Instant Pot sushi rice creates the tasty, flavorful rice you find in sushi bowls and rolls right in your pressure cooker! This perfectly cooked short grain rice will complement any sushi recipe or bowl with its slightly sweet and sour flavor that comes from just the right blend of sugar and vinegar. This recipe will make your homemade sushi drool worthy and restaurant quality so you can enjoy your favorite splurge anytime at home.

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What is Sushi Rice?

Sushi rice is a short grained, Japanese rice flavored with a precise blend of vinegar and sugar. The vinegar creates a sour, tangy taste for the rice that’s an important part of the flavor of sushi. When made right, sushi rice is firm and sticky and provides a complementary sour flavor to sushi rolls.

It is very easy to make great tasting sushi rice at home! You’ll need only a few ingredients and a short amount of time to get this rice ready for your sushi rolls, onigiri, or other dishes.

Is sushi rice different from jasmine rice?

Jasmine rice is a medium grain rice that has a similar flavor to white rice. It is used in a lot in Indian as well as Chinese recipes.

Basmati rice is similar to jasmine rice. Though it can be used in sushi, it will have a different flavor and feel than sushi rice.

Sushi rice is a short grain, white rice similar to pearl rice, Glutinous rice, or Japanese rice. When soaked in vinegar, the rice develops a sour flavor.

Ingredients to make sushi rice

You really don’t need much to make great tasting sushi rice. Here’s what you’ll need to get in order to make this recipe.

Sushi rice
Water
Sushi vinegar or rice vinegar - this gives the rice a sour flavor
Sugar
Salt

How to make sushi rice in the Instant Pot

To make the most delicious sushi rice in the Instant Pot perfectly every time, start by thoroughly rinsing the rice 6 to 8 times without allowing the rice to absorb too much water.

Pour the water and rice into the inner pot and close the lid. Set the valve to sealing and pressure cook for 6 minutes. Once it goes off, allow the pressure to naturally release pressure.

While the rice is pressure cooking, make the seasoning in a glass bowl. Dissolve the salt and sugar thoroughly in the sushi vinegar or rice vinegar. Carefully open the vent to do a quick release.

Once the rice is ready, carefully open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Gently remove the rice into a glass or wooden bowl without breaking the rice. Next, pour in the sushi rice seasoning and gently mix it in the rice using a wooden spoon.

Once you have mixed the rice, the sushi rice is ready to roll into a sushi roll or to be added to a sushi bowl.

How to cook sushi rice on stove top

You can make this sushi rice on the stove top if you prefer. Rinse the rice 6 to 8 times to remove some of the extra starch.

Add the water to a medium sized saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and stir in the rice. Once the rice is stirred in, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the water has evaporated and the rice is fully cooked. Fluff the rice with a fork.

In a small glass bowl, combine the salt, sugar, and vinegar. Transfer the rice to another glass or wooden bowl and mix in the vinegar mixture. Once combined, you can use it to make sushi or a sushi bowl.

Why season sushi rice with vinegar?

The vinegar adds the sour flavor to the rice. The sour flavor helps make sushi taste amazing. If you skip it, you will have very plain flavored rice.

Sushi Bowl Ingredients Ideas

If you are thinking of making a sushi bowl, try adding these veggies to it:

carrot
mushrooms
zucchini
sugar snap peas
peas
edamame
cucumbers
tofu
mango
avocado
nori strips
red cabbage

Pro tips and tricks

Follow these tips and tricks to make the best sushi rice:

Make sure you rinse the rice without soaking the rice too much.
Make sure to fully dissolve the sugar and salt into the vinegar before mixing with the rice. You could gently warm the vinegar to help it dissolve.
If making sushi, allow the sushi rice to cool before serving.
Don’t over cook the rice, it can become mushy and get a bad texture.
Don’t scrape the rice that is stuck to the bottom. This is often burned or dried out and won’t taste great.
Use a wooden spoon to handle the rice, not a metal spoon. A metal spoon can damage the rice.

Quick release or natural release

If you don’t work with the Instant Pot a lot, you may wonder what the difference between a quick release and natural release and what they each do.

A quick release helps stop the cooking process. It allows you to open the Instant Pot within a few seconds of the timer going off. In some recipes, it helps prevent the food from over cooking.

A natural release means you let the pressure slowly release. During this time, the food still cooks. It is often for a certain amount of time, like 5 minutes. After the time is up, you would do a quick release of the remaining pressure.

In some cases, a recipe may all for a total natural release until all the pressure is released and the pin drops. This can take several minutes.

For this recipe, we use a quick release so we can get the rice out soon after the timer goes off.

Do you need to rinse and soak sushi rice

You need to rinse the rice, but do not soak the rice. The rice should not be oversaturated with water. The texture of the rice may change if it gets water logged.

What type of rice is best for sushi rice recipe?

You can buy products called sushi rice. You could use these. If you can’t find them, you can use pearl rice, Glutinous rice, or Japanese rice.

Jeera and brown rice can be very tasty, but you should avoid using these varieties for sushi rice.

Can I use any vinegar for the seasoning?

We recommend using sushi vinegar, rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or regular vinegar. We don’t recommend using apple cider or red wine vinegar for this recipe. They can change the flavor quite a bit.

Why use a glass bowl and wooden spoon when seasoning the rice?

A metal spoon can damage the rice, so we recommend using a wooden spoon instead. A glass bowl helps prevent any changes in flavor.

Make it, tag it!

Did you make this rice? Take a quick picture and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind.

Looking for more rice recipe, try our Teriyaki Fried Rice or Thai Basil Fried Rice check out our 20+ Instant Pot Rice Recipes.

Instant Pot Sushi Recipe Recipe

Name: Instant Pot Sushi Rice Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 26 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: shushi rice 2 cups; water 2 cups; sushi vinegar or rice vinegar 1/4 cup; sugar 2 tsp; salt 1 tsp

Instant Pot Sushi Rice Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes

Ingredients

For Sushi Rice

shushi rice 2 cups
water 2 cups

For Sushi Rice Seasoning

sushi vinegar or rice vinegar ¼ cup
sugar 2 tsp
salt 1 tsp

Instructions

Thoroughly rinse the rice for 6-8 times without allowing the rice to absorb too much water.
Add the water and rice to the inner pot.
Close the lid seal the vent and pressure cook for 6 minutes followed by a natural pressure release.
While the rice is pressure cooking, in a separate glass bowl make the Sushi Rice seasoning by dissolving the salt and sugar thoroughly in the sushi vinegar or rice vinegar.
Once the rice is ready, open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Gently remove the rice in a glass or wooden bowl without breaking the rice.
Add the sushi rice seasoning and gently mix it in the rice using a wooden spoon.
Sushi rice is ready to be rolled into a sushi or to be added to a sushi bowl.

Notes

Make sure you rinse the rice without soaking the rice too much.

Make sure to fully dissolve the sugar and salt into the vinegar before mixing with the rice. You could gently warm the vinegar to help it dissolve.
If making sushi, allow the sushi rice to cool before serving.
Don’t over cook the rice, it can become mushy and get a bad texture.
Don’t scrape the rice that is stuck to the bottom. This is often burned or dried out and won’t taste great.
Use a wooden spoon to handle the rice, not a metal spoon. A metal spoon can damage the rice.