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A pair of wooden chopsticks picking up a cluster of sticky sushi rice from a ceramic Japanese bowl with an instant pot visible in the background.

Instant Pot Sushi Rice Recipe

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5 from 7 votes
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This no-soak pressure cooker method is my favourite way to get perfect sushi rice every time. Skip the seasoning step if you want a delicious bowl of warm Asian steamed white rice.
This recipe yields about two and a half US cups of cooked sushi rice.
Recipe byAdri
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Large glass bowl (or wooden hangiri bowl)
  • Instant pot (or electric pressure cooker)
  • Rice paddle or non-metal spatula

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup sushi rice*
  • 1 cup water

Sushi vinegar ingredients (for sushi rice)

  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar*
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground sea salt

Instructions

Rinse the rice

  • Place the rice in a large mixing bowl and cover it with cold water. Swirl the rice with your fingers shaped in a claw. Don't crush or break the rice. Pour off the water, and repeat 4 to 5 times – until the water runs clear.
  • Transfer the rice to a mesh strainer and leave it to drain for 5 to 10 minutes.

Cook rice in a pressure cooker

  • Add the rinsed rice and the cup of water to the inner pot.
  • Lock the lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook mode (or manual mode for older models) on high pressure for 5 minutes.

Mix the sushi vinegar

  • While the rice cooks, make the sushi vinegar. Place the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and stir until dissolved.
  • You can gently heat the vinegar mix in a microwave for 30 seconds to help the sugar dissolve. Or use a small saucepan. But don’t allow the vinegar to boil.

Natural pressure release

  • After the 5-minute cook time, allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release before turning the steam release valve to the venting position for quick release. Transfer the cooked rice to a large wooden or glass mixing bowl immediately.

Season the cooked rice

  • Add the seasoned vinegar mix to the glass (or wooden) bowl with the warm rice. Gently fold it through the rice with a rice paddle in a slicing motion to combine, carefully coating each grain of rice with the mixture.
  • Cover the rice with a clean damp kitchen towel and allow it to cool to room temperature before using it for sushi – about 30 minutes.

Notes

  • You can also use Korean short-grain rice or medium-grain Calrose rice.
  • Skip the rice vinegar and fluff the rice with a fork for perfectly steamed white rice. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
  • If you have seasoned sushi rice vinegar, leave the sugar and salt.
  • For this recipe, it is essential to rinse the rice thoroughly without soaking it. Find more sushi rice tips in the full post.
  • For stovetop sushi rice instructions, see this easy stovetop sushi rice recipe
 
IMPORTANT: This recipe uses US cup measurements, not rice cooker cups.