Our mango sticky rice recipe is the perfect fix for when you're craving some Asian sweet treats. With just a few simple steps, you can whip up this gooey and sweet sticky rice, served with creamy coconut sauce and mango-loaded treat right in your kitchen. This classic Thai dessert is refreshingly delicious and easy to make!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
As an Asian, I must admit that we don't have a wide variety of desserts. However, one dessert that stands out is Thai mango sticky rice, which is famous worldwide and loved by many. Here's why.
Fresh and simple flavors-Mango sticky rice combines the tropical sweetness of ripe mango, like in our no-bake mango cheesecake, with the rich, creamy texture of coconut-infused sticky rice. The subtle saltiness enhances the flavors, creating a harmonious balance that's irresistibly satisfying and refreshing.
Easy-Making this at home is surprisingly easy. It has just four components: rice, sauce to flavor the rice, sauce to serve with the mango sticky rice, and, of course, the juicy, sweet mango. This creates a delicious, authentic Thai dessert with minimal effort and simple ingredients.
Ingredients For This Recipe
Glutinous rice-This type of rice is also known as Thai sweet rice, sticky rice, or waxy rice. Its high starch content makes it sticky and glutinous. Its slightly sweet flavor makes it perfect for desserts like mango on sticky rice! Additionally, our glutinous rice with coconut milk and turmeric is perfect for savory dishes.
Coconut milk-Full-fat or light coconut milk works amazingly in this sticky rice with mango recipe.
Sugar-Granulated white sugar is ideal as it not only sweetens both the rice and sauce but also preserves their colors. However, brown sugar works too, but the rice and sauce won't be white.
Mango-Any mango works great, but ripe mangoes are essential as they provide a refreshing, natural sweet flavor. It is crucial to find the best mangoes you can. Half a mango or roughly ½ to 1 cup is perfect for one portion. Feel free to slice the mangoes in either diagonal slices or cubes, according to your preference.
Other mango recipes our readers adore are mini mango lassi cheesecakes and healthy no-churn mango ice cream, perfect for mango lovers!
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Mango Sticky Rice
Step 1: Soak the rice. Cover the rice with water, ensuring it's at least 1 inch above the rice level, and let it soak for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Drain the water and place the rice evenly in a heatproof container.
Step 2: First steam. Place a steamer rack in a pot and fill it with water until it's 1 inch below the steamer rack. Bring the water to a boil and then place the rice container on the rack. Cover with a lid and steam for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Rice seasoning sauce. While the rice is steaming, add coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a pot. Bring it to a gentle boil, stir, and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 4: Mix. Pour the rice seasoning sauce into a bowl, followed by steamed rice. Using a spatula, mix everything well until every grain of rice is coated with the sauce.
Step 5: Second steam. Evenly add the coconut milk rice back to the container and steam covered for another 10 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, take the container out of the steamer and fluff the rice with a spatula. Then, cover it and allow it to cool completely.
Step 6: Sauce. Mix cornstarch with water and add it to a pot along with coconut milk and salt. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Allow it to cool completely. To serve the mango sticky rice, place one-quarter of the rice onto a plate with some sliced mango. Pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
How To Steam Without A Steamer Basket
Not everybody has a steamer basket, pot, or electric steamer because it's not common equipment. However, we'll show you how to assemble a steamer in your kitchen using your already-have kitchen gadgets!
Wide pan or pot with a lid-It doesn't need to be deep; the most important thing is that it fits the container size where you put the food to steam. A wok also works amazingly! Whatever you use, make sure it can contain the metal rack, food container, and food. When you cover it with a lid, everything should fit.
Metal rack-Where you'll place the food container when steaming. It's to hold the food container steadily so that it doesn't touch the boiling water. We use a rack that comes with our microwave to elevate the food. Alternatively, you can also crunch several pieces of aluminum foil into balls.
Food container-Make sure it's heatproof. Depending on the food you want to steam, you can use a plate or a metal pan. We use a plate to make our Chinese steamed fish and steam it in a wok.
Boiling water-Fill the pan or pot with water until it reaches 1 inch below the metal rack. The water should not touch the rack. Ensure that the water is boiling throughout the entire cooking process. Add more water as needed if you notice the pan is drying out.
