Sticky Rice Balls with Pork Mince (Xôi Bọc Thịt)

A quick and comforting sticky rice dinner

It’s Friday evening and all I wanted was a bowl of sticky rice for dinner. It had to be quick too as work was incredibly busy today. I browsed through all the sticky rice recipes on my blog and while they are all delicious, I fancied something new – something I could make entirely from what I already had in the fridge. With pork mince as the key ingredient, the idea of Sticky Rice Balls with Pork Mince (Xôi Bọc Thịt) came together, inspired by my Vietnamese Steamed Buns and my beloved Bánh Khúc.

This dish is comforting, fragrant and incredibly satisfying. The juicy meat filling wrapped in soft, sticky rice makes it a perfect weeknight option. Even better, everything is steamed, meaning minimal fuss and maximum flavour.

The filling: juicy, flavourful and fragrant

What goes inside the meatballs

The filling in these Sticky Rice Balls with Pork Mince (Xôi Bọc Thịt) is very similar to the mix I use in my Vietnamese Steamed Buns recipe. It’s a beautiful combination of savoury, sweet and aromatic ingredients:

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• Pork mince
• Chinese sweet sausages, finely chopped
• Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and chopped
• Carrots, diced into tiny cubes
• Spring onions, finely chopped

The seasoning mixture brings everything together with balance and depth: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, ground pepper and a touch of light brown sugar to round out the savouriness. Simply mix everything well and roll into meatballs. This recipe makes ten generous meatballs (full quantities in the recipe card below).

Preparing the sticky rice

Choose the rice

Before work this morning, I soaked my glutinous rice in warm water to give it a head start. If you’ve followed my sticky rice recipes before, you’ll know I usually use Vietnamese glutinous rice – short, round, fragrant grains that steam beautifully. However, any type of glutinous rice will work. Soaking for a few hours or overnight helps the grains cook evenly and remain glossy. I’m already imagining trying this recipe next time using black glutinous rice for a stunning colour contrast.

Seasoning the rice

Once soaked, I drain the rice and season it with a little salt and olive oil for shine. A pinch of turmeric powder is optional but I love adding it for that bright, cheerful yellow hue. It gives the dish a beautiful Vietnamese street-food look.

Making and steaming the Sticky Rice Balls with Pork Mince

Wrapping the meatballs

Each meatball is rolled gently in the seasoned glutinous rice. Using slightly wet hands helps the rice cling to the meat. Make sure the meatballs are covered all over with the turmeric-tinted grains.

Steaming tips

Line your steamer with a muslin cloth – it makes everything easier to lift later and prevent condensation from dripping onto the rice. Spread a thin layer of glutinous rice on the bottom, place the rice-covered meatballs on top (spaced apart), then cover them in the remaining rice. Poke a few holes through the rice so steam can travel through and cook everything evenly. Wrap the muslin over the top and steam for 35-40 minutes.

While they steam, prepare the fried shallots and spring onion oil – the essential toppings for sticky rice dishes.

The essential toppings

Fried shallots

Slice your shallots and fry them in hot oil until just golden. Remove immediately so they don’t darken too much and turn bitter.

Spring onion oil

Pour the hot oil over a bowl of finely chopped. It lightly cooks them while keeping that bright fresh-green colour and aroma.

Bring it all together

Once the Sticky Rice Balls with Pork Mince have finished steaming, wear gloves to handle them easily. Add a little more sticky rice around each one and gently press into smooth, even balls. Place them on a serving plate, drizzle with spring onion oil and finish with a generous sprinkle of crispy fried shallots.

The result? Soft, fragrant sticky rice surrounding a juicy, flavourful meatball full of texture from the mushrooms, sausages and carrots. Pure comfort!

Print Recipe

Delicious

Sticky Rice Balls with Pork Mince (Xôi Bọc Thịt)

Author: Thao @ summerandspice Cooking Method: Steaming Cuisine: Vietnamese Courses: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch Recipe Keys: Kids Pork Sticky Rice

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 40 mins Total Time 50 mins

Servings: 5 Estimated Cost: £ 5

Description

These Sticky Rice Balls with Pork Mince (Xôi Bọc Thịt) are a delicious Vietnamese comfort food combining glutinous rice and a savoury pork filling. Each ball is soft, sticky and aromatic, wrapped around juicy meat seasoned with soy sauce, mushrooms and sausages, then topped with fried shallots and spring onion oil.

Ingredients

Cook Mode Cooking Mode Disabled

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

For the filling

• 300 g pork mince
• 2 Chinese sweet sausages (finely chopped)
• 10 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and chopped)
• 1 small carrot (finely diced)
• 1 spring onions (finely chopped)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground pepper

For the sticky rice

• 3 cups glutinous rice (Vietnamese short grain preferred)
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)

For the toppings

• 7 small shallots (thinly sliced)
• olive oil to fry shallots
• 2 spring onions (finely chopped)

Instructions

1. Prepare the rice

   • Soak the glutinous rice for at least 4 hours or overnight. 
   • Drain, then mix with salt, olive oil and turmeric powder if using. 
   Mark as complete

1. Make the filling

   • Combine pork mince, sweet sausages, mushrooms, carrot and spring onions. 
   • Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar and pepper. 
   • Mix well and roll into 10 meatballs. 
   Mark as complete

1. Coat with rice

   • Roll each meatball in the soaked glutinous rice, gently pressing the rice to ensure even coverage. 
   Mark as complete

1. Steam

   • Line a steamer with muslin. 
   • Spread a thin layer of rice at the bottom, place the rice balls on top, then cover with the remaining rice. 
   • Steam for 35-40 minutes until the rice is soft and the meat is cooked through. 
   Mark as complete

1. Prepare toppings

   • Fry shallots in oil until golden, then remove immediately. 
   • Pour the hot oil over chopped spring onions to create a fragrant onion oil. 
   Mark as complete

1. Serve

   • Once steamed, remove each sticky rice ball, drizzle with spring onion oil and sprinkle with fried shallots. 
   • Serve warm. 
   Mark as complete

Nutrition Facts

Servings 5

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 733.32kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 21.52g34%

Saturated Fat 6.46g33%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Cholesterol 50.2mg17%

Sodium 660.07mg28%

Potassium 694.09mg20%

Total Carbohydrate 111.11g38%

Dietary Fiber 3.34g14%

Sugars 5.94g

Protein 22.27g45%

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Vitamin A 91.64 mcg

Vitamin C 7.32 mg

Calcium 55.73 mg

Iron 2.81 mg

Vitamin D 0.43 mcg

Vitamin E 0.67 mg

Vitamin K 21.55 mcg

Thiamin 0.61 mg

Riboflavin 0.34 mg

Niacin 6.49 mg

Vitamin B6 0.71 mg

Folate 53.55 mcg

Vitamin B12 0.52 mcg

Phosphorus 317.03 mg

Magnesium 83.25 mg

Zinc 3.79 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

• You can replace the pork mince with chicken or turkey mince for a lighter version.
• Black glutinous rice adds a beautiful colour contrast and nutty flavour.
• These sticky rice balls reheat well the next day by steaming for a few minutes.

Keywords: Sticky Rice Balls with Pork Mince, Xoi Boc Thit, Savoury Rice Balls with Pork Mince, Vietnamese sticky rice, Vietnamese rice balls, steamed sticky rice, glutinous rice recipe, Vietnamese comfort food, easy Vietnamese recipes, rice ball recipe

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