Xôi Mặn, the beloved Southern Vietnamese sticky rice with Chinese sausage, is a true breakfast favorite.
I’ll show you two easy ways to make it—one quick in the Instant Pot, and one the good old traditional stovetop way.
What is Xôi Mặn?
In Vietnamese, Xôi Mặn simply means “savory sticky rice.” It’s that comforting combo of sticky rice piled with goodies like liver pâté, Vietnamese ham, Chinese sausage, and pork floss.
In Southern Vietnam, it’s a grab-and-go breakfast icon—right next to Banh Mi.
Xôi Mặn & Hoa People
Southern Vietnamese cuisine draws influences from Southern Chinese, especially Cantonese flavors. In Vietnam, Chinese-Vietnamese people are referred to as Người Hoa (Hoa People, 華人/唐人).
Beyond classic dim sum and wonton soup, many fusion dishes were born here. Xôi Mặn also shares its DNA with Chinese and Taiwanese sticky rice dishes like Nuo Mi Fan and You Fan.
Ingredients
Sticky Rice: Also called sweet or glutinous rice—completely gluten-free despite its name. It’s the heart of this dish and can’t be replaced with jasmine or sushi rice.
Toppings: Mix and match what you have on hand!
- Chinese Sausage: Diced (or swap with SPAM or salami). Recommended.
- Cha Lua (Vietnamese Ham): Thinly sliced. Recommended.
- Ham: Cut into strips.
- Quail Eggs: Boiled.
- Egg Omelette: Sliced into thin strips. Recommended.
- Dried Shrimp (Tôm Khô): Soak to soften, then chop.
- Shredded Chicken: Great use for leftovers—lemongrass chicken, gochujang chicken, or simple micowave chicken thighs.
- Fried Shallots for crunch.
- Pork Floss for extra umami.
- Vietnamese Pate for richness. Recommended.
- Tiny Shrimp Crisps (Tép Khô) for texture.
- Vietnamese Scallion Oil (Mỡ Hành) for aroma. Highly recommended.
Seasonings: Cooking oil for sautéing, plus soy sauce, sugar, and chicken powder for balance.
More delicious Vietnamese sticky rice ideas
- Xoi La Dua: Pandan sticky rice
- Xoi Gac: Sticky rice with Gac fruit.
- Xoi Dau Phong: Sticky rice with peanuts
- Xoi Dau Xanh: Mung bean sticky rice
- Xoi Khuc: Sticky rice dumplings
- Xoi Vo: Mung bean coated sticky rice.
- Xoi Xeo: Sticky rice with hand-cut mung bean
- Instant Pot Sticky Rice: Super quick & easy
- Banh Chung: Square sticky rice cake
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
Step 1: Prepare the Sticky Rice
- Rinse the sticky rice several times until the water runs clear.
- Soak it in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Season with ⅓ tsp chicken powder, ¼ tsp sugar, and 1 tsp cooking oil. Mix well.
Step 2: Steam the Rice
- Pour 1.5 cups (360 ml) of water into the Instant Pot.
- Place the steamer with the rice inside, making sure the water doesn’t touch the rice.
- Use a chopstick to poke a few holes in the rice for better steaming.
- Close the lid and cook on “Steam” mode, high pressure, for 20 minutes, then let it naturally release for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Prepare the Toppings
- Scallion oil: Combine chopped green onions with a pinch of salt and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Heat oil until smoking, then pour it over the onions. Mix and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté all toppings (except pork floss and shrimp crisps) for 1 minute. Season with soy sauce and sugar to taste.
- Once the rice is done, open the lid and gently mix in the toppings and tiny shrimp crisps (if using).
- Turn on “Sauté” mode (High) and cook for another 2 minutes to blend flavors.
Step 4: Serve
- Spoon the sticky rice into a bowl or plate.
- Drizzle with scallion oil and top with liver pâté and pork floss, if desired.
- Enjoy your fragrant, savory Xôi Mặn!
Stovetop Method
- Soak the Sticky Rice: After thoroughly washing the sticky rice, soak it in cold water overnight (or at least 5 hours). If you live in a hot, humid place, keep it in the fridge while soaking to prevent fermentation.
- Season the Rice: Rinse again, drain well, and lightly season with 1 tsp cooking oil, ¼ tsp sugar, and ⅓ tsp chicken powder. Mix gently.
- Steam the Rice: Place the rice in a steamer and poke a few holes for better ventilation. Steam on medium heat for 35–45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, open the lid and gently stir so the rice cooks evenly.
- Continue Cooking: Once done, follow the same steps as in the Instant Pot method for mixing toppings and finishing the dish.
Vegan Version
For a plant-based Xôi Mặn, simply swap the meat toppings with these delicious options:
- Vegan ham or vegan sausage
- Asian mushrooms – shiitake or oyster mushrooms work best
- Fried tofu for extra protein
- Dried seaweed for a savory kick
- Choi poh (Chinese preserved radish) for a hint of sweetness and crunch
Vietnamese Dishes with Chinese Influence
Bo Bia – Vietnamese-style Popiah, soft rice paper rolls filled with jicama, sausage, egg, and herbs.
