Learn how to make Instant Pot coconut rice with 3 ingredients in 20 minutes. Stir the ingredients into the pressure cooker and you have flavorful, fluffy rice in half the time.
No pressure cooker at home? No problem. This fluffy stovetop coconut rice is the same recipe, made on the stove top.
Coconut rice is a flavorful dish originating from Southeast Asia. It's made with full fat canned coconut milk as the liquid rather than water. The fat and sweetness from the coconut milk give the rice extra flavor and substance. You won't make rice any other way!
For all my PCOS ladies, this is a great side dish for balancing blood sugar because it's adding fat right into the carb. Just add some protein, like Hawaiian chicken or steak stir fry to the top for a balanced meal.
Why You'll Love This Instant Pot Coconut Rice
Easy recipe: This simple recipe for amazing instant pot coconut rice is done in just a few steps.
Short cooking time: The cook time is a little faster than making rice on the stove top.
Delicious side dish: It adds so much more dimension and flavor than plain rice. It's one of our favorite recipes when we need a flavorful side dish. Its flavors make it the perfect rice for Asian dishes and Thai curries especially.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the simple ingredients for this easy coconut rice recipe. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find in grocery stores. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements and nutritional information.
- Jasmine rice: I really love this variety and choose it most often, however, any long grain white rice, like basmati rice, works really well too.
- Full fat coconut milk: find this in the International or Asian section of the grocery store. Be sure to grab full fat. Coconut cream will work too.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt for more flavor.
What kind of rice to use
The complete recipe is below, but let’s walk through the steps with some photos and a video so you have a clear idea of what to expect. This easy instant pot coconut rice recipe is really easy and these step-by-step instructions will make sure it turns out every time.
- Jasmine or basmati: both of these rices are of the long grain variety, which means they are less sticky and more fluffy. Jasmine rice is plumper, softer and a bit more moist while basmati rice is firmer and slightly more chewy.
- If you want to use brown rice: follow the steps to rinse the rice and the 1:1 ratio of rice to liquid, but the cooking times will vary. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes then natural release for 5 minutes before venting the excess steam.
How to make Instant Pot Coconut Rice - Step-by-Step Guide
Rinse the rice
- Add the rice to a large bowl and cover it with cold water. Stir it around a few times with a spoon to rinse it. Drain the water the water from the rice and repeat 2-3 more times, until the water is almost clear.
- Finish rinsing the rice by draining as much water from the rice as possible. This removes excess starch so the cooked rice isn't mushy.
Pressure cook on high
- Add the rice to the Instant pot. Pour the coconut milk into a liquid measuring cup and fill the cup up the rest of the way with water until it reaches 2 cups total then pour it into the Instant Pot with the rice.
- Stir to combine then press the pressure cook (manual cook) button to cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. It takes about 7 minutes to come to pressure then it will start counting down.
- Natural release (do nothing) for 10 minutes. It should take about 20 minutes total. Turn the venting knob to venting position to release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Expert Tips
- Rinse the rice: don’t skip this step! we’re using coconut milk which is much thicker than water so we don't want it gluey. rinsing gets excess starch off that helps it be fluffy and not sticky
- Follow the 1:1 ratio: Usually rice ratios are 1: 1.5 (1 cup of rice to 1.5 cups water) but the Instant Pot is a 1:1 ratio of rice to water.
FAQs
The burn notice happens when the inner pot gets too hot. The Instant Pot will stop the cooking process. To avoid this, make sure you have enough liquid in your Instant Pot when cooking rice. The 1:1 ratio should be plenty! If you get this notice, open the lid, add a bit more liquid, stir the rice from the bottom of the pot, and continue cooking.
We like to use Thai Kitchen coconut milk because it's most easily found in our grocery stores, affordable, and great quality. You can use full fat coconut milk or coconut cream will work too if that's all you can find.
This is likely due to overcooking or excess starch in the rice. That's why it's so important to rinse the rice first! This ensures a light and fluffy coconut rice.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Coconut Rice
- Curries: We love making this quick coconut curry chicken on weeknights or the vegetarian version of sweet potato curry. They're incredible with instant pot coconut rice! Add some fresh cilantro on top for extra flavor.
- Stir fries: Top your rice with protein and veggies with our delicious steak stir fry or you could swap the steak for chicken or shrimp.
- Sheet pan meals: We pride ourselves on our veggie-packed sheet pan meals and the sheet pan sausage and veggies, sheet pan chicken teriyaki, tahini ginger salmon and asparagus and sheet pan shrimp fajitas would all be delicious on top of coconut rice.
- Simple proteins: If you need a quick side dish for your favorite dishes this is it! It takes everyday rice to the next level. We love it with cilantro lime chicken, blackened salmon, instant pot salsa chicken, instant pot honey mustard chicken, crock pot pepper steak and everything bagel salmon.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow the rice to cool completely then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, add the rice to a bowl with a splash of water and use a fork to break up any chunks. Cover with a plate or wet paper towel and cook in the microwave on high until it's heated through. You can also use this method on the stovetop.
More Easy Sides
Another way to make the perfect fluffy coconut rice is on the stove top. Use our fluffy stovetop coconut rice recipe if you don't have a pressure cooker. It's the perfect accompaniment for your favorite main dish.
One of my other favorite ways to use creamy coconut milk is another one of our go-to side dishes, this dairy free mashed potato recipe.
Instant Pot Asparagus is the perfect side dish for so many different meals and it's ready in minutes.
One more favorite side dish is maple roasted brussel sprouts and butternut squash.
Instant Pot Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine rice or any long grain white rice
- 1 can full fat canned coconut milk about 1 ½ cups
- ½ cup water or enough to fill 2 cups of total liquid
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the rice in a medium bowl and cover it with cold water. Stir gently with a spoon to release excess starch then drain the water. Repeat this process 2-3 more times until the water starts to become mostly clear. In many other recipes you can skip this step, but it’s important for coconut rise so the cooked rice isn’t gummy from excess starch. Finish by draining the rice the best you can.
- Add the rice to the Instant pot. Pour the coconut milk into a liquid measuring cup and fill the cup up the rest of the way with water until it reaches 2 cups total. Pour the coconut milk mixture into the Instant Pot with the rice and stir to combine.
- Make sure the vent is set to the sealing position then press the pressure cook (manual cook) button and set the timer for 3 minutes. It takes about 7 minutes to come to pressure then it will start counting down. Natural release (do nothing) for 10 minutes. Turn the venting knob to venting position to release any remaining pressure. It should take about 20 minutes total. Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
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