Fluffy, slightly sweet coconut rice will instantly upgrade any meal. Made in less than 25 minutes, this six-ingredient recipe is a family favorite.  

While I’m all about using precooked frozen rice for hectic weeknights, sometimes, making a pot of Easy Toasted Coconut Rice can make a regular dinner just that much more special. 

Most coconut rice recipes only call for rice and coconut milk. This is a good combo, but the addition of toasted coconut brings it over the top.

The crunchy, slightly brown flakes mixed into the fluffy Thai rice are heavenly. 

Pair this side dish with a homemade curry (like my Thai Red Curry with Chicken) or a glazed salmon (such as my Honey Sriracha Glazed Salmon Bowls).

Can’t wait for you to give it a try… Enjoy! 

Ingredients for Easy Coconut Rice

This easy side dish only requires six basic ingredients, including water and salt! Here’s what you’ll need. 

• Jasmine Rice: A type of aromatic long-grain rice, Jasmine rice is relatively quick to cook and is super fluffy. Soaking the rice ahead of time helps with digestibility and also helps the rice cook faster and more evenly. If you’re really short on time, you can skip this step, but I highly recommend it! 
• Water: Cooking the rice in a mixture of coconut milk and water means it won’t be overly sticky. You can adjust the ratios to your liking by adding more or less water. 

• Canned Coconut Milk: Full-fat coconut milk is super creamy and adds a ton of flavor to the rice. Give the can a good shake before opening it.   
• Salt
• Unsweetened Shaved Coconut: A crunchy element mixed into the rice helps give it a bit of texture. 
• Maple Syrup: Toasting unsweetened coconut in a bit of maple syrup allows you to control how sweet you want the rice to turn out. 

How to Make Coconut Rice

First, soak the rice in a bowl for at least 30 minutes. Once the time is up, using a fine mesh sieve, rinse and strain the rice.

Add the rice to a small pot with your coconut milk, water, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat when almost all of the liquid has been absorbed and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the toasted coconut.

Add the coconut shavings and maple syrup to a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, tossing to ensure the coconut is evenly coated in maple syrup.

Once the coconut has just started to turn a very light brown, stir often to ensure it does not burn. You’ll be surprised by how quickly coconut can turn from white to dark brown! 

Once about 1/4 of your coconut has toasted, remove from heat and continue stirring. The coconut will continue to toast from the residual pan heat.

Add the coconut shavings and a pinch more salt to your rice and gently mix them in. Enjoy!

Serve This With: 

• Broiled Honey Sriracha Salmon
• Sheet Pan Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
• Saucy Simple Pineapple Chicken
• One Skillet Saucy Beef and Broccoli