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Bowl of sushi rice and chopsticks next to rolled sushi and a bowl of extra sushi rice.
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5 from 69 votes

Sushi Rice Recipe

Learn how to make sushi rice at home with this easy sushi rice recipe. It has the perfect sticky texture and lightly sweet, tangy flavor for sushi rolls, sushi bake, musubi, and rice bowls.
Prep Time1 hour 5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Side, Side Dish, Sushi Rice
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 180kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sushi rice (It should say "sushi rice" right on the bag. Calrose rice works okay if you can't find sushi rice.)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/4 cup Japanese rice vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 piece Kombu (dried kelp) (2x2" square, optional)

Instructions

  • Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand, pour off and repeat 2-3 times or until the water is clear. Rinse a few more times.
    Mixing sushi rice and water by hand in a glass bowl.
  • After the rice is rinsed, let the rice drain in a colander or strainer for 1 hour.
    Colander with drained sushi rice.
  • After the rice has drained, put the rice in the rice cooker with the 3 cups of water, cover, and start. If you are using kombu (optional), add it to the rice and water before cooking and allow it to cook along with the rice.
    If you don't have a rice cooker place rice and water in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest, covered, for 15 additional minutes.
    Putting the lid on a rice cooker with sushi rice and water inside.
  • While rice is cooking, prepare the vinegar mixture. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat mixture just until the sugar dissolves (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
    Saucepan with rice vinegar mixture over an electric burner.
  • When the rice is done cooking, gently spread out the rice over a cookie sheet. Evenly distribute the cooled vinegar mixture over the rice. You may not need all of the vinegar mixture. Just sprinkle it over the rice until it is lightly spritzed.
    Sprinkling rice vinegar on top of sushi rice spread out on a sheet pan.
  • Gently turn rice over from time to time with rice paddle or wooden spatula so that rice cools evenly.
    To speed things up, fan the rice each time you turn it over. When rice has cooled to room temperature, it is ready to use for sushi!
    Sheet pan with spread out sushi rice and a wooden spatula.

Video

Notes

  • Use Japanese-style short grain sushi rice for the best sticky texture.
  • Calrose rice can work if you can’t find sushi rice, but avoid jasmine, basmati, and long grain rice.
  • Rinse the rice well to remove extra starch and prevent a gummy texture.
  • Let the rice drain before cooking so it cooks evenly.
  • Kombu is optional, but it adds a subtle umami flavor.
  • Warm the vinegar mixture only until the sugar dissolves. Do not boil it.
  • Add the vinegar mixture gradually. You may not need all of it.
  • Fold the rice gently with a cutting and lifting motion so the grains don’t get crushed.
  • Fan the rice while folding to help it cool and give it a shiny finish.
  • Keep finished sushi rice covered with a damp towel so it doesn’t dry out.
  • Sushi rice is best used the day it is made and at room temperature.
  • See our Instant Pot Sushi Rice post for a quicker method.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg