Easy Instant Pot Coconut Rice Recipe

bowl piled high with instant pot coconut rice

5 from 2 votes

Easy Instant Pot Coconut Rice Recipe

A delicious and easy Coconut Rice recipe -- made in the Instant Pot! Better than regular rice, Instant Pot Coconut Rice is fluffy and aromatic. The coconut milk adds a creamy, fragrant flavor. A simple addition that jazzes up regular white rice to something very special! A favorite side dish that goes well with everything -- grilled meat, oxtails, curry, etc. Great for potlucks, too!

Prep Time5

Cook Time9

Resting Time10

Total Time24

Course: Rice, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Coconut, Instant Pot, Rice

Servings: as a side

Calories: 227kcal

Author: Lis Lam

Equipment

1 Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
1 Large Sieve

Ingredients

2 cups long or medium grain rice (such as basmati or jasmine rice)
1 400 ml/14 oz can Coconut Milk (measures 1 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper *to taste
1 tsp coconut extract (optional, for more coconut flavor + fragrance)
big handful chopped cilantro or parsley optional garnish

Instructions

Rinse rice. Place uncooked rice grains in a large fine-mesh sieve. Rinse in cold water until the water runs clear, mixing with hands to remove excess starch. Drain well and place inside Instant Pot.
Add ingredients. Pour coconut milk into a 2 cup measuring cup. There should be 1 3/4 cup coconut milk. Top with cold water until the liquid reaches the 2 cup line. Add this liquid to the Instant Pot, directly on top of the rice. Add salt and coconut extract, if using. Using a fork, give everything a good stir. (It's ok if the coconut milk is in clumps).
Cook. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual mode, high pressure. Set the timer for 4 minutes. DO NOT USE THE RICE FUNCTION. Also, make sure to turn off the "Keep Warm" setting.
Natural Release. Once the rice has finished cooking and the timer beeps, Natural Release the steam for 5 minutes. (Set a timer). *To natural release, leave it undisturbed after the timer beeps. The Instant Pot will "naturally release" some steam, bit by bit, as it sits on the counter. FYI: make sure the KEEP WARM setting is turned off or else it will not natural release.
Rest. Manually release any remaining steam by turning the vent valve. Be careful! It will be hot! Unlock the lid and set it aside. Drape a clean kitchen towel over the pot. Place the lid (loosely) on top of the towel. Set a timer for 10 minutes and let the rice rest.
Serve. Once the timer goes off, fluff with a fork. Transfer to a seving bowl. Add a handful of chopped cilantro and/or parsley on top. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Measure accurately. For perfect rice that is not too mushy or too hard, it's important to measure the liquid to rice ratio. A 1:1 ratio is what we're looking for. 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of liquid.

Use a fine-mesh sieve. Makes rinsing easier. Also ensures that you have the exact liquid amount.

Do not use the "rice" function. Manual mode works best.

Make a large batch. It's easy to make a larger batch of Coconut Rice. Simply multiply the ingredient amounts, making sure to keep the ratio of rice to liquid as 1:1. For example, 3 cups rice + 3 cups liquid, 4 cups rice + 4 cups liquid, etc.

Nutrition