You’ve mastered white rice, love brown rice, and turn to basmati and jasmine whenever your menu demands. Now, you can become a sticky rice expert, as well, making restaurant-style grains whenever the mood strikes! Sweet and savory, soft and quick-cooking, this grain is as versatile as other types of rice, improving countless appetizers, mains, and desserts. If you’ve ever wondered what to eat with sticky rice, we’ve got answers. Though it’s incredible in treats like Thai-style mango sticky rice, it has countless other uses!
Also known as glutinous or sweet rice, sticky rice is native to parts of Asia, including Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Named for its unique texture, sticky rice becomes soft, chewy, and clumpy when cooked. This is because it is very high in amylopectin starch and low in amylose starch. When cooked, amylopectin starch naturally breaks down, becoming thick, tacky, and creamy.
Ideal for sushi, dumplings, porridge, desserts, and as a side, sticky rice is best used in recipes that highlight its satisfying texture. Despite its delicate sweetness, it’s as delicious with savory mains as it is in rich, gooey, tempting sweets!
Read on to learn everything there is to know about sticky rice and how to easily incorporate it into your next meal.
Why Sticky Rice Works with So Many Flavors
If you’ve only ever enjoyed sticky rice in a syrupy, fruit-topped dessert, you’ve got plenty to learn about this versatile grain. As popular as jasmine rice (though incredibly different), it’s beloved across the globe in sweet and savory dishes that can be enjoyed from morning until night.
- No other type of rice is as chewy and satisfying to bite as sticky rice. As mentioned, this is due to its unique makeup. Rice that is high in amylose starch, such as basmati, cooks up separately and fluffy. Amylopectin starch, on the other hand, makes rice gluey and chewy when cooked. It’s this irresistible texture that makes Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice so delicious in dumplings, desserts, sushi and more.
- If you’re making a saucy dish—think braised meat or rich curry—sticky rice is a perfect pairing, as it absorbs sauces beautifully. Its delicate flavor is also ideal alongside boldly spiced dishes.
- Nobody is debating the fact that sticky rice is unforgettable in sweet dishes, like mango sticky rice, biko, and sweet dumplings. What some people don’t know, though, is that it’s just as great in savory preparations. It can be used in layered bowls, to make sushi and rice balls, or as a side dish with saucy stews, curries, and more.
Savory Pairings: What to Eat with Sticky Rice for Lunch or Dinner
Dishes that spotlight sticky rice’s unbeatable texture and subtle flavor- these lunch and dinner options are some of our favorites.
Spicy Tuna Roll
Make sushi an everyday thing with this simple 6-step recipe! A dish that comes together in minutes—thanks to Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice, canned tuna and a slew of seasonings—this one is also easy to customize to everyone’s tastes. In place of tuna, try cooked shrimp, imitation crab or canned salmon. You can also go completely vegetarian, with a crunchy blend of delicious fresh and pickled vegetables.
Tuna Onigiri
Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice makes it easy to shape these popular Japanese rice balls. Savory and satisfying, they marry rice with saucy tuna, nori and umami-rich furikake for a handheld snack or light meal that’s hard to resist.
Salmon Poke Bowl
With this simple recipe as your guide, treat the family to poke tonight! Featuring a colorful mix of flavorful ingredients—including juicy pineapple, edamame, sweet salmon and seasoned sticky rice—each bowl is a joy to eat. If you’re looking for vegetarian dishes to eat with sticky rice, you can also make these without animal proteins.
Crispy Rice with Spicy Shrimp Salad
Impressive at parties and potlucks, this spicy dish also makes a welcome dinner or snack. Though the list of steps may seem long, they’re incredibly simple to execute. If you can cook and pan-fry Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice, season shrimp, and then put the two together, you can dive into this surprising dish any day of the week!
Sushi Bake
Crunchy and bold, savory and warm, this casserole is a surprisingly creative way to enjoy your favorite sushi flavors! A crowd-pleasing complete meal in one, it pairs seasoned Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice with sriracha-spiked shrimp, creamy avocado and a golden, crisp breadcrumb topping. Grab a little bit of every element in each bite and make the most out of every mouthful.
Sweet Pairings: Sticky Rice Desserts Everyone Loves
If you’ve ever had sticky rice in sweets, you know just how spectacular it can be! Lean into its reputation as an essential dessert ingredient with these winning recipes.
