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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Laotian sausages with sticky rice

Laotian sausages with sticky rice are a lemongrass scented pork dish served with sticky rice and a spicy tomato sauce. This recipe serves 4, takes 50 minutes, has a medium difficulty level, and costs about €2.90 per person. The key to success is kneading the meat mixture well, so the sausages hold together even without casings.

Tonight we're traveling to Laos with lemongrass scented sausages, sticky rice, and a tomato sauce with just the right kick.

Laotian sausages with sticky rice
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.90
Calories per person
570 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

These sausages don't taste like anything you'd find in classic charcuterie. Lemongrass and garlic season the pork from the inside, and fish sauce gives it that savory backbone typical of Laotian cooking. As they cook, the outside turns golden and slightly crisp while the inside stays juicy. The crushed tomato sauce, brightened with cilantro and chile, wakes up every bite without overwhelming it.

This is a dish for an evening when you have a bit of time ahead of you, more of a Sunday or a night when you feel like cooking with your hands. Kids generally like the sausage and the sticky, chewy rice, you can simply leave more of the chile out of their portion of sauce. Mon Chou suggests this recipe as a change from everyday meals, without aiming for anything overly complicated.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Fatty ground pork 600 g
  • Pork casings or caul fat 1

Fruits and vegetables

  • Lemongrass 3
  • Shallots 2
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Cilantro 4 sprigs
  • Tomatoes 4
  • Fresh chile 1

Pantry

  • Sticky rice 300 g
  • Fish sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp

Allergens Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Finely chop the lemongrass (tender core only), shallots, and garlic. Mix them into the pork with the fish sauce, pepper, and salt.

    Blend the lemongrass in a food processor so no tough fibers remain in the final bite.

  2. Rinse the sticky rice and let it soak in cold water. Then cook it by steaming or in a pot over low heat with very little water. 25 min

    After soaking, the water should barely cover the rice, too much water turns it mushy.

  3. Shape the mixture into sausages, wrap them in caul fat or simply form them with oiled hands.

    Fry a small test piece to check the seasoning before shaping all the sausages.

  4. Grill the sausages in a skillet over medium heat, turning them, or under the oven broiler. 18 min

    Prick them near the end of cooking, the juices that run out should be clear.

  5. Roast the tomatoes, chile, and a bit of garlic in a skillet, crush them with the cilantro and a splash of fish sauce, and serve with the sausages and rice. 8 min

    Crush the sauce with a fork, it should stay chunky, not smooth.

Our tips to get it right

  • Keep the meat mixture cold while you prep the aromatics, cold pork is easier to work with and the sausages hold together better once cooked.
  • Don't oversalt at the start, both the fish sauce and the tomato sauce already bring plenty of salt by the time you serve.
  • If you use casings, soak and rinse them well before filling to avoid any unwanted flavor.

The variations

  • Swap the pork for ground chicken for a milder tasting version, keeping the same aromatics.
  • For a vegetarian version, make patties with crumbled tofu and chopped mushrooms instead of meat, and use soy sauce in place of fish sauce.
  • For a quicker version, shape the mixture into flat patties with no casing and cook regular sticky rice in water like plain rice, slightly less sticky but just as good.

What to serve it with

  • Green papaya salad
  • Crunchy raw vegetables on the side
  • Unsweetened iced tea

Storage

Cooked sausages keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They freeze well either raw or cooked, then reheat gently in a skillet over low heat. Sticky rice reheats in just a few minutes over steam to get its soft texture back.

Questions about this dish

Can you make these sausages without casings?

Yes, you can simply shape the mixture with oiled hands, no casing or caul fat needed. The sausages will hold their shape as long as the mixture was kneaded well and stays slightly sticky.

What can replace fish sauce?

You can use soy sauce instead, the flavor will be a bit less distinctive but the dish stays balanced. Avoid leaving it out completely, it provides most of the dish's savory depth.

Can you make the meat mixture ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the mixture the day before and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. Resting overnight even helps the flavors blend together more.

How do you know the sticky rice has soaked enough?

Sticky rice is ready to cook once the grains have swelled slightly and turned a bit whiter after soaking in cold water. Plan on at least a few hours of soaking for even cooking.

How long does it take to make Laotian lemongrass sausages with sticky rice?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in Laotian lemongrass sausages with sticky rice?

About 570 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Laotian lemongrass sausages with sticky rice cost?

About €2.90 per serving, or €11.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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