Recipe Expert Tips
If you're going to make this Mango Sticky Rice recipe, make sure to follow these top tips!
- Soak the rice. This cuts down the cooking time greatly. Preferably overnight; however, 4 hours should do it.
- Use ripe mangoes. Soft textured ripe mangoes are ideal!
- Adjust the sugar to taste. This recipe uses ½ cup of sugar to sweeten the rice, which is perfect as a dessert. However, if you prefer not-so-sweet desserts, use ¼-1/3 cup of sugar.
- Serve at room temperature. All the flavors and textures amazingly complement each other.
How To Serve, Store, And Reheat
Serve-This mango sticky rice recipe is a perfect dessert for 4 people. We like to fill a small bowl lined with cling film with the sticky rice, press it, and then flip it onto a serving plate. The cling film makes it easier for the rice to detach from the bowl. Next, place slices of half a mango each, although the amount is up to your preference. Pour the sauce on top, followed by sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds.
Store-This dessert is best enjoyed on the day it is made. However, you can store the sticky rice and sauce separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring everything to room temperature, and peel and slice the mangoes right before serving.
Reheat-Sticky rice, with its high starch content, tends to become very dry and hard when stored in the fridge. We like to reheat it slowly in the microwave for a few seconds until it becomes soft and gooey again, and then let it cool to room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Unfortunately, no. Sticky rice is high in starch, which makes it gooey, creamy, and able to absorb rice seasoning sauce beautifully compared to other types of rice.
No worries, neither do we! We use a wide pan with a lid, a microwave rack to elevate food, and any heatproof pan or plate to steam the food. Do refer to how to steam without a steamer section in the post above.
It is best enjoyed on the day it's made. However, you can prepare the recipe up to 4 days in advance by storing the sticky rice and the rice sauce separately. When you're ready to enjoy it, slowly reheat the sticky rice in the microwave until it becomes soft and gooey again. Bring the sauce to room temperature, and only peel and slice the mangoes just before serving.
Did you try this Mango Sticky Rice?
Please leave us ★★★★★ ratings and feedback below in the comment section. We'd love to know how it went, what you liked, or if there's anything we can improve. Share and tag us on Instagram; we'd like to see your creation.
Thank you! -Bea and Marco
Watch How To Make It
📖 Recipe
Mango Sticky Rice
Video
Ingredients
Main
- 1 cup (210 g) glutinous rice
- 2 ripe mangoes , peeled and sliced
Rice Seasoning Sauce
- ½ cup (120 g) coconut milk
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar , reduce to ¼-1/3 cup if desired
- 1 teaspoon salt
Sauce
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ cup (120 g) coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Rice
- Cover the rice with water, ensuring it's at least 1 inch above the rice level, and let it soak for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Drain the water and place the rice evenly in a heatproof container.
- Place a steamer rack in a pot and fill it with water until it's 1 inch below the steamer rack. Bring the water to a boil and then place the rice container on the rack. Cover with a lid and steam for 15 minutes.
Rice Seasoning Sauce
- While the rice is steaming, add coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a pot. Bring it to a gentle boil, stir, and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
- While the rice is steaming, add coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a pot. Bring it to a gentle boil, stir, and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
Sauce
- Mix cornstarch with water and add it to a pot along with coconut milk and salt. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Allow it to cool completely.
Serve
- Fill a small bowl lined with cling film with the sticky rice, press it, and then flip it onto a serving plate. The cling film makes it easier for the rice to detach from the bowl. Next, place slices of half a mango each, although the amount is up to your preference. Pour the sauce on top, followed by sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
- Soak the rice. This cuts down the cooking time greatly. Preferably overnight; however, 4 hours should do it.
- Use ripe mangoes. Soft textured ripe mangoes are ideal!
- Adjust the sugar to taste. This recipe uses ½ cup of sugar to sweeten the rice, which is perfect as a dessert. However, if you prefer not-so-sweet desserts, use ¼-⅓ cup of sugar.
- Serve at room temperature. All the flavors and textures amazingly complement each other.
Originally published on Aug 16, 2017. Updated with improved text, recipe, and pictures on Jul 23, 2024.
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