Easiest Instant Pot Sushi Rice is perfect for homemade sushi bowls and rolls. It is makes a tasty, flavorful rice with delicious seasoning right in your pressure cooker.
We take a break from air fryer today to kick start sushi week with the basic sushi rice! It is fairly easy to make at home over stove top, electric rice cooker or instant pot. We adopted out favorite instant pot for a fool proof method of cooking.
What is sushi rice?
Sushi-meshi in Japanese translates to sushi rice. It is made of steamed short grain rice that is flavored with vinegar based seasonings. Good sushi rice should look shiny and the individual rice grains should stay fairly separate instead of all sticking together like this instant pot quinoa. It is the fundamental in making authentic sushi.
My children love sushi!!! They would love to eat them for lunch, dinner or even as a snack. Sushi rice is the foundation of all types of sushi rolls or bowls. Cooking sushi rice in instant pot begins with the right type of rice, which is short grain Japanese rice. It is characterized by its unique stickiness and texture which sets is apart from other rice varieties like Basmati, Jasmine or long grain.
Easy Sushi Rice in Instant Pot
- Under 5 ingredients
- Easy
- Fool proof
- Perfect balance of sweet, sour and salty taste
- Instant pot <---- Easy clean up
- Delicious made into rolls/bowls
- Meal prep
Main Ingredients
Rice - Japanese short grain white rice. It is plump, sticky and firm textured that is essential in making a great sushi rice.
Rice vinegar - Use unseasoned variety
Sugar - Granulated sugar is perfect
Method
Rinse rice - Place rice in a strainer and place under running water for 1 to two minutes or until water runs clear. Let excess water drain.
Cook rice - Add rice and water into the instant pot and cook in rice setting. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then turn valve to vent to do a quick release.
Mix seasoning - Microwave rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small microwavable bowl, until hot. Stir to dissolve sugar.
Finish - Transfer rice to a seperate glass bowl and drizzle it evenly with the sushi vinegar. Using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rice (try cutting, lifting and folding the rice on top of itself). Cover the bowl and let cool completely before using in your favorite recipe.
Expert tips
Rinse until water runs clear - This is essential in removing the excess starch.
Storage instructions - Transfer rice to an air tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Make sure that sugar is completely dissolved in the vinegar.
Customize seasoning - Feel free to adjust the quantity of rice vinegar, sugar and salt to your taste.
Do not scrape the rice stuck to the bottom. This is often dried out and does not taste great.
Do not use a metal spoon. Use only a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Do not use a metal bowl. Use only a glass bowl since vinegar might react to metal and affect the taste.
How to know if rice is perfectly cooked? The rice should be soft, fluffy, firm to the bite yet retain its shape. Mushy rice means it is over cooked sushi rice pressure cooker.
Instant pot sushi rice cook time is about 12 plus 5 minutes (5 minutes for instant pot to come to pressure and 12 minutes of actual cooking time.
FAQs
Although traditional recipes recommend soaking rice prior to cooking, the instant pot method cooks rice to perfection without any soaking needed.
We highly recommend using wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Metal spoons are more likely to damage the rice when mixing.
Although it is a fantastic option to freeze rice, sushi rice tends to get mushy when thawed. Hence, we do not recommend freezing rice.
Sushi rice tends to have a higher starch content when compared to other varieties. Hence, it is recommended to rinse thoroughly until water runs clear.
Vinegar might react to some metals, hence it is recommended to use only a glass bowl for mixing rice.
More Asian rice dishes
Fried Rice <---- Better than Take out
Egg Fried Rice <---- 5 Minute, 5 Ingredient
Instant Pot Sushi Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups short grain Japanese rice
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Equipment used
Instructions
- Place rice in a fine mesh strainer, rinse under running water for 2 minutes or until water runs clear. Let drain well.
- Add rice and water into the stainless steel insert and place in the instant pot. Close, lock lid (making sure that valve is in sealing position) and set to rice setting, Once cooking time is done, let it be in warm mode for 5 minutes and then turn valve to vent to release pressure.
- Meanwhile, add rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium glass bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds, until hot and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Transfer rice to a seperate glass bowl and drizzle it evenly with the sushi vinegar. Using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rice (try cutting, lifting and folding the rice on top of itself). Cool before using in your favorite recipes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third party calculations, should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types, brands purchased, produce, the way ingredients are processed and more change the nutritional information in any recipe.
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