Thai-style sticky rice is the perfect side dish for grilled meats, spicy Thai salads, or your other favorite Thai dishes. Use these step-by-step instructions for the stovetop or Instant Pot to make sticky rice that will easily roll into balls.
We’re halfway through Thai Food Month! That means spring is a little bit closer and, if you’ve been making as much Green Papaya Salad as we have, spicy Thai food is making the cold weather a bit more bearable. We have loved seeing all the Thai food you are making and eating and sharing with #thaifoodmonth. Keep ‘em coming!
To round out our favorite Northeastern Thailand meal which started with Gai Yang and Green Papaya Salad, today we’re talking sticky rice. In Northeastern Thailand (or with meals from that region), sticky rice is used like a utensil (instead of a fork and spoon) and is eaten with every bite of the meal. The individual grains of rice cling to one another, hence the “sticky” title. You roll the rice into a small ball and then pinch it between your fingers to scoop up salads, sauces, or grilled meats.
What Makes Sticky Rice “Sticky”?
Three things give sticky rice that unique sticky texture:
- Glutinous or Sweet Rice – Start with the right variety of rice. It is labeled “glutinous” or “sweet”. Other types of rice (like jasmine rice) will not work.
- Soak – Before cooking, the rice must be soaked in water for 4 to 10 hours.
- Steam – The rice is steamed over simmering water. Sticky rice cannot be boiled directly in water like other types of rice.
Is it Necessary to Pre-Soak Sticky Rice?
Yes. Sticky rice must be soaked in water for 4 to 10 hours before steaming. During this time, the rice grains will swell slightly.
When I first started testing this recipe, I came across a bunch of recipes on the internet that insisted you could make sticky rice with out soaking it first. I tested those and never had success. Many of those recipes also had you cook the rice directly in water, instead of the traditional method of steaming the rice over simmering water. In all of our tests, Frank and I agreed that soaking for 4 to 10 hours and steaming were both necessary to achieve that stickiness and roll-ability we look for in authentic Thai-style sticky rice.
How to Make Sticky Rice on the Stovetop
- Soak rice in water for 4 to 10 hours.
- Place a colander inside a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid. (It’s okay if the lid sits slightly ajar or there is a small gap above the colander.)
- Add water so that it reaches to just below the bottom of the colander.
- Drain the soaked rice into the colander and put it inside the Dutch oven.
- Bring water to a simmer and cover with a lid.
- Steam rice, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Using a large spatula, flip the rice like it’s a pancake. (This will help it to cook evenly)
- Put the lid back on and continue steaming the rice for another 10 to 20 minutes, checking it for doneness every few minutes towards the end of the cooking time.
- Serve warm, within 10 to 15 minutes of preparing it.
How to Make Sticky Rice in the Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
- Soak rice in water for 4 to 10 hours.
- Add 1 cup water to the bowl of the Instant Pot / pressure cooker.
- Using a colander that will fit inside the bowl of the Instant Pot (and is approved for use under pressure), drain the soaked rice.
- Place the colander with the rice into the bowl of the Instant Pot. (Note: The water should not touch the rice; if needed, add a rack so that the rice sits above the water.)
- Close and lock the lid.
- Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 12 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 12 minutes and then manually release.
- Unlock the lid but leave it on, slightly ajar, until ready to serve. Serve rice warm, within 15 minutes of preparing it.
Favorite Tools for Making Sticky Rice
- 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo – This is the Instant Pot that I have.
- OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Steamer – I’ve been using this in my Instant Pot for a couple months now. It’s approved for use under pressure and the holes are small enough that only a few grains of rice tend to sneak through. I like that it’s adjustable so that it fits many different pots I own. I just have to be careful when placing this in the IP with uncooked rice, since the rice grains will slip over the sides.
- Stainless Steel Colander in Three Sizes – This pack includes three colanders in different sizes, so you can be sure that one will fit in a large pot that you already own if you’re making this on the stovetop.
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven– This is my all purpose Dutch oven. I use it for everything, but it works well for sticky rice.
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- 2 cups Glutinous or “Sweet” Rice (see note)
- Water
- Measure rice into a bowl and cover with water by a few inches. Soak for 4 to 10 hours.
- If cooking on the stovetop: Place a colander inside a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid (it’s okay if the lid sits slightly ajar or there is a small gap above the colander).
- Add water so that it reaches to just below the bottom of the colander.
- Drain the soaked rice into the colander and put the colander inside the Dutch oven.
- Place over medium heat bring to a simmer.
- Cover the Dutch oven / pot and reduce heat so that the water stays at a low simmer. Steam rice, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Using a large spatula, flip the rice like it’s a pancake. (This will help it to cook evenly)
- Put the lid back on and continue steaming the rice for another 10 to 20 minutes, checking it for doneness every few minutes towards the end of the cooking time. (You’re looking for the rice grains to be separate and firm, but stick together when rolled / pressed between your fingers.)
- Take the rice off the heat, but leave the lid on until ready to serve. Serve rice warm, within 15 minutes of preparing it.
- If cooking in the Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker: Add 1 cup water to the bowl of the Instant Pot.
- Using a colander that will fit inside the bowl of the Instant Pot (and is approved for use under pressure), drain the soaked rice.
- Place the colander with the rice into the bowl of the Instant Pot. (Note: The water should not touch the rice; if needed, add a rack so that the rice sits above the water.)
- Close and lock the lid.
- Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 12 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 12 minutes and then manually release.
- Unlock the lid but leave it on, slightly ajar, until ready to serve. Serve rice warm, within 15 minutes of preparing it.
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June’s not up to eating sticky rice yet, but she (and big sister Molly) are pretty impressed with her Greek yogurt eating skills.
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