Creamy Coconut Rice is prepared with coconut oil, coconut milk and shredded coconut, and is a wonderfully flavored side dish you’ll enjoy!Creamy Coconut Rice is prepared with coconut oil, coconut milk and shredded coconut, and is a wonderfully flavored side dish you'll enjoy!

I don’t know about you, but we eat lots of rice in our home. Usually it is steamed long grain white rice, but occasionally we mix it up and have creamy coconut rice with our meals. If you’ve never made coconut rice before, I think you will enjoy it! I found the original recipe in a cookbook I checked out from our local library a while ago. The coconut flavor is subtle and NOT too overbearing, and is a nice change from regular, bland tasting white rice.

Canned coconut milk (light or full fat) are used to create a creamy texture and light coconut flavor in jasmine rice. Canned coconut milk can usually be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. I always have 3-4 cans available in our pantry for dishes like this! Let me show you how to make creamy coconut rice:

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Making The Coconut Rice

Melt coconut oil (solid form) in a medium or large saucepan on Medium heat. Add shredded coconut, and stir to combine. Cook the coconut for 1-2 minutes, stirring often until it becomes lightly “toasted”. Stir in jasmine rice, and cook about 2 minutes or until it begins to kind of “pop” in the pan from the heat.

Shredded coconut is cooked in coconut oil until lightly "toasted".Jasmine rice is added to coconut oil and toasted coconut mixture in saucepan.

Cooking The Rice With Coconut Milk

Quickly stir the canned coconut milk, and remove 2 Tablespoons into a separate bowl. Add water, salt and the remaining can of coconut milk to the rice. Bring this mixture to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to LOW.

Continue to cook the creamy coconut rice on low heat, stirring often so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for 17-20 minutes on LOW heat. As it cooks LOW and SLOW, the rice will absorb the coconut milk. Don’t turn up the heat, because it needs the time to fully cook and create tender rice.

Canned coconut milk is used to make this creamy coconut rice.Stirring the canned coconut milk into the jasmine rice for more cooking.As it cooks, the creamy coconut rice will absorb the coconut milk, and become thicker.

Final Steps

When the coconut milk has been absorbed, and the rice is tender to the bite, remove the pan from the heat. This usually takes about 18-20 minutes. If rice is not tender enough, simply add a tiny bit more liquid and continue cooking until tender.

Once the creamy coconut rice is tender, remove the pan from the heat and immediately cover with a lid. Let the rice sit (covered) for 5 minutes, then add the reserved 2 Tablespoons of coconut milk back into the rice. Stir the milk in, and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Creamy coconut rice is removed from heat when coconut milk is absorbed and rice is tender.Saucepan is covered and rice rests for 5 minutes after cooking.Reserved Tablespoons of coconut milk are added to finished rice, and combined, before serving.

Serve The Creamy Coconut Rice

Serve the creamy coconut rice while hot. If desired, garnish the dish with chopped fresh parsley (this is optional). The rice is now ready to be served with a variety of main dishes, and will be a wonderful addition to your meal!

Creamy coconut rice is served, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.Serving platter is piled high with creamy coconut rice and a spoon, for serving.

I hope you enjoy this tasty side dish, and trust those you make it for will enjoy it, as well. If you like this recipe, check out my recipe for Coconut Lime Rice… it’s yummy, as well! Thank you for stopping by today, and hope you will come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a wonderful day!

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Original Recipe source: “The Milk Street Cookbook”, with Christopher Kendall (page 170). Published by Little Brown And Company, 2020.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Creamy Coconut Rice
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

Creamy Coconut Rice is prepared with coconut oil, coconut milk and shredded coconut, and is a wonderfully flavored side dish you'll enjoy!

Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamy coconut rice
Servings: 6 (½ cup per serving)
Calories Per Serving: 315 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • cups jasmine rice uncooked/rinsed
  • ¾ cup water
  • 14 ounces canned coconut milk (light or full fat) stirred or shaken, divided use
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • chopped parsley for garnish (OPTIONAL)
Instructions
  1. Melt coconut oil in medium or large saucepan on Medium heat. Add coconut; stir to combine. Cook and stir coconut 1-2 minutes, until it is lightly toasted. Add rice; stir/cook 2 minutes or until it begins to "pop" in the pan from heat.

  2. Stir canned coconut milk; remove 2 Tablespoons into separate bowl; set aside.

  3. Add water, salt and remaining can of coconut milk to rice. Bring to a simmer, and then reduce heat to LOW. Continue to cook rice on low heat, stirring often so rice doesn't stick to bottom of pan. Cook 17-20 minutes on LOW heat. As it cooks LOW and SLOW, the rice will absorb coconut milk. Don't turn up heat, because it needs time to fully cook rice until tender.

  4. When coconut milk is absorbed, and rice is tender (about 18-20 min.), remove pan from heat. TIP: If rice is not tender enough, simply add a bit more water; continue cooking until tender. Remove pan from heat; immediately cover with lid. Let rice sit (covered) for 5 minutes, then add reserved 2 T. coconut milk back into rice. Stir milk in, and fluff rice with a fork.

  5. Transfer rice to serving platter or bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired (optional). Serve rice hot, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Lite coconut milk was used for the nutritional calculation.

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Coconut Rice
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))
Calories 315 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 449mg20%
Potassium 95mg3%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 16mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Creamy Coconut Rice is prepared with coconut oil, coconut milk and shredded coconut, and is a wonderfully flavored side dish you'll enjoy!

Creamy Coconut Rice

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