Rice Cooker Coconut Rice – beautiful, tender, aromatic jasmine rice, cooked in the rice cooker with creamy coconut milk and a little touch of sugar and salt. I love to top mine with toasted coconut, lime zest and some finely chopped coriander (cilantro) A truly luxurious side dish!
Although I’ve cooked rice in a pan on the stovetop for YEARS (thanks to my mum’s tips to get it perfect), I decided to buy a rice cooker a year or so ago, and I can’t deny it – it’s absolutely brilliant.
It makes planning a meal super easy, and the keep-warm function is so useful when we have kids coming home at different times from clubs and activities.
The addition of the tinned coconut milk to the rice results in beautiful aromatic, creamy-tasting rice.
The oils in the coconut milk helps to ensure the grains remain separate – rather than clumping together.
Table of Contents
Our rice cooker
We have a Zojirushi rice cooker (<– affiliate link) – which is a little on the pricey side, but this one takes up to 10 cups of rice (almost 2kg of raw rice!) so it’s great when batch cooking or cooking for a crowd.
I’ve must have used it 100+ times, with the rice turning our perfectly every single time.
They do have smaller versions – such as this 3 cup version (<–affiliate) which is a lot cheaper on Amazon USA than Amazon UK (*note* US Amazon ships to the UK!). However, I’ve been told that most rice cookers, even the cheaper ones, do a great job. So personally, I’d just look for some good reviews and get the one that suits your budget and family size.
📋 Ingredients
Jasmine Rice – We use Jasmine Rice for this recipe. It’s slightly fragrant (almost a little floral-smelling), and slightly sweet and the flavour pairs perfectly with coconut.
Coconut Milk – Use full-fat coconut milk for this recipe because it gets watered down later and we don’t want to lose any of that rich, sweet coconut flavour.
📺 Watch how to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- For this recipe, the rice cooker does most of the work so there’s just a little bit of prep to do. First, rinse and drain your rice under cold water until the water runs almost clear.
- Then, pop the rice in the rice cooker with the other ingredients and set it to go.
- Once it has finished its cooking cycle, serve topped with shredded toasted coconut, coriander and lime zest!
Pro Tip
You can make your own toasted shredded coconut by cooking store-bought unsweetened shredded coconut in a hot dry frying pan (skillet), on a medium-low heat for a few minutes (stirring often) until golden brown.
Top with a little lime zest to add a tangy burst that perfectly balances the sweet, rich coconut flavours in the rice.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
- This recipe goes hand-in-hand with my Chicken Meatball Curry, there’s no denying they’re the perfect pair.
- It also pairs brilliantly with these curries:
- Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Thai Style Peanut Pork
- Easy Chicken Curry
This is such a great side dish and adds a lovely depth of flavour to your meals.
🍲 More fantastic side dishes
Yes! It’s a little less creamy upon reheating, but still tastes great.
Cook the rice, then spread it out in a large dish (so it will cool quickly) cover and freeze or refrigerate.
Don’t leave cooked rice out at room temperature. Bacteria can grow on cooked rice very quickly, so it’s important to:
– Refrigerate it as quickly as possible
– Don’t store for more than 24 hours in the fridge, and
– Thoroughly reheat it.
If you want to freeze it:
– Freeze it as quickly as possible
– Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (and don’t store for more than 24 hours)
To reheat:
Place the rice in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 tsp water per portion (helps to steam the rice, so it’s fluffy, not dry), place a microwave safe plate on top and microwave on high for 30-seconds. Stir, then repeat, heating in 30 second increments, then stirring, until piping hot throughout. It should take no more than 2 minutes per portion.
*Note* don’t reheat the rice more than once.
You can make this recipe in larger batches, depending on how large your rice cooker is. To scale up, double the recipe, to scale down, halve the recipe, just make sure you are sticking to the same ingredient ratios.
Yes! I have a stovetop coconut rice recipe here.
Stay updated with new recipes!
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).
Rice Cooker Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 500 g (2 1/2 cups) jasmine rice
- 400 ml (14 oz) tin full-fat coconut milk
- 300 ml (11.5 floz) water
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
To Serve:
- toasted shredded coconut see tip
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander cilantro
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Instructions
- First we need to rinse the rice. I do this directly in the rice cooker pot. Simply cover the rice with cold water, give it a really good swirl, let the rice settle at the bottom of the pan again for 1-2 seconds, then pour off the excess water.500 g (2 1/2 cups) jasmine rice
- Repeat this rinsing 3-4 times, until the water is almost clear. On the last rinse, try to pour off as much of the water as possible.
- Pour over the coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt.400 ml (14 oz) tin full-fat coconut milk, 300 ml (11.5 floz) water, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt
- Stir once (don’t stir again after this).
- Turn on the rice cooker and let it run the rice cooking cycle for white rice (this can be different times for different models).
- Once cooked, serve as is, or you can top with shredded toasted coconut, chopped coriander and lime zesttoasted shredded coconut, 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander, Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Video
Notes
Why rinse the rice?
This removes some of the starch. The excess starch in the rice causes the rice to be a little stickier and clumpier. The addition of coconut milk in this recipe also adds stickiness to the rice. So it’s best to rinse the rice so it’s not overly sticky.I don’t have a rice cooker – can I make it on the stovetop instead?
Yes! I have a stovetop coconut rice recipe here.Nutritional information is approximate, per person (this recipes serves 8)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
