Perfect Sushi Rice

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(587)

Here is my recipe for the perfect sushi rice. You can eat this alone or roll into your favorite sushi roll with ingredients of choice. I use strips of carrots, cucumbers and slices of avocado. You can adjust the amount of vinegar in this recipe to suit your taste.

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a top down view of a single bowl of sushi rice next to a spoon
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Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Servings:
15
Yield:
5 cups

The first step to perfect homemade sushi? Perfect homemade sushi rice. This top-rated sushi rice recipe comes together quickly on the stove with just a few basic ingredients you probably already have on hand.

A close up, overhead shot of a bowl full of perfect sushi rice

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

What Is Sushi Rice?

Sushi rice is less of a type of rice than it is a preparation method. It's cooked short-grain white rice combined with rice vinegar and other ingredients, cooled completely, and then used to make sushi rolls.

What's the Best Rice For Sushi?

The best rice for sushi is short-grain Japanese rice — this is what's in the bags labeled "sushi rice" at the store.

This glutinous rice has a higher starch content than other varieties, which gives it the sticky texture you're after when you make sushi.

Sushi Rice Seasonings

Classic sushi rice is seasoned with just rice vinegar, white sugar, and salt. This recipe calls for vegetable oil instead of a bolder oil, so the simple seasonings have a chance to really shine.

How to Make Sushi Rice

You can make sushi rice on the stove, in a rice cooker, or even in an Instant Pot. Our stovetop method is as easy as it gets. You'll find the full recipe below, but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

Cook the Rice

Add the rinsed rice to a saucepan with water (use 3 parts water to 2 parts rice). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook, covered, until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed.

Cook the Vinegar Mixture

Combine the rice vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt in a separate saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Season the Rice

Allow the vinegar mixture to cool, then stir it into the cooked rice. Stir until the rice is nice and sticky — it'll look wet at first, but it'll dry as it cools.

Veggie sushi on a blue plate
Arie Ardasis

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"I really loved this recipe," raves Phillippa Molnar. "When I added the sugar and everything to the rice I panicked thinking it tasted too sweet, but then the rice absorbed it and the flavour became more subtle like it was meant to be. I've actually made it a few times because I think it's such a refreshing meal and it's so fun to make with family and friends as a relaxed fun evening."

"This sushi rice really is perfect," says Mandy. "I always follow this when I'm making sushi rolls for my family. The only thing I do differently is reduce the salt down to ¼ tsp. I do this primarily because we dip our sushi in soy sauce and that gives us plenty of salt."

"This recipe is excellent," according to SamX. "I've used it half a dozen times with just a pot on the stove and it works great every time. I did make one change which for me, was a game changer. Instead of using vegetable oil in the flavor mix, I use 1 teaspoon of TOASTED sesame oil. All I can say is WOW! If you do try it just be mindful of nut allergies. But I'm telling you it's worth even making a separate batch!"

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked glutinous white rice (sushi rice)

  • 3 cups water

  • ½ cup rice vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • ¼ cup white sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Overhead shot of measured ingredients gathered to make sushi rice

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Rinse the rice in a strainer or colander under cold running water until the water runs clear.

    Overhead shot of sushi rice being rinsed in a strainer

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Combine rice and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and all water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from stove and set aside until cool enough to handle.

    Overhead closeup of a pan of cooked rice

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Meanwhile, combine rice vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool, then stir into the cooked rice. While mixture will appear very wet at first, keep stirring and rice will dry as it cools.

    Overhead angle showing sushi rice seasoning simmering in a pan

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

    High angle view of sushi rice seasoning being poured into sushi rice

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

112 Calories
1g Fat
24g Carbs
2g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 15
Calories 112
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Sodium 158mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 2g 3%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 20mg 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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