Banh Bot Chien – Crispy fried rice flour cakes with egg and green onions, a local favorite inspired by Cantonese turnip cake and Chaoshan chai tow kway.
Mi Hoanh Thanh – Vietnamese wonton noodles with char siu pork, egg noodles, and clear broth.
Com Ga Hai Nam – Hainanese chicken rice, served the Vietnamese way with ginger fish sauce.
Cao Lau – A noodle dish from Hội An, influenced by Chinese-style roast pork and soy-based broths, yet uniquely local with chewy noodles and herbs.
Banh Pia – Flaky pastry with mung bean, durian, and salted egg yolk, rooted in Teochew tradition.
Banh Trung Thu – The beloved mooncake, enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival across Asia.
Bac Xiu – Saigon’s sweet milk coffee with a Cantonese name, meaning “white coffee,” lighter and milkier than traditional Ca Phe Sua Da.
Bo Kho – Vietnamese beef stew with Cantonese influence, fragrant with lemongrass and spices. Enjoy it with tapioca noodles (Hu Tieu Bo Kho) or Vietnamese baguette (Banh Mi Bo Kho).
Thit Heo Quay – Crispy pork belly with golden crackling, inspired by Chinese roast pork but served the Vietnamese way.
Vietnamese Sticky Rice – Xôi Mặn
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot
- 1 Steamer (fitting inside your Instant Pot)
Ingredients
The savory sticky rice
- 1 cup sticky rice (220g)
- 1.5 cup water (360ml)
- ⅓ tsp chicken powder
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cooking oil
Toppings for Xôi Mặn
- 1 link Chinese sausages (Lạp xưởng) (or SPAM, Salami…) (diced into small pieces)
- Vietnamese ham (Chả lụa) (thinly sliced)
- Ham (thinly sliced)
- Vietnamese Liver Pâté
- 2 tbsp Tiny Shrimp Crisp
- Soy Sauce (to your taste)
- Sugar (to your taste)
- Chicken Powder (to your taste)
Other topping suggestions
- Shredded cooked chicken
- Dried shrimps (soak to rehydrate, then chop)
- Egg Omelette (sliced into strips)
- Pork floss
- Boiled quail eggs
- Fried crispy shallots
Scallion oil
- 2 sprigs scallions
- ¼ cup cooking oil (60ml)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch sugar
Instructions
Cooking with Instant Pot:
- Wash and rinse the sticky rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Soak the sticky rice in boiling water for about 30 minutes.
- After draining the sticky rice, lightly season it with ⅓ tsp chicken powder, ¼ tsp sugar and 1 tsp cooking oil.
- Transfer the seasoned rice into a steamer that fits inside your Instant Pot. For better ventilation during steaming, use a chopstick to create small holes among the rice grains.
- Add 1.5 cups (360ml) water into the Instant Pot. Carefully place the steamer with the sticky rice inside the pot, ensuring that the water level does not reach the rice.
- Securely close the lid of the Instant Pot. Cook the rice using the "Steam" mode with high pressure for 20 minutes, and then allow it to naturally release pressure for another 20 minutes.
Preparing the Scallion Oil (make this while the sticky rice is cooking):
- In a heat-resistant bowl, combine chopped green onions with salt and sugar.
- Heat the cooking oil in a saucepan until it reaches the smoking point. Carefully pour the hot oil over the green onions. Mix well and set aside.
Preparing the Toppings:
- In the same saucepan, sauté all the toppings for about one minute (except for pork floss and dried tiny shrimp crisps, if using). Season them with soy sauce and sugar to your liking.
- Once the Instant Pot finishes cooking, open the lid, and combine the toppings and tiny shrimp crisps with the sticky rice. Cook the sticky rice using the "Sauté" mode on high heat for approximately 2 minutes.
Serving:
- When serving, place the sticky rice in a bowl or on a plate. Drizzle Vietnamese scallion oil over the sticky rice, and add Vietnamese liver pâté and Vietnamese pork floss, if using. Enjoy!
Cooking on Stovetop:
- After washing and rinsing the sticky rice, soak it in cold water for at least 5 hours (or overnight). In a hot and humid climate, I advise to refrigerate the rice during soaking to prevent fermentation.
- When cooking, wash and rinse the rice again. Drain it well and lightly season the sticky rice with 1 tsp cooking oil, ¼ tsp sugar, and ⅓ tsp chicken powder.
- Put the sticky rice in a steamer and make some holes among the rice to enhance steaming. Steam the sticky rice over medium heat for 35-45 minutes. To ensure even cooking, open the lid and stir the sticky rice every 15 minutes during the steaming process.
- The subsequent steps are similar to cooking Xôi Mặn with an Instant Pot.
