Fast & Easy Coconut Rice made in the Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot. Perfectly cooked rice with the sweet aroma and subtle flavor of coconut milk. This is a great vegan & gluten free side dish to many Asian dishes! 

Coconut Rice made in the pressure cooker served in a black bowl topped with sesame seeds and scallions
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When we go to a Thai restaurant and they have Coconut Rice as a side dish on the menu, we always choose to order Coconut Rice over plain rice. The hint of coconut with the aroma and maybe some toasted coconut flakes is always enticing.

I always keep cans of coconut milk in the pantry. They have a long shelf life, and are a great addition to many dishes. I add coconut milk to make Thai curries, or even many indian curries when I want to skip the heavy cream and make them vegan. And basmati or jasmine rice are always in the pantry too. So it is super easy to whip up these coconut rice.

It is super simple and easy to make Instant Pot Coconut Rice in the pressure cooker, and you always have consistent results. Al dente rice which are fluffy, each grain separate. We found these rice to be even fluffier than plain rice cooked in the instant pot. You will love the subtle flavor of coconut. Let me clarify, it is not overwhelming at all.

What is Coconut Rice?

Coconut Rice is basically rice prepared by cooking them along with coconut milk or with coconut flakes. Coconut rice is popular in many countries such as in Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, some parts of Latin America and also in southern parts of India. The preparation slightly varies in each country, but they all mostly use coconut milk to make the rice.

Coconut Rice made in the pressure cooker served in a black bowl topped with sesame seeds and scallions

What ingredients are added to Coconut Rice?

The main two ingredients to make Coconut Rice are – Rice & Coconut milk. Along with that, add some water, salt and/or sugar.

You can use basmati rice or jasmine rice to make Coconut Rice. I have made with both basmati and jasmine rice, and they both work really well.

Use canned unsweetened coconut milk, not the beverage you find in the refrigerator section at the super market. You can use full-fat or light coconut milk.

I usually skip sugar when making coconut rice, but feel free to add based on your preference.

How to make Coconut Rice in Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker)?

This is the easiest rice recipe you will find. If you are new to the instant pot, check out this quick setup guide.

  • Add rinsed rice, coconut milk, water and salt to the instant pot.
  • Give a quick stir and close the lid.
  • Use the Rice function, which for about 1 cup of rice defaults to 12 minutes of low pressure cooking. Note: You can also pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
  • When the cooking time is done, do a 10 minute NPR. This means let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure.

Fluff the rice with a fork. I like to top with some coconut flakes.

Coconut Rice cooked in pressure cooker topped with coconut flakes

When serving, I like to garnish with spring onions and some black sesame seeds for a pop of color. You can also top with cilantro or just enjoy them as is.

Oh…and if you like to add veggies to make this a pilaf, you can certainly add veggies such as chopped carrots, green beans or green peas before pressure cooking. Her his my vegetable pulao recipe, which you can use as a reference.

You can use the same method to make rice in the Ninja Foodi pressure cooker.

How to make pot-in-pot Coconut Rice?

With the instant pot, I love the convenience of pot-in-pot cooking. When you are making a curry in the main pot, you can cook rice pot-in-pot at the same time. It is such a time saver to have complete dinner ready in one go!

Learn more about the instant pot pot-in-pot method with this comprehensive guide!

To cook Coconut Rice pot-in-pot, follow the same method but add all the ingredients to a steel bowl that fits in the instant pot insert. Add a cup of water to the instant pot insert (not required if you are cooking a curry in the main pot). Place a trivet and the steel bowl with the ingredients mixed on it.

Pressure cook for 5 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 10 minute NPR. This cooking time works well with steel bowl. If using an oven-safe glass bowl, add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time. Perfectly cooked coconut rice!

What to serve with Coconut Rice?

As I mentioned, Coconut rice goes really well with Thai dishes, such as curry or stir fry. We enjoy coconut rice with Indian curries too. Below are my favorites to enjoy with coconut rice:

Enjoy this delicious & easy Coconut Rice!

Coconut Rice cooked in pressure cooker topped with coconut flakes
4.79 from 14 votes

Pressure Cooker Coconut Rice Recipe

Fast & Easy Coconut Rice made in the Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot. Perfectly cooked rice with the sweet aroma and subtle flavor of coconut milk. This is a great vegan & gluten free rice side dish to many Asian dishes! 
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

Garnish Options:

Instructions 

  • Add the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to the instant pot steel insert. 
  • Set the instant pot to the “Rice” function. This will default to 12 minutes at low pressure. (4 minutes at high pressure will work too)
  • When the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually. 
  • Add garnish of your choice and serve warm. 

For Pot-in-Pot Coconut Rice:

  • Add the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to a steel bowl that will fit in the instant pot insert. 
  • Add 1 cup water to the instant pot steel insert. Place a trivet and the bowl with the rice on top of the trivet. 
  • Set the instant pot on high pressure for 5 minutes. (Note: this cooking time works for steel bowl. Add 3-4 minutes if using an oven-safe glass bowl)
  • When the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
  • Add garnish of your choice and serve warm. 

Notes

This recipe will make al dente rice. If you like softer rice, add 1/4 cup more coconut milk or water. 
Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 155mgPotassium: 177mgVitamin C: 0.6mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2.2mg

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese, Thai
Diet: Gluten-free, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Mention @pipingpotcurry or tag #pipingpotcurry!

About Meeta

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. My passion is to share easy, healthy, and wholesome recipes made using Instant Pot & Air Fryer, that are well tested, so you can cook with confidence.

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4.79 from 14 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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18 Comments

      1. Hi Claire – Sure, you can make the rice ahead. To reheat, add a splash of water, and cover the bowl of rice with a wet paper towel, then heat in the microwave. The wet towel helps to not dry out the rice.

  1. Hi Meeta,

    Would it be possible to do pot in a pot with a Thai curry at the bottom and coconut rice on top? If so, what would be the right setting to cook?

    1. Hi Sheena – If you are cooking a chicken Thai curry which takes about 5 minutes of high pressure cooking time, then pot-in-pot jasmine rice could work with it. Do a 5-10 minute pressure release. I would not suggest to cook PIP rice with a veggie Thai curry, as the cooking time will be lower.

  2. This was delicious, although using a glass bowl after 8 minutes on high pressure and natural pressure release it was rock hard, and needed another 5 minutes. I then added a few tbsp more water and left it warm for a few minutes and it went beautifully sticky.

    1. Hi Aliya – Yes, this recipe would work well with brown basmati rice too. You can use the same proportions, just cook on high pressure for 22 minutes.

  3. Although good, I continue to look for a sweet coconut rice as served in Thai restaurants. This wasn’t it, unfortunately, since it is not sweet at all.

    1. Hi Laura – This coconut rice goes really well with Thai or Chinese food. However you can also just serve this as a replacement for white rice. Hope you enjoy it!