Learn how to cook perfect sushi rice in the Instant Pot every time with this simple, fail-proof recipe. Made with short-grain Japanese or California rice, rice vinegar, and a little bit of sugar, sushi rice is easy to make and perfect for sushi rolls and sushi bowls.

If you've ever tried making sushi rolls at home, you know that one of the key steps is perfectly cooked sushi rice. Not only does it hold the roll together, but it also adds delicious flavor.

Cooking sushi rice in the Instant Pot not only saves time but also results to the perfect rice every time.

Ingredients you'll need

To get started, you'll need to following ingredients to make flavorful sushi rice:

Japanese short-grain white rice
Water
White wine vinegar
Rice vinegar
Avocado oil - or any other kind of oil
Cane sugar
Salt

You'll need the following equipment:

An Instant Pot (I use both the Instant Pot Duo Mini 3-Quart and Instant Pot DUO 6-Quart with great results)
Fine mesh strainer to rinse the rice
Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Medium-sized bowl
Wooden spoon

How to make Instant Pot sushi rice

1. Rinse rice: Rinse the sushi rice in a mesh sieve under cool running water for a few minutes. Drain well.

2. Combine ingredients: In the insert of the Instant Pot, combine the water and sushi rice.

Hand pouring cup of water into the Instant Pot.

3. Pressure cook: Close the Instant Pot lid, set the valve on “sealing”, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Once completed, turn off the Instant Pot and wait 10 minutes to naturally release the pressure. Quick-release any remaining pressure* and remove the lid.

4. Fluff and serve: Using a fork, fluff the perfectly cooked sushi rice. Scoop into a bowl.

Instant Pot filled with cooked sushi rice.

5. Prepare the mixture: In a small bowl or in a small saucepan, whisk the white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt. Mix until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Microwave for 15 seconds, if needed.

6. Combine mixture with rice: Pour over the bowl of cooked sushi rice and gently mix to combine. Use the sushi rice to make sushi rolls or a sushi bowl.

Hand pouring mixture over a bowl of sushi rice.

Storing and reheating

To store: A day or two if stored in a sealed container in the fridge, however, it may start to dry out after a short time.

To freeze: While any kind of rice can be stored in the freezer, sushi rice may result in a mushy texture when thawed. For that reason, it's advisable to prepare the amount you'll be using.

To reheat: Warm on a skillet over medium heat.

Frequently asked questions

How do you quick-release the pressure? Quick-release by carefully turning the steam valve to the “Venting” position. Once the steam has completely escaped, the pin will down. Carefully open the lid.

Do you have to rinse sushi rice? Yes, rinse under cool water to remove any unwanted debris from the rice.

What size Instant Pot did you use? I’ve tested this recipe on both my Instant Pot Duo Mini 3-Quart and Instant Pot DUO 6-Quart with great results. However, you may need to tweak how long you cook the rice, based on preference, the size, model, and brand of your pressure cooker.

Bowl of sushi rice with a container of mixture in the back.

More Instant Pot recipes

If you enjoy using your pressure cooker, check out these recipes:

Looking for other rice recipes to make in the Instant Pot? Check out Basmati rice, black rice, brown rice, and jasmine rice.

Did you make this Instant Pot Sushi Rice recipe? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let us know how it turned out. Be sure to tag me on Real + Vibrant’s Instagram to show me what you made.