Instant Pot Sushi Rice
Learn how to easily make instant pot sushi rice for restaurant-quality cooked and seasoned sticky rice every time. Use it as a side, in sushi, poke bowls, sushi burritos, and beyond.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 2 ¼ cups water
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt reduce by half if using another type
Instructions
- Rinse the rice. Place the sushi rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with running water for 1-2 minutes while pushing the rice around with your other hand. Once the water runs clear, shake off the excess water, and add the drained rice to the instant pot insert along with 2 ¼ cups of fresh water. Stir together so the rice is completely covered.
- Pressure cook. Secure the lid, set the valve to the sealed position, and manually set the time to 5 minutes at high pressure. Do a natural release for 10 minutes and then a quick release to let any additional air escape before carefully removing the lid and discarding any water that's in the lid.
- Prepare the sushi vinegar. In a small microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt and gently heat in the microwave for 15 seconds to help the sugar dissolve then stir to combine. Pour over the warm cooked rice and use a "cutting method" with a rubber spatula or rice paddle to mix the rice until the seasoning is distributed.
- Let it cool. Place a damp tea towel over the bowl so it’s touching the surface of the rice to prevent it from drying out. Then let it sit at room temperature to cool. If not using right away, store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Disregard the "rice" setting button on your machine. Because every instant pot model is different, we'll be adjusting the time manually. Older models such as the Instant Pot Lux (what I use) only cook at high pressure, so just manually adjust the time to 5 minutes. All the newer pressure cooker models have the option to cook at high or low pressure, so be sure to choose high pressure and then adjust the time.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
No rice vinegar? - use seasoned rice vinegar, but leave out the sugar and salt because it already contains those ingredients.
No organic cane sugar? - you can also use honey.
Variations - instead of water, you can cook the rice in broth to add more nutrition and flavor.