Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

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58 Comments
January 31, 2026
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This recipe for Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice is an old-school Our Best Bites classic that is pretty much my go-to side dish with any summery, tropical meal.

sweet and savory coconut rice from our best bites

It’s one of those recipes I just know by heart and always have the ingredients for in my pantry (if you love tropical rice, another delicious standby is our Lime-Cilantro Pineapple Rice!)

I originally posted this recipe over 10 years ago when my 12-year-old looked like this:

and my 14-year-old had little feet like this:


And my 7 year old wasn’t even a twinkle in my eye, as my dad would say.

So now that we all feel really old, let’s eat carbs!

You’re going to need 2 cups of Jasmine or Basmati rice, a can of coconut milk, some water, green onions, a splash of vinegar, a little bit of sugar, and some salt and pepper.
ingredients for sweet and savory coconut rice from our best bites

Combine rice, water,

adding water to sweet and savory coconut rice from our best bites

coconut milk,

adding coconut milk to sweet and savory coconut rice from our best bites

salt, sugar,

adding salt and sugar to sweet and savory coconut rice from our best bites

and vinegar, in a saucepan and bring to a boil Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.

sweet and savory coconut rice from our best bites

sweet and savory coconut rice from our best bites

Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

4.67 from 3 votes
This Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice pairs perfectly with anything summery or tropical!
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups Jasmine or Basmati rice
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Splash of white or rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • Handful of chopped green onions plus chopped green onion tops for garnish
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.
  • Serve with any Asian or tropical-inspired food.
Author: kate jones
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Serve with any Asian or tropical-inspired food, like…

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Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite Recipes, Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Cooking, The Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  1. I've never had coconut rice before. I was a little nervous about making it because after living in Japan for a 1 1/2 years I love just plain 'ol rice. But I just made it tonight in my rice cooker and it tastes WONDERFUL!! Thanks again for all your tasty recipes!

    Reply

    1. Did you have to make any adjustments using the rice cooker? I was wondering about using my instant pot.

      Reply

  2. I've never had coconut rice before. I was a little nervous about making it because after living in Japan for a 1 1/2 years I love just plain 'ol rice. But I just made it tonight in my rice cooker and it tastes WONDERFUL!! Thanks again for all your tasty recipes!

    Reply

  3. Michelle–Yep, it's just regular, unsweetened coconut milk. I should make that more clear in the recipe–it would be really bad if someone made it with cream of coconut! 🙂

    Reply

  4. I love coconut rice. My Thai neighbor used to make it for us all the time. Man I miss them, and not just for the food.

    I have a question. Is it unsweetened coconut milk? I want to make sure I pick up the right thing. We're so having this soon.

    Reply

  5. Jess–I would imagine that it would be okay. You might want to check the manufacturer's instructions and see if they have anything to say about using coconut milk because it does effect the cooking time slightly. Just keep an eye on things and I think you should be fine! 🙂

    Reply

  7. I am lazy and use my rice cooker. (I highly recommend those. Fix it and forget it is just my style.) Can I just toss this stuff in there, too? I'm guessing yes, so I'll probably try it.

    Reply

  9. Jen, yeah, what is that about the gelatinous, gummy texture in Thai ricey food that's so dang good?? We had spring rolls tonight and I was just relishing in how much I loved the spring roll wrapper, which is really weird because texture is normally a huge issue for me.

    Anyway. To answer your question. I. Love. Mango sticky rice. A few weeks ago, our Kroger here had mangoes for .20 apiece and I went a little nuts. Yummmmmmm…

    Reply

  10. Awe, thanks Erin. We haven't gotten around to begging for votes yet- but we will! lol

    Reply