5 Ingredient Instant Pot Coconut Rice

Learn how to make instant pot coconut rice. This recipe is simple and requires just five simple ingredients — toss it all in and let the pressure cooker do the work for you!

Hello there!

This weekend was a doozy, so I’m bringing my instant pot coconut rice recipe a day later than anticipated. It is so worth the wait though; promise.

I can’t tell you the number of requests I’ve gotten over the years on how to make jasmine coconut rice. You mean jasmine rice, cooked in coconut milk, right? Not dessert? We’re talking about coconut rice that you’d serve with something savory, right? And indeed, it was a coconut rice recipe that would be served with all things savory that you wanted.

Before starting recipe testing, I had never had coconut rice before. And now I’m like, where have you been all my life? It’s perfectly creamy and slightly sweet jasmine-scented rice; it goes with just about anything and everything. I mean, have I been hiding under a rock? Tell me you’ve had it before.

It’s jasmine rice cooked with coconut milk, and it is zomg, it’s soo good. 

Total transparency — my basic rice repertoire isn’t that extensive. I make a vermicelli rice pilaf, sometimes I’ll make cranberry rice, boil basmati rice when I’m making butter chicken, and when I’m feeling extra lazy, I sauté parboiled rice and let it cook in chicken broth to give it a yummy, rich flavor. 

But coconut rice? I’m digging it.

The best thing about homemade coconut rice is that it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly. We’re using just five simple ingredients when we make coconut rice in a pressure cooker.

Ingredients to make coconut rice in the instant pot:

• rice
• coconut milk
• water
• salt
• sugar

That’s right. It’s five simple ingredients, including salt and water.

What kind of rice works best for this recipe?

For my homemade coconut rice recipe, I specifically suggest using jasmine rice. Other types of rice, such as long grain white rice will also work. However, they will require a bit of tinkering on your part. Long grain white rice takes slightly longer to cook in the instant pot than jasmine rice and therefore, you’ll also need additional liquid so that the rice cooks all the way through and doesn’t stick to the bottom of your instant pot. I’m not exactly sure on how much more liquid it’ll need as I’ve only tested this recipe with jasmine rice.

Do I need to rinse the rice before cooking it?

YES. With jasmine rice, whether you’re preparing it on the stove top or your instant pot, you’ll want to give your rice a thorough rinse before cooking it. 

Start by placing the rice in a sieve and gently rubbing the rice with your fingertips under cold running water. You’ll notice that the water running through the rice is almost a cloudy white color. As you continue to rinse, the water will start to become more clear. When it gets to that stage, stop cleaning, gently shake out as much water as you can and place the rice in the instant pot. 

Can I use low-fat coconut milk for this?

Yes, low-fat coconut milk works just fine for this recipe. Although I feel it tastes much better with full-fat coconut milk!

Can I use something other than regular sugar for this recipe?

• palm sugar
• coconut sugar
• honey
• maple syrup

Do I have to use the sugar?

You’re welcome to skip the sugar if you’d like! I find that it gives the rice a balanced flavor and also really brings out the natural taste of coconut — which we love! Feel free to omit or cut back on the sugar to your liking though! I’ve tried both one and two tablespoons, and we like it slightly better with two tablespoons.

Tips for making the best coconut rice:

1. RINSE: make sure you really, really, really rinse your rice thoroughly. I know, I’m repeating myself, but that’s how important this step is!
2. NPR: You need to make sure you allow the rice to do a natural pressure release. Even if the silver pressure tab falls (indicating that the pressure has released,) until the timer reads 10 minutes, don’t vent it. This allows the rice to soak up any remaining liquid in the pot and finish cooking the rice all the way through.

How to make them even better:

I like to finish my homemade coconut rice with just a hint of toasted coconut flakes. The last time I bought them was from Trader Joe’s, and they were toasty and lightly golden and sweet — perfect for a spicy chicken bowl!

What can I serve with this?

• Sesame ginger tofu 
• Hawaiian garlic shrimp
• Crispy black pepper tofu stir fry
• Korean beef bowls
• Broccoli beef stir fry
• Thai Panang curry
• Butternut squash red curry
• Chicken tikka masala
• Jalapeno salt and pepper shrimp
• Mojo chicken bowls
• Garlic Pepper steak stir fry
• Black pepper chicken stir fry
• 10-Minute Ginger Shrimp Snow Pea Stir Fry