How to Make Sushi Rice

Learn how to prepare sushi rice at home with this sushi rice recipe – perfect for making homemade sushi rolls, we’ll teach you how to make sushi rice with no special equipment required!

 

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Here at The Busy Baker we love looking for new ways to make homemade versions of our favourite restaurant and take-out foods. We’ve been making this sushi rice recipe for YEARS, every time we make sushi at home and every time we’re looking for an Asian-style rice dish to serve with all our favourite recipes.

Don’t be fooled – recipes like homemade sushi rice are SO easy to make with no special kitchen equipment, and you’ll only need a few simple ingredients and basic cooking tips to learn how to prepare it at home. Let us show you how!

There are SO many reasons we love this Sushi Rice. Here are just a few!

1. It’s BUDGET-FRIENDLY. Rice is cheap, especially when you buy it in bulk, and sugar, salt, and rice vinegar are some of our favourite pantry staples that are also budget-friendly.
2. It’s QUICK to make. It comes together in under 30 minutes and the rest is just cooling time, also known as the perfect time to prep the rest of your ingredients for your main dish.
3. It’s EASY to make. No special steps or a ton of equipment required. Just dump half of the ingredients in a pot, cook, and finish off with seasoning with the other ingredients.
4. It only calls for a few INGREDIENTS. There’s nothing quite like a recipe that only calls for 5 or 6 ingredients, especially when a few of those are salt, water, and sugar. We love making this recipe because we almost always have the ingredients on hand.
5. It’s VERSATILE. Make it in the rice cooker, on the stove, or even in the Instant Pot – the choice is yours!
6. It’s easy to MAKE AHEAD. We love making a big batch and keeping it in the fridge to bulk up our Japanese inspired meals throughout the week.

Sushi rice is the cornerstone of good sushi, binding ingredients together and enhancing the flavours of fillings and toppings. It’s made with Japanese short grain rice which has a high starch content. This starch creates a sticky texture which helps sushi rolls stick together.

Here’s your no-fail guide to making the BEST Sushi Rice – all our favourite tips and tricks!

The best rice for this recipe is Japanese short grain rice. You can use generic Sushi Rice (affiliate link) or you can look for more specialized medium-grain rice like Nishiki (affiliate link) which is cultivated especially for sushi. Don’t use long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati, which are too dry and not sticky enough. Good sushi rice is key!

Use a fine mesh strainer to rinse your rice under cool running water until the water runs clear. This step removes excess starch that can make the rice gummy

During the cook time of the rice, mix the vinegar with salt and sugar. When the rice is done cooking, pour the seasoning mixture over it in a pot or, optionally, you can use a large wooden bowl (like a Hangiri).

Mix the seasoning liquid in the rice gently, folding it in using a big wooden spoon or a silicone spatula. This will ensure that you won’t destroy the rice grains.

To keep it fresh and sticky, place a damp towel or paper towel in the airtight container with the rice and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The best rice for sushi is a short-grain variety known as Japonica, which balances starchiness with moisture absorption, allowing the grains to stick together without becoming mushy.

• Short-Grain Japanese Rice: Traditional Japanese short-grain rice is the best choice for sushi because it’s high in amylopectin, a starch that gives the rice a sticky, glutinous texture after cooking.
• Medium-Grain Rice: We like Nishiki, which is commonly used in North America. It’s a decent substitute if short-grain Japanese rice is not available.

Varieties of Rice to Avoid When Making Sushi

Certain types of rice are not suitable for making sushi due to their texture and cooking properties:

• Long-Grain Rice: Varieties like basmati or jasmine are too dry and fluffy for sushi. They lack the necessary starch which creates the stickiness that holds sushi together.
• Pre-cooked or Instant Rice: These rices often lack the proper texture and flavor since they are designed for quick cooking and convenience rather than for making sushi.

What’s the Desired Consistency of Sushi Rice?

Sushi rice should be firm yet tender, with each grain distinct yet sticky enough to stick together. It should be shiny and have a chewy texture.

How to Prepare and Season Sushi Rice

There are four steps to preparing and seasoning sushi rice:

1. Washing: Rice must be rinsed in cold water to remove excess starch and impurities, ensuring it doesn’t clump too much when it’s cooked.
2. Cooking: Cooking in a rice cooker or on the stove-top with slightly less water than usual helps achieve firmer grains that are ideal for sushi.
3. Seasoning: While warm, the rice is seasoned with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. This mixture flavours the rice, gives it a shiny appearance, and acts as a preservative.
4. Cooling: The rice should cool to body temperature before using to make sushi rolls. Fanning the rice while mixing in the seasoning aids in quick, even cooling and helps achieve the perfect texture.

Having trouble with this homemade sushi rice recipe? Here are some issues you might encounter and how to fix or prevent them:

An important step to ensure the proper texture, is washing the rice until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Make sure you use the correct amount of water and that you don’t overcook your rice.

Over mixing the seasoning liquid in the rice and using strong movements can damage the rice grains and cause your sushi rice to become mushy.

Make sure you use high quality rice vinegar and the right amount, along with salt and sugar.

Make sure you mix your seasoning liquid well. The amounts given in this sushi rice recipe should create a balanced sushi rice.

Here’s a list of kitchen equipment you’ll need on hand to prepare sushi rice (paid links):

• Strainer
• Rice Cooker or a large pot with lid
• spatula or big wooden spoon
• measuring cups and spoons
• liquid measuring cups
• large baking sheet

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make this easy recipe (paid links):

FOR THE RICE:

• 4 cups sushi rice
• 4 cups water

FOR SEASONING THE RICE:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons salt

There are so many ways we love to enjoy this sushi rice. Here are a few recipes we love to serve it with!

• Poke Bowl
• Homemade Sushi
• Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skewers
• Easy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls
• Easy Korean Beef Rice Bowls
• Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
• Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowls

We hope you love making this recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite sushi roll to make at home? We’d love to know!

• Spicy Mayo
• Poke Bowl
• Low Carb Chicken Shawarma Bowls
• Easy 15-Minute Pasta Carbonara
• Vegetable Spring Rolls with Shrimp
• Homemade Rotisserie Chicken
• Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
• Power Bowl
• Kung Pao Chicken Pasta
• Salt and Pepper Chicken
• Easy Homemade Ramen Bowls