Sushi Rice Recipe

sushi rice in wooden oval shaped bowl with chopsticks

4.75 from 4 votes

Make this easy Sushi Rice in your rice steamer, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop. With only 5 ingredients you can have this sticky rice ready to make sushi for dinner in minutes!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time5

Course: Sides

Cuisine: Japanese

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: cups

Calories: 82kcal

Author: Drenda-Michell Brennan

Ingredients

2.5 cups uncooked short grain rice medium grain will work too
2.25 cups water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup pure cane sugar or maple syrup
1.5 teaspoons salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Rice:

Begin by rinsing the rice under cold water. The best way to do this is by using a rice washing bowl or a colander that is made for small grains.
My sister, the recipe creator, uses a rice steamer to cook her sushi rice, and she suggests using short or medium-grain rice. Add 2.5 cups rice and 2.25 cups water to your rice steamer and press the ‘cook’ button or the applicable button for your model. Below, in the NOTES section, are the cooking methods using a rice steamer, Instant Pot, and stovetop.
Whichever cooking method you use, be ready to transfer the cooked rice to a cooling pan as soon as it is done. If you are using a rice steamer, as soon as the cooker beeps, immediately transfer the rice to a cooling pan which can be as simple as a baking sheet. Be sure to have hot pads ready and be mindful of the steam.

Cooking the Rice Seasoning:

While the rice cooks, go ahead and make the rice seasoning with rice vinegar, sweetener, and salt. Mix the ingredients together in a saucepan and heat on medium-high. Watch carefully, and turn the heat off when it begins to simmer. You don’t want this mixture to come to a boil.
When the rice has finished cooking, immediately dump it onto a baking sheet and pour the vinegar mixture over the top. Mix gently and begin spreading the rice out evenly.
Spreading it thinly will aid in cooling it more quickly. When you stir and spread the rice, do it gently so that the rice does not become mushy. I like to draw thin lines, with my rice paddle flipped on its side, down the length of the pan using a dragging motion to accomplish this.
Once the rice is coated with the mixture and cooling, the fun begins! In Japan, they often set the pan under a ceiling fan or make it a group event and use paper fans or a piece of cardboard to fan and aid in cooling the rice down quickly.

Video

Notes

Tips & Suggestions:

I have included step-by-step photos and directions above to ensure your first attempt will be successful.

Rinse rice- Rinsing the rice is essential to remove excess starch, which helps achieve the desired sticky but not mushy texture. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.

Storage- Sushi rice is best used the day it's made, but you can store it at room temperature, covered with a damp cloth, for up to 6 hours. Refrigerating it can cause the rice to harden.

Cooking Methods:

Rice steamer method- Place water and rice in the rice steamer and press the ‘cook’ button or the applicable button for your model.
Instant Pot method- Cook in your Instant Pot on high for 3 minutes and allow for a 10-minute slow release.
Stovetop method- Cook over high heat without the lid until it comes to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow to cook for approximately 12 minutes. Remove it from the heat, leave the lid on, and let it steam for another 10 minutes.

We know brown rice is better for us, so it's great to be able to use it for sushi. Haiga Brown Rice is a good option because it is short-grain and sticky.

Nutrition