Perfect Instant Pot Sushi Rice

A super easy way to make ultra delicious seasoned sushi rice! This Instant Pot sushi rice has a ton of flavor and takes very little time and effort to make.

Sushi rice in the instant pot is great if you're looking to make homemade sushi rolls, a sushi bowl, this sushi bake, or just eating it as an accompaniment to hibachi shrimp or this sous vide tuna.

Perfect sushi rice is the key to any good sushi roll or bowl you are trying to make. It needs to be the correct consistency so it sticks together when making your rolls while also tasting perfect!

Luckily, using the instant pot to pressure cook it yields awesome results every time. I love how easy it is to do, and the incredible flavor makes this the best sushi rice ever.

Why this instant pot sushi rice recipe works

• Using the Instant pot to cook rice yields consistent results every single time. No more monitoring rice on the stovetop!
• Plenty of vinegar is used resulting in the best flavor for this sticky rice.
• You can double or triple the recipe to make big batches of it at a time.
• It is so versatile and so tasty that it can even be eaten on its own! Plus it is easy to make.
• It saves time as you no longer need to watch it and it cooks quicker in the Instant Pot.

Ingredients to make sushi rice

The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Sushi rice is a Japanese short grained rice that contains a very high percentage of starch. The starch is what makes the rice sticky. (we love this used in nasi kunyit as well!). Substitute any short grain Japanese rice if needed.

Seasoned rice vinegar is just regular rice wine vinegar that has typically has added sugar and/or MSG for extra flavor. You can also use sushi vinegar to season the rice.

I use coconut sugar in this recipe because I prefer the flavor over granulated white sugar, but feel free to use white sugar as well.

I use a non-stick insert for my 6 quart Instant Pot to help prevent sticking.

Step by step instructions to make this recipe

Step 1: Rinse the rice well in a strainer and let it drain.

Step 2: Add the rice and water to the Instant Pot and Set to cook on LOW pressure (rice setting if you have one) for 10 minutes. Do not use high pressure or the rice may overcook.

**for the best results, I highly recommend using a non-stick insert for the Instant Pot. While it's not required, it makes cleanup easier and is very useful in many other recipes.

Step 3: While the rice cooks, mix the vinegars, salt and sugar together in a bowl and stir until sugar and salt have dissolved. *You may need to microwave for 10 seconds to warm the mixture so the sugar will dissolve.

Step 4: Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.

Step 5: Transfer the rice to a flat, nonstock surface (like a cutting board) and sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the top. *make sure the vinegar is room temperature or cooler to avoid it cooking the rice more.

Step 6: Using a wooden spatula or a rice paddle, gently mix the rice and vinegar mixture together. Rice is ready once it has cooled to room temperature.

Use the cooked sushi rice for making sushi rolls (use this yamagobo too) or just eat it drizzled with a little eel sauce (because it's delicious!). Make it a full Japanese meal with these other Japanese recipes:

This rice is amazing served with this spicy tuna, sushi crab mix, sous vide pork belly or these sous vide short ribs! We also love to use it when making this Temaki sushi or with this Japanese fried chicken rice bowl!

Expert tips to make instant pot sushi rice

1. Continue rinsing the rice until the water runs clear. This ensures your rice wont be too gummy.
2. If the sugar won't dissolve, put your vinegar mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it (start with 10 second intervals).
3. The vinegar mixture should be room temperature or cooler before mixing into the rice.
4. To keep the rice from sticking, I recommend using a non-stick insert for the Instant Pot to make rice.
5. Make sure you mix the vinegar mixture in gently to avoid crushing the rice (using a wooden spoon helps to prevent crushing the rice as well).
6. Let the rice cool to room temperature before serving or using.

Frequently asked questions

More Instant pot rice recipes

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