice is safe to eat just in case you wonder. The starch has softened and the rice is fully cooked through. Yes, it does feel a little tougher but that's because the rice grain has not yet started to break apart and has not started to puff out.
It is definitely safe to eat though. You'll know your rice is al dente if you take a few grains and they are still easy to eat but have not yet got to the mushy stage. The idea behind it is that the rice does not go to its starchiest stage.
Other recipes to serve coconut rice with
This is how you can serve this beautiful and fluffy coconut rice
- Serve it with this absolutely Delicious Monkfish Curry - a true delight
- What about having it with this Duck Thai Curry?
- Uh, oh! Did you say an Ox tongue curry? - delightful, I can assure you that
- For a vegan option, serve it with this vegan Sri Lankan Tofu curry by Buddha Fruit
- Try this Teriyaki Chicken Egg Fried Rice With Vegetables
- Healthy Lentil Bread (Flourless) - a bit weird I know, but I just love it especially when toasting the rice a little.
A few more rice recipes you might enjoy
Easy Instant Pot Coconut Rice
Equipment
- instant pot
- spatula
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 can coconut milk (400 ml 13.5 fl oz) use a thin runny (light) version
- 2 cups Jasmine Thai rice
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoon fresh herbs optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest optional
- 2 tablespoon desiccated coconut or freshly grated coconut - optional
Instructions
- Measure the Jasmine rice and place it in a colander. Run water through it and rinse it several times until the water runs clear. Allow the water to drain completely.
- Place the rice in the instant pot and add the coconut milk and the water. You do not need to mix or stir.
- Cover the instant pot with its lid and turn the valve to the sealed position. Set the timer for the rice option and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Once it is finished cooking and time is up, allow the pressure release for 5 minutes then do a quick release by turning the valve to release position.
- Allow the rice to cool before fluffing it. See recipe notes for more on this.
- If you choose to add lemon zest, desiccated coconut and herbs add those before serving and once it has cooled slightly.
Eric says
Hi Ramona, just wanted to to thank you for this recipe- have to say this coconut rice was exceptional. I always thought I'm making a good rice until I made this. Initially I thought the water would be not be enough but I follow the recipe and it turned out perfect. This recipe is simply the best. For me a good rice it's a BIG deal - thanks again! Eric
Ramona says
Thanks so very much dera Eric, this comment means a lot to me! Thank you again for the feedback. It is very appreciated.
Noel says
The amount of liquid indicated was not enough. I got the burn indicator. I added another half cup of water and still got the burn indicator.
Ramona says
Hi Noel,
Thank you so much for getting in touch!
I always cook my rice using this method, but the results can vary depending on the type of rice and the level of heat as well as the time you cook it for. Rice cooking may sound easy but it really depends on the rice type and the mean you chose to cook it.
The safest method is cooking your rice in a pot until you get to know the rice and its level of water absorption. The key is that as soon as the rice starts to boil, you need to reduce the heat immediately. This method works best when cooking rice in a pot, as it gives you full control over the heat, which is absolutely essential.
Years ago, I attended a sushi-making course, and the instructor used the exact same method for preparing rice. This technique works well with non-starchy types of rice like Basmati, Thai Jasmine, long-grain Iranian rice, or sushi rice. However, if you’re using a rice cooker, you’ll likely need to adjust by adding more water—every type of rice behaves a little differently, and knowing your rice is key to getting it just right.
For me, there’s nothing worse than wet, stodgy, or overcooked rice!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts—I really appreciate it!
Ramona 😉
Saraya says
Fab recipe for the best fluffy rice I have ever made. I always used to cook it incorrectly and ended up with a stodgy watery overcooked rice. This recipe is wow! I have made it on the stove too and it was incredible. I just wanted to master rice making and this recipe offered me just that. I am now a show off expert and everyone is impressed.
Ramona says
Hey, thank you soo much Saraya - I am so happy it worked for you too.
Addie says
This Instant Pot rice is so easy and flavorful! I love the use of coconut milk for extra creaminess.
Rob says
Great recipe, and so helpful that you shared so many options to make it in addition to the instant pot.
Oscar says
I loved this coconut rice recipe. I had it with a chicken curry that I made and my whole family devoured it. Great recipe.
Alexandra says
This Coconut Rice is so delicious and beautifully flavoured. I love that it is prepared in the instant pot, which makes it so quick! This rice is perfect to share alongside of so many things.
Megan Ellam says
So easy, fragrant and delicious! The perfect way to cook coconut rice. Thanks for an amazing recipe.
shelby says
My first time making rice in the instant pot and it turned out perfectly. It was so delicious too, I will definitely be making this again!
Brianna says
I love coconut rice and it was so easy in the Instant Pot! Perfect for my jerk chicken.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Such a lovely and delicious rice recipe! We are loving the dessert twist on it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Natalie says
That was delicious. I never used coconut milk to cook rice before. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall taste and simplicity of this recipe. It's a keeper! Thanks!
Alex says
I have no idea why I've never tried making rice in the pressure cooker! What a great idea. Will try this soon!
Petro says
Love this, it looks so fluffy and delicious! I'm gonna give it a try next weekend!
Erin says
I've never tried making rice like this but I have no idea why! It sounds so flavorful. I'll have to try it for sure!
Jenny Graves says
Delicious and easy coconut rice. Just what I was looking for. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
Mikayla says
I never thought to put dessert type flavors in my rice. Thank you, what a great combination.
Colleen says
This rice is absolutely perfect with my Thai curry chicken. Thanks for this great recipe!