Name: Instant Pot Sushi Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups short grain white rice OR 1 cup short grain brown rice OR a mix of 3/4 cup short grain white rice and 1/2 cup short grain brown rice; 1 1/2 cups water; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon agave nectar

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Whether you want to make sushi bowls or sushi rolls, you’ll love this super simple recipe for Instant Pot Sushi Rice!

The main thing that has always held me back from making my own sushi at home wasn’t the actual making of the sushi rolls. It was making the rice.

Once I figured out how to make Instant Pot Sushi Rice, that all changed. This recipe is so easy, and you can use brown or white sushi rice!

How to Use Instant Pot Sushi Rice

There are lots of fun things you can make with your Instant Pot Sushi Rice!

Sushi Rolls – Duh, right? I’ll have a recipe for Kale Salad Sushi rolls that you make crunchy in the air fryer, which may be my new favorite kind of sushi!
Sushi Bowls – We eat soooo many sushi bowls in this house! Pile on the rice, top with sliced sheets of nori, avocado, green onion, and edamame or your favorite tofu.
Onigiri – These are balls of sushi rice, stuffed with deliciousness, and finished off with a piece of seaweed. Vegetarian Times has a recipe to get you started. You can really stuff it with anything, so get creative! For onigiri, you will get the best results with white sushi rice, since it gets stickier than longer-grain white rice or any type of brown rice.
Spring Rolls – Sweet, sticky sushi rice is a tasty addition to your favorite spring roll recipe.
Sushi Burgers – Sushi rice is the “bun” for this super fun sushi-themed sandwich situation. Like with onigiri, I recommend using white sushi rice for this recipe.

How to Make Sushi Rice in the Instant Pot

Making sushi rice on the stovetop doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming, but it’s even quicker and easier in the Instant Pot. Just toss your rice and seasoning ingredients into the pot, bring to pressure, and you’re good to go.

I know that traditionally, you add your liquid sweetener and rice vinegar at the end of cooking, but I have found that I get better results adding it all to the pot from the jump, especially when making brown sushi rice.

You can make your sushi rice with white sushi rice, short grain brown rice, or a mix. I’ve even used other types of white or brown rice, in a pinch. For most applications, you can get away with it.

The instructions below for Instant Pot Sushi Rice include directions for brown or white rice. You can also combine brown and white, and I have directions for that, too.

White Rice or Brown Rice?

My family prefers white rice to brown, and for a long time, I worried that I was making an unhealthy choice for my guys. Jordyn Cormier at Care2 argues that if you’re eating an otherwise healthy meal, though, white rice is really just fine.

Sure, brown rice has more protein and fiber, but that doesn’t mean that white rice is bad for you. Brown rice is just better.

Of course, if you want to make brown rice sushi, go for it! I love brown rice in my sushi, I’m just outnumbered by white rice-lovers. Brown rice adds a nuttiness and chewiness that I find really satisfying, especially in a spicy sushi roll. Do what appeals to you (or to the majority of your family)!