Sticky Brown Rice Recipe | The Gracious Pantry | Health Asian Recipes (2024)

Here’s how to easily make sticky brown rice with just about any type of brown rice you have on hand. This will work with white rice too, but I like to avoid white rice. So here’s how to do it with brown rice instead!

I was a nanny for a Korean family years ago, and the mother taught me how to make rice like this.

I was all too eager to learn, as I had never been able to figure out the technique, coming from a German family and cooking background. So I paid close attention, and I’ve been making sticky rice ever since!

Types Of Rice For Sticky Rice

Traditionally, sticky rice is made with short-grain white rice. This works best for things like sushi. But if you are focusing on eating more whole grains, you’ll be happy to know that this works just as well with brown rice!

And to take it one step further, this technique, though not traditional with other types of rice, will work well on any type of rice you happen to have.

How To Store Sticky Rice

Sticky rice of any kind will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to six days. So it’s a great side dish to prep on the weekends for the weekday meals ahead.

How To Freeze Sticky Rice

Sticky rice of any kind will freeze well for about 6 to 8 months. However, to avoid freezing a huge “block” of rice, it’s best to spread it over a parchment-lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Freeze and then break apart. Then transfer it to an air-tight container and return it to the freezer.

You can also freeze rice in ice cube trays if you will be using smaller amounts of rice.

About The Ingredients

Brown rice – While short-grain rice is traditional and best for sushi, you can use any type of rice you have on hand (other than wild rice).

Rice vinegar – You can also use white wine vinegar, but rice vinegar gives a more authentic flavor.

Sweetener– I used xylitol because that works best for my blood sugar, but you can try Sucanat, monk fruit, honey, or maple syrup. Maple syrup is particularly well suited for this, believe it or not, as long as it’s the real stuff.

Salt – I used pink Himalayan salt, but any find-grind salt will work here.

Water– Place the tip of your pinking finger (or ring finger if your pinky is very small) on the top of the rice (not the bottom of the bowl). Add enough water to reach your second knuckle.

How To Make Sticky Brown Rice

Click the video in the recipe card below to see this recipe in action!

Find a heat-resistant surface to let your rice cooker cook on.

Pour as much rice into the rice cooker removable bowl as you’d like to make. Keep in mind the rice will turn into a little more than double the amount you initially put in. I give you measurements for the purpose of nutrition data or multiplying the recipe. But you can use as much as you like.

Using tap water, at the warmest temperature you can stand to stick your entire hand into (please don’t burn yourself!), and wash the rice by swirling it around in the bowl. You will notice the water is cloudy. Drain the water and repeat until the water runs clear when you strain it.

Using your little finger as a guide (unless you have a really tiny pinkie finger, then use your ring finger), fill up the drained rice in the rice cooker bowl with water until it hits your second knuckle on your pinkie finger. Funny, I know. But it works every time.Important! – When you measure the water using the “finger method”, you want the tip of your little finger touching the surface of the rice, NOT the bottom of the bowl. Measure from there.Add the vinegar, sweetener and salt.

Make sure your rice cooker bowl is dry on the outside, and place it into your rice cooker. Hit the start button, and you’ll have lots of wonderful sticky rice when you are finished!

Recipe Supplies

Any electric rice cooker will work for making sticky brown rice. If you need a rice cooker, here are two that work well. If you click on either image, it will take you to that product on Amazon. (Affiliate links)

Aroma Housewares Select Stainless Rice Cooker & Warmer with Uncoated Inner Pot, 6-Cup(cooked) / 1.2Qt, ARC-753SG

Zojirushi NS-LGC05XB Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer, 3-Cups (uncooked), Stainless Black

More Healthy Asian Recipes

• Brown Rice Sushi

Sticky Brown Rice Recipe Card