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close up of a pot of coconut rice with cashews and cilantro, perfectly fluffy and tasty coconut rice recipe

Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice when made right is super fluffy and tasty, it makes a perfect side dish in minutes. We've tested baking the rice, stove top, coconut milk combined with stock or on its own, and much more! So today we can say, this is the ultimate delicious fluffy and fool proof coconut rice recipe!
Course dinner, lunch, rice, side, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, Thai
Keyword coconut, Coconut rice, Coconut rice recipe, comfort food, one pot, quick, rice recipes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 432 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1 onion thinly sliced, small or medium size sweet white onion
  • 1/4 cup cashews toasted or raw
  • 1 cup long grain rice jasmine or basmati rice
  • 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon bouillon chicken or veggies
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 cup coconut milk low fat or regular
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup cashews toasted for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

Instructions

  1. You'll start by rinsing the rice first. Run some cold water over the rice in a strainer. Watch until the water doesn't look cloudy anymore, and it's ready.

    long grain basmati rice rinsed and drained in a colander

  2. Start by melting the butter over medium high heat and sauté the onion slices.

    Onion and butter sautéing in the pan to cook the rice
  3. Make sure the onions are very soft and slightly golden before proceeding with the recipe. This ensures you'll have a sweet taste rather a strong astringent onion flavor.
    Cashews are added to the rice pan with onion and butter when the onions have softened
  4. Add in the cashews to the onions and butter. Sauté them for just a minute if they're previously toasted or roasted. Add 2 more minutes if using raw cashews.

  5. Now add in the rice. The rice needs to be sautéed well in butter and each piece coated in butter. Cook the rice for 1-1.5 minutes over medium heat, tossing continuously.

    The rinsed rice added to the pan to be sautéed with the remaining ingredients very well before proceeding
  6. Season the rice. Mix in the bouillon, salt, garlic powder, paprika and toss it over the rice, and mix well for 30 seconds.
    A hand holding a small plate of seasoning to add in to the rice

  7. For every cup of rice, use 1.5 cups of coconut milk. No more no less. Now add in the coconut milk.

    The coconut milk is added to the pot of rice
  8. Once the coconut milk is added, you have two options here. Either boil the coconut milk before adding, or wait until the milk boils in the pot.
  9. Once it boils, you're going to cover the pot and drop the heat to the LOWEST setting.
    right after cooking, the pot is uncovered and the coconut rice is perfectly cooked

  10. It's best not to touch the pot for 18 minutes. Then you can uncover and fluff the rice around, cover again and wait 5 minutes. This time is optimal for any condensation of liquid to be absorbed into the rice.

    A spoon showing close up of the cooked fluffy coconut rice
  11. Now fluff the rice and toss around. It will be tender, fluffy and perfectly cooked coconut rice.

  12. Garnish the coconut rice recipe with fresh cilantro leaves and extra toasted cashews on top.

    Coconut rice served with fresh cilantro leaves on top and extra cashews
  13. If you have an instant pot or rice cooker, you can make this recipe just as easily. If you have an instant pot, follow the process of sautéing the onions, rice and cashews. Then add the  coconut milk and switch to rice cooking mode.
  14. If your rice cooker doesn't have a sauté mode, it's best to do so in a separate skillet. Prepare everything in a skillet, then add all ingredients in to the rice cooker along with coconut milk. Set the cooking as per the machine and it's ready.
    A hand fluffing up the cooked coconut rice close up showing how every rice is so fluffy and the cashews are studded within the coconut rice

