Instant Pot Sushi Rice

Name: Instant Pot Sushi Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup sushi rice (205 grams); 1 cup water (8 oz); 2.5 tablespoons rice vinegar (37.5 ml); 2 teaspoons sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt

By Manali Singh

5 from 3 votes

Apr 20, 2021

Sushi rice is so easy to make in the Instant Pot in less than 30 minutes and with zero monitoring!

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Make this easy Sushi Rice in the Instant Pot with zero monitoring and in less than 30 minutes! This is the perfect sticky rice to make sushi rolls at home.

white rice in a wooden bowl with a rice paddle

Even though Sushi isn’t vegetarian, yet these days you have so many vegetarian options at restaurants that serve sushi.

There are all kind of rolls with avocados, cucumber and we really enjoy them. One of my favorites has been with a mango glaze that I had at a restaurant in Las Vegas- it was so good and I need to re-create it soon in my kitchen.

Ever since I figured out how easy it was to make sushi rice using the Instant Pot, I have been making a lot of sushi at home.

The Instant Pot makes the whole process so easy. Once the rice is done, everything else comes together very quickly.

What Is Sushi Rice

Sushi Rice is a white short grain rice from Japan which is especially used for making sushi. It’s is seasoned with vinegar, sugar and salt. The rice has a sticky texture and that’s how it holds so well inside the sushi rolls.

There are few types of short grain rice available in the market that you can use to make sushi rice.

I have used Nishiki Premium Rice that I found at my local Asian store. Tamanishiki Rice and Calrose rice are also good options. If you don’t have a local Asian grocery store in the area, you can find these online.

Ingredients

The recipe uses only 4 ingredients (other than water)!

4 small black bowls filled with rice, vinegar, sugar and salt

Sushi rice: as discussed above, you need a specific type of short grain rice to make sushi rice. Basmati rice or jasmine rice will not work here. So make sure to buy the specific rice.
Vinegar: I have used rice vinegar here and that’s what I recommend. At Asian stores, you would also find “Sushi Vinegar” which is already flavored with salt and sugar. However, I recommend using plain rice vinegar and then add salt and sugar as per your taste.
Sugar & Salt: and of course other than vinegar, the rice is also seasoned with some salt and sugar.

Step by Step Instructions

1- Rinse rice under running water.

2- Keep rinsing and draining the water until water turns clear, this happens after rinsing 7 to 8 times.

3- Then transfer the rinsed rice to a strainer. Let it sit there for few minutes until there’s no water dripping from the strainer. Rice should not feel wet at this point.

4- Then add the rice to the Instant Pot along with 1 cup of water. Close the lid and press the manual or pressure cook button. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with pressure valve in the sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally.

step by step picture collage showing how to make sushi rice

5- While the rice is cooking, add vinegar, salt and sugar to a pan and place it on low-medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and everything is well combined, there’s no need to boil the mixture. Remove pan from heat and let it cool.

6- Once the pressure has naturally released, open the lid and then transfer the rice to a glass bowl.

7- Add the vinegar-sugar-salt mixture to the rice.

8- Mix slowly using a wooden spatula until everything is well combined. Then let the rice cool down to room temperature before using in sushi rolls. You can even transfer it to a refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes to speed up the cooling process if you want.

Once you have made the rice, use them to make these vegan sushi rolls!

Tips & Notes

Make sure to use short grain sushi rice for this recipe. Basmati rice or jasmine rice will not work.
Don’t skip on the step of rinsing the rice. Rinse until water turns clear (around 7 to 8 times) and then drain using a strainer. Let it sit in the strainer for few minutes until water stops dripping, it should be dry.
You can increase the amount of vinegar to taste. Some people do add a lot of vinegar to their sushi rice so adjust accordingly.
Make sure to add the vinegar-salt-sugar mixture to the warm rice so it mixes well. Once everything is mixed well, then allow it to cool.
Let the rice cool down at room temperature before using in the recipe.
While mixing the vinegar with rice, do not stir too much else the rice might get totally mushed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use basmati rice of jasmine rice?

No, you cannot use either of these for this recipe. They don’t have the sticky texture and hence won’t hold the shape when you try to make rolls.

Can I skip adding vinegar?

You cannot, without vinegar it will just with plain rice. For sushi rolls, the rice has to be seasoned.

Can I make the rice in advance?

It is best to make the rice fresh. I had some leftover which I refrigerated and it didn’t have the same texture in the morning. It was way too sticky. So, my suggestion will be to make it and then use it right away.

What are the serving suggestions?

The most common way to enjoy the rice is obviously by using it in sushi/maki rolls.

What else can I do with leftover sushi rice?

You can make Onigiri, which are Japanese rice balls or you can also use it in rice pudding. You can also eat it very curry.

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