Thai Mango Sticky Rice Recipe

Thai Mango Sticky Rice – An easy, simplified recipe for making perfectly sweet coconut sticky rice topped with juicy fresh mangoes.

This Thai dessert is well known as Mango Sticky Rice, although technically it’s coconut sticky rice topped with fresh mangoes. It’s sweet, glutinous, and soft, like rice pudding, with fresh and tangy mango to offset the heaviness of the rice.

Our family has very fond memories are sitting at the water’s edge, at a floating market outside of Bangkok, eating Mango Sticky Rice, and watching the boats float by. Later we learned how to make this recipe over an open flame. Instead of a steamer basket or sieve, the rice was cooked wrapped in large banana leaves.

There are several methods to making this dish, but I’ve tried to simplify the steps to make the easiest version, without sacrificing any of the wonderfully sweet taste or texture.

The Best Thai Mango Sticky Rice Recipe

A great sticky rice recipe starts with the right rice. To hold up to the cooking process you want to buy true sweet sticky rice. It’s definitely the best to use… This white long-grain rice has the glutinous-ness needed for making the pudding-like consistency, and overall the sweetest taste.

For just the right soft yet tender texture, it is recommended that you first soak the rice before steaming. Don’t skip this step! The rice should soak for at least an hour, but can be soaked for up to several hours for convenient prep.

Traditionally in Thailand, the mango is cut into thin slices when served with Thai coconut sticky rice. But I find that if you cube the mango as I’ve done here, you get a perfect little piece with each bite of coconut rice.

Ingredients You Need For Sticky Rice With Mango

You only need 5 ingredients to make wonderfully bright and flavorful coconut mango sticky rice (วิธีทำ ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง).

To make this delicious rice dessert recipe you need:

• Sweet rice – glutinous rice or short-grain sticky rice
• Coconut milk – full fat
• Granulated sugar – can use coconut sugar
• Salt – to balance the sweetness of the rice
• Ripe mangoes – peeled and sliced or diced

We also recommend garnishing with sesame seeds for a great texture and a hint of nutty flavor to complement the sweetness.

How to Make Mango Sticky Rice

This simplified Mango Coconut Sticky Rice recipe requires just 5 basic steps…

1. Rinse the Rice: Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer (sieve) and rinse in cold water until the water runs out clear. This removes some of the stickiness and keeps the rice from clumping together.
2. Soak the Rice: Soak the rinsed rice in warm water for at least 60 minutes, or up to several hours. Pour the rice back into the sieve.
3. Steam the Rice: Place a large pot over medium heat. Add 2 inches of water and place the sieve with the rice over the water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Steam the rice for 30 minutes. Toss the rice in the sieve to flip it over, so the top of the sticky rice is now at the bottom of the sieve. Cover and continue steaming for another 10-20 minutes, until fully cooked and fluffy.
4. Mix the Sauce: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix the coconut milk, sugar, and salt and stir. Set over medium heat and warm until the sugar has fully dissolved into the coconut milk. Do not boil! Set the coconut-milk mixture aside.
5. Rest the Rice: Mix the cooked sticky rice into the sauce. Cover and let the rice pudding rest undisturbed for 30 minutes. Then peel and dice (or slice) the mangoes. Check out our handy tips for How to Cut a Mango!

The texture should be sticky and a little saucy, but not wet.

How to Serve Sticky Coconut Rice with Mango

Once cooled and set, scoop some of the coconut sticky rice into a 4-ounce ramekin/small bowl. Press firmly to pack the rice together. Then flip the ramekin over onto a dessert plate, and wiggle to release the rice from the ramekin. Repeat to make up to 8 portions total.

Top each pile of sticky rice with fresh cubed mango or mango slices. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired (or you can also do toasted sesame seeds). Serve cold or at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Store Leftovers

Cooled leftovers can be sealed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. The flavors will be even better a day or so after the coconut sticky rice is made! But do note that the consistency of the rice will continue to thicken and get stickier once the dish is chilled and sits in the fridge.

Enjoy the leftover Thai sweet rice cold straight from the fridge, or reheat in 30-second bursts in the microwave until the desired temperature is reached.

What kind of rice is used for this recipe?

This recipe uses a short grain sweet rice, unlike other fluffy rice recipes, that call for long grain rice. 

What about my dietary restrictions?

If you need gluten-free food, rice is the perfect dish because all rice is gluten-free. This recipe is also dairy-free since we use coconut milk instead of regular milk.

Looking for More Delicious Dessert Recipes?

• Mango Italian Ice
• Tropical Fruit Salad with Vanilla Bean
• Mexican Rice Pudding Pops
• Blackberry Bread Pudding Recipe
• Tres Leches Cake Recipe with Mango Cream

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