Name: Thai Mango Sticky Rice Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Thai Sweet Rice; 1 ½ cups water (divided); 1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk, divided; ¼ teaspoon salt; 6 Tablespoons light brown sugar (divided); 2 ripe mangoes; sliced

This classic Thai Mango Sticky Rice Recipe is filled with sweetness and great textures that will send your taste buds soaring!

This Thai Sticky Rice Recipe is going to change the way you look at rice! The first time I saw this dish I couldn’t imagine rice being considered a dessert! What? Every time I make or order rice it is always savory and apart of an appetizer, a meal, or attached to the outside of my sushi, but never have I had it as a dessert. That is, before this recipe.

This Thai Sticky Rice Recipe is a popular Thai Dessert most often served in the Spring when Mangoes are in their peak season, but it can still be made year round.

For this recipe you have to use sweet rice, or glutinous rice. The components of this rice is truly what makes it sticky rice. One thing to note is that this rice was harder to come by, but luckily there is a great Asian market near my house and I was able to swing by and grab a bag that is from Thailand. You can order this Thai Sweet rice from Amazon as well if it is not in your local grocery store or in your area but be mindful of this because when I was looking online some places sell a 25lb bag of sweet rice. That would be a LOT of sticky mango rice.

How to Make Sticky Rice

Assemble your ingredients. For exact amounts please see recipe card below.

Soak the rice in 1 cup of water in a pot for 20-30 mins. Do not drain the rice.

Add ½ cup more water plus ½ of the can of coconut milk, salt, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to medium-low heat until you get to a gentle simmer and then partially cover with a lid so that the steam is still able to escape.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the mixture has been absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat but leave the pot on the burner with the lid closed for 5 – 10 minutes.

To make the sauce, warm but do not boil, the rest of the coconut milk over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. After 3-5 minutes add 5 Tablespoons of brown sugar, stirring to dissolve.

Taste test for sweetness, adding more sugar if desired.

In a serving bowl scoop some rice and drizzle the sauce over the top and add in your mango slices and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use rice other than Sweet Rice: Unfortunately, no. The components that are used to create sweet rice or glutinous rice, are what is needed for this dish and other types of rice do not have this same composition so the overall dish would not be good. You can use any sweet rice, but for authenticity, I prefer sweet rice from Thailand and you can get it easily from Amazon.

How do I save and store leftovers? This dish is best served fresh and is not recommended to save and reheat. With that being said if this is your desire I would store the rice and glaze separately and reheat the glaze in a pan on a stove top versus a microwave.

Do I have to use mangoes? Not necessarily. Mangoes are the traditional fruit used in this dish but sadly mangoes are not always in season. So, with the natural sweetness that comes from most fruit this dish could be made with another sweet fruit and still be a delicious dessert.

What Main Dishes to Pair with Thai Mango Sticky Rice

For this dessert I would recommend any of our delicious Thai recipes which you can find here. With that being said, here are a few Thai dishes I recommend to pair with this dessert:

Thai Style Papaya Salad Rolls – This Thai Style Papaya Salad Rolls recipe wraps up green beans, carrots, tomatoes, green papaya and peanuts with a peanut sauce for a delicious appetizer when you can’t decide between fresh rolls and papaya salad!

Thai Cashew Chicken – This Thai Cashew Chicken recipe is an easy stir-fry recipe that is so flavorful! This Thai cashew chicken stir fry combines chicken, yellow onion, green onion, dried red chilies, garlic, and toasted cashews for a delicious meal that is ready in 20 minutes.

20 Minute Spicy Panang Peanut Noodles – These dreamy Panang Noodles are so easy! Just whip up the sauce in the blender, toss with hot rice noodles, and load up on toppings!