Rice Cooker Coconut Rice with Lemongrass

May 18, 2023 · Published: September 19, 2020 By: Asian Inspired Eats 42 Comments

This fluffy Rice Cooker Coconut Rice with Lemongrass is rich, fragrant, and delicious with infused coconut flavors! It's the perfect side with Asian-inspired dishes!

A gray bowl filled with steamed white rice topped with coconut flakes, a white spoon and blue napkin on the side, on top of a wooden board

I swear, I could eat this Rice Cooker Coconut Rice with Lemongrass as an entire meal! It's that freakin' good! The flavors are outstanding, especially with the addition of the coconut flakes. And the lemongrass is just subtle enough. Serve it on the side with your favorite protein, like ANYTHING!

The ingredients are few: Jasmine rice, coconut milk, salt, and shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes—and it comes together so quickly.

uncooked white rice kernels in a wooden bowl on top of a wooden cutting board

The jasmine rice comes out fluffy, flavorful, and delicious!

The infusion of fresh lemongrass stalks gives this coconut rice bright citrus notes!

Ingredients for coconut rice

Jasmine rice -- it's aromatic and perfect with the coconut flakes/lemongrass combo. Comes out so fluffy in the rice cooker.
Coconut milk -- I used full fat coconut milk to give this rice the richest flavor. But if you want to make it lower cal, you can use light coconut milk.
Coconut water -- the coconut water gives this rice a little extra flavor, but plain water will do just fine.
Lemongrass stalks -- the infusion of lemongrass gives this coconut rice bright citrus notes.
Coconut flakes -- You can use these coconut flakes both inside the rice when cooking and toasted for a crunchy garnish.

A woman holding a wooden spoon scooping white rice from a rice cooker

It's so easy to make this jasmine rice in a rice cooker, but you can also prepare this as you would any rice on the stovetop.

Steamed white rice on a wooden spoon held above a rice cooker

Steps to make rice cooker coconut rice

Rinse the jasmine rice in a bowl until the water runs clear. This also helps release the starches.
Place rice, coconut milk, coconut water, salt, and pieces of lemongrass in a rice cooker. Cover tightly with lid and let cook until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice and the cooker turns to warm setting.
Add in the coconut flakes and stir. Cover and let sit on warm setting for 10-15 minutes. When ready to serve, discard lemongrass sticks and fluff rice with a fork. Garnish with toasted coconut flakes.
To toast coconut: Place 3 tablespoons shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes in a frying pan over medium-high heat and "dry fry" until light golden brown.

Coconut rice can be served with a variety of Asian dishes, like my Miso Glazed Salmon, Pan Seared Halibut with Nuoc Cham, or Stir-Fry Beef and Broccoli. This may become your default rice side dish for Asian fare!

TIPS & TRICKS

This recipe works best with jasmine white rice, a long-grain, slightly sticky rice that's typically grown in Thailand. Brown rice and other rice will not work well for this recipe.
Rinsing the rice until the water becomes clear is an important step in the process for perfect rice. It will remove the starches to keep the rice less mushy.
I highly recommend this recipe with a rice cooker for the best results.
Plain water can be substituted for coconut water.
Always fluff the rice after it's cooked through. You can use a large fork or the flat spoon that comes with the rice cooker.
I like to freeze my rice in an airtight baggie, laid flat. Then you can microwave it in a micro-safe bowl when ready to serve.

WANT MORE?

If you like this Rice Cooker Coconut Rice recipe, you’re going to want these recipes:

Update Notes: This post was originally published on March 14, 2016, but was republished with slight text changes and additions, like step-by-step instructions and tips in September 2020.