Sticky Rice with Mango and Coconut
It’s rare to wonder what to eat with Thai sticky rice and not land on this perpetually popular dish. A tropical blend of coconut-scented sticky rice, ripe mango and sweet coconut milk syrup, it’s a silky, rich, comforting treat after dinner or anytime the mood strikes.
Peach Sticky Rice
Similar to mango sticky rice, this pleasing dessert puts summer’s juiciest peaches in the spotlight. Layered over coconutty sweet sticky rice and garnished with a sprinkling of toasted coconut, it’s the ultimate treat on a sizzling day.
Biko Filipino Sticky Rice Cake
A portable treat for picnics, potlucks, or for pairing with your afternoon coffee, these no-bake rice squares are for diners with a serious sweet tooth. Flavored with coconut milk, brown sugar and vanilla, they’re an ooey-gooey way to enjoy Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice as a snack or at the end of a meal. Though it’s not easy, you’ll get the neatest results if you wait for the mixture to cool before slicing it into squares.
The Best Sauces and Toppings for Sticky Rice
Slightly sweet with a mild earthy flavor, sticky rice is delicious on its own and when mixed with bold, umami-forward sauces. These are some of our favorites when we’re looking to zhuzh up a bowl.
Soy-Based Sauces
Flavored with garlic, ginger, chili flakes, or sugar, soy-based sauces vary greatly and can be relied upon to bring a world of dishes to life. Made with a savory soy sauce base, they’re rich and pungent, and pair as well with rice and proteins as they do with sautéed vegetables.
Spicy Mayo & Sriracha
Turn to sriracha-spiked mayo when crafting colorful poke bowls or sushi. A condiment that’s creamy and plush, with a subtle hit of heat, it adds punch and velvety texture to delicate ingredients.
Coconut Cream Sauces
Dairy-free and incredibly indulgent, coconut cream sauces are popular in various cuisines, including Thai, Indian, and Caribbean. Heavily spiced, they’re often accented with herbs, citrus and more, before being paired with sticky rice and an abundance of hearty ingredients. Try them in red, green, and yellow curries and korma.
Sesame & Ginger Dressings
Boasting an abundance of Asian flavors, aromatic sesame and ginger dressing can be used in several ways. Try it in a crispy rice salad, inspired by the Lao dish Nam Khao. Or use it as a dipping sauce for sticky rice dumplings or as a stir-fry sauce.
Fresh Herbs, Mango, Avocado & Seaweed
Ingredients that can go in many culinary directions, herbs, mango, avocado, and seaweed are all superb partners to Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice. Use them together for bright pops of flavor. Or choose a couple and add texture, sweetness, umami, or freshness to your dish.
Common Mistakes That Make Sticky Rice Less Delicious
As with many other ingredients, knowing how to cook sticky rice correctly is key to enjoying every grain.
- Overcooking sticky rice will lead to mushy grains. When sticky rice absorbs too much water and cooks for longer than it needs to, it can burst and become thick with a porridge-like consistency. Always set a timer for the exact cooking time.
- Avoid drying out your cooked sticky rice by keeping it covered. When exposed to air, sticky rice loses moisture quickly, which can make it brittle and less chewy.
- For perfectly seasoned rice, it’s important to use 1/2 teaspoon of salt for every 1 cup of rice. To avoid under-seasoned grains, you can also cook sticky rice in broth, coconut milk, or another liquid.
- Sticky rice is a specific type of rice that is clumpier and chewier than other varieties. If a recipe calls for sticky rice, it’s best not to use another type of rice as you won’t get the same results.
- Since sticky rice is quite soft, it goes best with ingredients and dishes that have some texture. Not balancing textures can lead to an overly soft final dish that’s tasty but not memorable.
- It’s not a good idea to overwhelm sticky rice with too much sauce, as this will make it lose its unique texture. To avoid using too much sauce, serve rice on the side and add it to your dish a little at a time.
Why Success® Boil-in-Bag Rice Makes Sticky Rice Meals Easier
- For no measure, no mess sticky rice, Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice offers unmatched convenience. Keep it handy, and you’ll be ready for every craving.
- Easy to prep and serve, Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice also offers reliable results and a consistent texture every time.
- Unlike other brands of sticky rice, Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice doesn’t have to be soaked before it’s cooked. Simply pop a bag into boiling water, and dinner can be ready in less than 15 minutes!
- With its delicate flavor and tempting texture, Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice is a must-have for both sweet and savory dishes. Try it in appetizers, mains, desserts and snacks, and you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it!