Dinner
How to Make Sushi Rice (Perfect Seasoned Rice for Sushi)
How to make sushi rice: rinse, soak and cook short-grain rice, then fold in rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Sticky, glossy and ready in about 1½ hours.
By the Forkful editorial team · Published
Quick answer
Rinse 2 cups short-grain rice until the water is mostly clear, soak it 30 minutes in 2½ cups water, then bring to a boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 18 minutes and rest 10 minutes off the heat. Warm ¼ cup rice vinegar with 4 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt until dissolved, fold it into the hot rice with slicing strokes while fanning, and cool to room temperature.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 h 25 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
Total time includes 40 min of hands-off waiting (resting, rising, chilling or cooling).
Sushi rice is what makes sushi taste like sushi, and it is easy to get wrong: too wet and it turns to mush, too dry and it will not hold together. People search for the best sushi rice recipe because the rice, not the fish, is where most homemade attempts go off track.
The method here is simple. Short-grain rice has the starch that makes it sticky, rinsing washes off surface starch so the grains stay distinct, and a 30-minute soak helps them cook evenly. The seasoning of rice vinegar, sugar and salt goes in while the rice is hot so it absorbs it, folded gently so the grains do not break. Cooling it with a fan gives the glossy finish.
Ingredients
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- For the rice
- 2 cups short-grain sushi rice (about 400 g)
- 2 ½ cups cold water, plus more for rinsing
- 1 piece of kombu (about 4 inches square), optional
- For the seasoning
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
Instructions
- Put the rice in a large bowl, cover with cold water and swirl with your hand. Drain, and repeat 3 or 4 times, until the water is mostly clear. This takes 2–3 minutes.
- Drain well, put the rice in a heavy pot with the 2½ cups water and soak for 30 minutes. Add the kombu, if using.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. As soon as it boils, remove the kombu, cover tightly, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 10 minutes.
- While the rice rests, stir the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pan over low heat just until the sugar and salt dissolve. Do not boil. Let it cool slightly.
- Tip the hot rice into a wide, shallow bowl made of wood, glass or ceramic, not metal. Drizzle the seasoning over a spatula onto the rice.
- Fold the rice with slicing and lifting strokes, never stirring or mashing, while you fan it with a piece of cardboard or a fan. Continue 5–10 minutes, until the rice is glossy and no longer steaming.
- Cover with a damp cloth so it does not dry out and use at room temperature for sushi, nigiri or rice bowls.
Tips for the best result
- 1Use a short- or medium-grain rice sold for sushi. Long-grain rice will not stick together.
- 2Do not lift the lid while cooking, since the steam is what cooks the top layer.
- 3Season while the rice is still hot, because hot rice absorbs the vinegar much better than cold rice.
- 4Sushi rice tastes best the day it is made. Keep it covered at room temperature and use it within a few hours.
Storage
Cooked rice should not sit out for long. Serve it the same day, and cool and refrigerate any leftovers within 1 hour. Eat them within 1 day, and reheat until steaming hot if you are not using them cold. The rice hardens in the fridge, so it is no longer ideal for nigiri.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rice to water ratio for sushi rice?
For rice that is rinsed and soaked, about 1 part rice to 1¼ parts water by volume works well. That is 2 cups rice to 2½ cups water. If you skip the soak, use slightly less water.
Can I make sushi rice without rice vinegar?
Rice vinegar gives the best flavor, but plain white vinegar can be used in a pinch, and you may need slightly less. Avoid strongly flavored vinegars such as balsamic.
Can I make sushi rice in a rice cooker?
Yes. Rinse and soak the rice, add the same amount of water and cook on the white rice setting. Then season it while hot exactly as in the recipe.