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Choose Jasmine or long grain Basmati rice for this fluffy coconut rice. Avoid short grain or heavily starchy rices.
  2. Make sure to rinse the rice before cooking it. Rinsing the rice removes any excess starch which is KEY to fluffy rice. Especially when cooking the rice in milk, not water or stock.
  3. You can use butter or avocado oil to sauté the onions for the recipe. Butter will infuse the rice with a buttery taste.
  4. The onions add a sweetness that compliments the rice so well, but you need to make sure you cook it well. Avoid undercooking the onions as they become overpowering.
  5. Sautéing the rice before adding in the liquid is KEY to fluffy rice. You just need 1 - 1.5 minutes of mixing in the rice with the butter/oil continuously.
  6. Measuring your coconut milk is KEY. For every cup of rice, add 1.5 cups of coconut milk. Don't add more, or else the rice will be mushy and gooey.
  7. For perfectly fluffy rice, bring the coconut milk to a boil and then drop the heat to the absolute LOWEST setting. Cover the post and let the rice cook on super low for 18 minutes untouched. At that point you can take off the lid, fluff the rice, cover and let it cook for another 3-5 minutes covered.
  8. The seasoning blend we used here were based on the original owner of the recipe and we haven't changed a thing! We have tried removing the seasoning, and found it more bland.
  9. You can use peanuts if you don't have cashews for this recipe. Likewise you can use parsley instead of cilantro.

How to store Leftovers, Freeze and Reheat Coconut Rice?

  • Store leftovers of coconut rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • To freeze the leftovers, place them in a ziploc bag removing excess air. Freeze it for up to 3 months.
  • If you have frozen rice, thaw it first before reheating.
  • To reheat the rice, you can microwave it for the quickest solution. Otherwise you can add the rice in a pot with 1-2 tablespoons of water, low heat, cover the pot and reheat for 10-12 minutes.

Do I need to Rinse the Rice?

YES! It's crucial to rinse the rice here to avoid mushy coconut rice. When rinsing the rice, use a fine mesh strainer and wait until the water runs clear. This way you'll know that there's no more starch. We do this because we're using ONLY coconut milk to cook the rice, which is heavy and rich compared to water.

Can I season it differently?

You can use JUST salt for this recipe and it will taste SO GOOD! We loved the splash of cinnamon, garlic powder and bouillon as this is how we tried it first time. We tested the recipe without and found that adding seasoning is much better!

What to Serve with Coconut Rice

SO MANY Asian and non asian dishes! Our Miso Cod would be phenomenal with this! This Sweet Chili Salmon and Seared Ahi Tuna would be so good with coconut rice!

Our Salmon Bowl, Crab Claws, Orange Chicken and Chili Lime Shrimp would make perfect dinners in less than 30 mins too :)

Some Mediterranean recipes pair beautifully here too, especially heavily spiced ones. Rack of Lamb, Lamb With Moroccan Spice, Juicy Spicy Turkish Meatballs, or Lemon Chicken are great.

Coconut Milk Matters 

  • Full Fat Canned Coconut Milk is 17–24% fat and has a creamier, richer flavor with a lightly heavier texture compared to others.
  • Light Coconut Milk is 5–12% fat so it's less in richness and can produce thinner rice
  • Carton Coconut Milk (Refrigerated Section) is very diluted and not ideal for coconut rice
  • Coconut Cream is extremely rich and not recommended.

The Perfect Coconut Rice Ratio (Fluffy Version)

For 1 cup jasmine rice:

  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • ½ to ¾ cup water

Why Not 100% Coconut Milk?

Too much fat prevents proper steam absorption so the rice can turn dense or oily.

Flavor Variations 

  • Savory Coconut Rice. Add garlic, ginger and pandan leaves (Thai authentic touch)
  • Coconut Lime Rice. Add lime zest after cooking and stir in lime juice lightly
  • Sweet Coconut Rice. Add sugar and pair with mango

Why Coconut Rice Turns Mushy 

  1. Too much liquid
  2. Low quality rice
  3. No resting time
  4. Stirring while cooking
  5. Not rinsing rice. Always rinse rice until water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch.

Why is my coconut rice oily?

Too much coconut milk or too high heat.

Can I freeze coconut rice?

Yes. Cool completely. Freeze airtight up to 2 months.

Nutrition Facts
Coconut Rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 432 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 15mg5%
Sodium 207mg9%
Potassium 335mg10%
Carbohydrates 46g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 251IU5%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 39mg4%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.