Easy Coconut Rice in a Rice Cooker 

This coconut rice is a deliciously fluffy and slightly sweet rice filled with 3 different types of coconut. But it’s so simple to make that you can easily add this to your weeknight dinner rotation. Add all the ingredients to the rice cooker, give it a stir, and hit the start button! In 25 minutes you have an amazing side dish with almost no work. 

Add this coconut rice to all sorts of recipes! It’s perfect to go alongside a chickpea curry or some oven baked teriyaki tofu. 

Ingredients

Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need to make this coconut rice. For the recipe amounts, please see the recipe card below. 

• Rice: Jasmine rice and basmati rice are my two go-tos for this recipe but any long grain rice will work. Jasmine rice in particular is really fragrant and adds this delicious layer of flavor to this coconut rice. 
• Coconut Milk: Use coconut milk from a can and not from a carton. You can use either full fat or reduced fat to your preference. 
• Coconut Water: Use this in place of water in the rice to really intensify the coconut flavor but doesn’t make it too rich by using all coconut milk. This really is the secret ingredient that takes this rice from good to great! Try not to skip it!
• Shredded Coconut: The addition of shredded coconut gives the rice this great texture and boosts the coconut flavor. 
• Sugar: You want a little sugar to balance out all the flavors and to enhance the natural sweetness of coconut. I used white sugar in this recipe but you can totally use coconut sugar to make it refined sugar free. 
• Salt: A pinch of salt to round out all the flavors. 

Instructions 

This coconut rice comes together so quickly! It really is easy to make.

Step One: Rinse the Rice 

Start by rinsing the rice. Make sure that the water runs clear so that you have removed a lot of the starch. If you skip this step, the rice can turn out gummy. I typically use a big mesh strainer and wash it for a full minute under running water. 

Step Two: Add to the Rice Cooker 

Next, add the rinsed rice to the rice cooker. Pour in the coconut milk, coconut water, sugar, salt, and shredded coconut flakes. 

Give it a good stir and press the “on” button (or the equivalent on your rice cooker). And that’s it! Now it’s time to wait while the rice cooks. 

Depending on if you made a single or double batch of this rice, in about 25 minutes your kitchen should be smelling amazing. 

Fluff the rice with a fork and serve. 

Top Tips 

• Rinse Rice: It can’t be understated how important it is to wash the rice! Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cool water for 1-2 minutes until the water runs clear. This removes that extra starchiness and prevents the rice from being gummy. 
• Don’t Stir: As soon as the lid of your rice cooker goes on, refrain from stirring the rice as this can cause the rice grains to break resulting in sticky rice. 
• Allow the Rice to Rest: After cooking, don’t remove the lid and let the rice rest in the hot pot for about 5 to 10 minutes to allow the moisture to distribute evenly and let it finish cooking. 

How to Store 

Fridge: Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

To Reheat: Place the rice in a microwave safe bowl along with a sprinkle of water. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring and re-covering until heated through.

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