After creating over 150 Instant Pot recipes for my cookbook and website, it’s safe to say that the Instant Pot and I are besties. I can give you tips to avoid getting the burn notice, overcooking meat, and getting your eggs to turn out perfectly. And making the most delicious rice! You’ll be making this Instant Pot coconut rice on the regular.
Some say the Instant Pot is a glorified rice cooker, and while it’s so much more than that, YES it does cook rice beautifully, too. This coconut rice has a buttery, rich (addictive?) coconut flavor and all you need is a few ingredients!
This rice pairs well with SO many things! Serve it with any kind of Thai or Indian curry, stir-fries, Hawaiian style grilled meats, or whatever would benefit from a little coconut magic.
Why You'll Love This Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- Instant Pot recipes are the best. That alone makes me love this – just toss everything in and let it go.
- You don’t need any fancy ingredients. Good coconut milk is easy to find.
- The extra richness from the coconut milk adds good fats and a creamy texture to your rice.
- It pairs with so many things! I especially love it with stir fry and curry recipes.
What you'll need for Coconut Rice in Instant Pot
- Long grain white rice, like basmati or jasmine
- Coconut milk (full-fat and light are both fine)
- Sea salt
- Sweetener of choice (I use monkfruit sweetener or coconut sugar)
How to make Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- Rinse the rice under cold water for about 2 minutes or until the water runs clear.
- Put the rinsed rice, coconut milk, salt, sweetener, and 1 cup of water into the insert pot of your Instant Pot or other type of multi-cooker. Stir everything together well -- especially if the coconut milk has separated and the cream has hardened.
- Place the lid on your Instant Pot, sealing it closed and moving the steam valve to "sealing".
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When the pressurization time is over, let the cooker sit, naturally releasing pressure for about 10 minutes before manually releasing the rest of the steam.
- Remove the lid and stir the rice around a bit with a fork to fluff it up. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
Coconut Milk Rice Instant Pot Variations
During the cooking process, you can add grated fresh ginger, crushed garlic, or the white parts of a spring onion.
Sometimes I like to stir in fresh cilantro, mint, or the green parts of a spring onion just before serving for a pop of color.
Coconut Rice Instant Pot Tips
For amazingly fluffy rice, rinse the dried rice 2-3 times before cooking.
Add some toasted coconut flakes to add even more coconut flavor and texture!
What to Serve with Coconut Rice
These recipes would also be great with this coconut rice!
Mango Chicken Curry -- An oldie from Perry's Plate (and in desperate need of an update!), but still such a great recipe. Mango + coconut is a stellar combo.
Easy Thai Chicken Curry for Instant Pot -- Another reason to get a second Instant Pot. Heh.
Paleo Thai Grilled Chicken with "Peanut" Sauce -- Yes. Just do this. That peanut sauce with this coconut rice?! I may have to throw that on my menu next week.
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowls -- Poke bowls don't typically have coconut rice, but I think it's a fabulous idea.
Grilled Malibu Chicken -- Anything with pineapple automatically goes with coconut. Yes? Maybe?
How to Store and Reheat Instant Pot Coconut Rice
It stores well in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. After reheating, simply fluff it with a fork.
Frequently Asked Questions
We usually buy jasmine or basmati rice. Those fragrant rices are super tasty. You could definitely use regular long-grain white rice for this. If you use brown rice, that's fine, too, just know the coconut flavor won't be as strong.
You can use short grain or long grain rice. Short grain has a higher starch content and will be a bit more sticky. Rinsing the rice 2-3 times before cooking will take care of some of the starch and you'll end up wit more fluffy rice.
I use full-fat coconut milk all the time, but you could use light coconut milk in this if you wanted to.
Another note -- I add a little sweetener to my coconut rice, just to give it a little hint of sweet. But, this is totally optional.
Sure! I included instructions for this in the recipe card.
If your coconut milk is really thick, you might want to swap out some of the coconut milk for a cup of water or coconut water. Some Instant Pot models are more sensitive to burn notices.
Coconut milk is made from blending shredded coconut milk and water and then straining out the solid bits. You’re left with a creamy white liquid filled with good fats.
Easy Instant Pot Coconut Rice
Instant Pot Coconut Rice is just a few ingredients, but has such a great flavor and compliments so many ethnic dishes! Try it the next time you make a curry!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups long grain white rice, like basmati or jasmine
- 2 - 13.5 ounce cans of coconut milk (full-fat and light are both fine)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 3-4 Tablespoons sweetener of choice (I use monkfruit sweetener or coconut sugar)
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water for about 2 minutes or until the water runs clear.
- Put the rinsed rice, coconut milk, salt, sweetener, and 1 cup of water into the insert pot of your Instant Pot or other type of multi-cooker. Stir everything together well -- especially if the coconut milk has separated and the cream has hardened.
- Place the lid on your Instant Pot, sealing it closed and moving the steam valve to "sealing".
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When the pressurization time is over, let the cooker sit, naturally releasing pressure for about 10 minutes before manually releasing the rest of the steam.
- Remove the lid and stir the rice around a bit with a fork to fluff it up. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes
Stovetop adaptation: Add the rice, coconut milk, 1 cup of water, sea salt, and sweetener in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cover, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve immediately.
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