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Bowl of fluffy white sushi rice made in the instant pot.
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How to Cook Sushi Rice - Rice Cooker, Instant Pot & Stovetop

Cooking the perfect sushi rice at home has never been easier! Learn how to cook sushi rice using three easy methods – rice cooker, instant pot or stovetop. No soaking required and only 5 minutes prep.
Course Basics, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rest and Steaming Time 10 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 3 cups cooked rice
Calories 917kcal
Cost $5

Ingredients

Rice Cooker Ingredients

  • 2 cups sushi rice 280g / 10 oz, IMPORTANT: Uses smaller rice cup measure that comes with cooker.
  • water filled to 2 cup fill line
  • 2 tbsp sushi vinegar store bought or homemade from 3:2:1 rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt

Instant Pot Ingredients

  • 1 cup sushi rice 200g / 7oz
  • 1 cup water 250ml / 8.5oz
  • 1 tbsp sushi vinegar store bought or homemade from 3:2:1 rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt

Stove Top Ingredients - No Soaking Required, Absorption Method

  • 1 cup sushi rice 200g / 7oz
  • 1 ¼ cups water 312ml / 10.5oz
  • 1 tbsp sushi vinegar store bought or homemade from 3:2:1 rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt

Instructions

Rice Cooker Method

  • Place sushi rice into the rice cooker bowl, cover with water and rinse 2-3 times using your hands until water is more translucent (doesn’t have to be clear). Drain.
    2 cups sushi rice
  • Fill water to the 2 cup fill line in your rice cooker.
    water
  • Select Rice and Start. (Or the applicable buttons for your model. Button names may vary depending on your rice cooker.)

Instant Pot Method

  • Place sushi rice into the instant pot bowl, cover with water and rinse 2-3 times using your hands until water is more translucent (doesn’t have to be clear). Drain.
    1 cup sushi rice
  • Add the 1 cup of water to the rinsed sushi rice. Place pressure cooker lid on and make sure it is sealed correctly and the valve is closed.
    1 cup water
  • Cook on High Pressure - 3 minutes, then natural release steam for 10 minutes. Slow release any remaining pressure.

Stove Top Method

  • Add sushi rice to a medium saucepan, cover with water and rinse 2-3 times using your hands until water is more translucent (doesn’t have to be clear). Drain.
    1 cup sushi rice
  • Add the 1 ¼ cups of water to the rinsed sushi rice. Place over high heat and bring to a boil with the lid off.
    1 ¼ cups water
  • Next, cover and reduce to the lowest setting for 15 minutes. Take off heat and steam for further 10 minutes with the lid still on. Note: Do NOT remove the lid to peek at all during the cooking process, the steaming is crucial to perfect rice.
  • Finally, remove the lid.

To Season the Sushi Rice

  • Allow sushi rice to cool by transferring into a wooden bowl, non-stick wide pan or chopping board.
  • Add 1 tbsp of sushi vinegar per cup of uncooked rice and gently fold through with a rice paddle (or wooden spoon) so you don’t break the sushi rice.
    2 tbsp sushi vinegar

Video

Notes

  • Don't Over Stir Your Rice - it's delicate so mix it as little as possible.
  • Be Quick - When rinsing your rice, be quick to avoid the rice picking up too much moisture from the water.
  • Batch It - Double or triple the recipe and remember 1 cup of uncooked sushi rice is 3 cups of cooked rice!
  • No Sieves or Colanders - When rinsing, don’t use a sieve to rinse sushi rice as it can break the grains of rice.
  • No Peeking - Don’t lift the lid if using stove top method, as this will let out the steam that's crucial to the cooking.
  • Sushi Vinegar Amounts - Start at 1 tbsp of sushi vinegar per 1 cup of uncooked rice, then move up to the recommended 2 tbsp. Allow vinegar to absorb into the rice, and the flavours to mellow. It will lose the intense vinegar flavour over time.

Nutrition

Calories: 917kcal | Carbohydrates: 201g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 4mg