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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes » Instant Pot recipes

    Instant Pot sushi rice

    Last Modified: Jul 17, 2020 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print
    overhead photo of sushi rice in an Instant Pot after cooking

    Instant Pot Sushi Rice is incredibly easy to make. Get directions for making sushi rice in the pressure cooker, plus plenty of recipes to use it.

    overhead photo of a bowl of sushi rice with chopped green onion for garnish
    Jump To:
    • Recipe notes
    • How to use sushi rice
    • How to store and reheat it
    • Instant Pot sushi rice recipe

    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.

    Making the rice then waiting for it to cool just felt so time consuming. By cutting down the cooking time in the Instant Pot, homemade sushi is a lot less of a production.

    Once I figured out how to make Instant Pot Sushi Rice, that all changed. This recipe is quick and easy!

    Recipe notes

    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, seasoning, and water 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.

    Instant Pot sushi rice, still in the pot after cooking

    What kind of rice to use

    Traditionally, you'd use short grain rice to make sushi rice, because it gets stickier. Stickier is better for making sushi rolls, and if you can find short grain or sushi rice, by all means, go for it!

    However, over the years, I've used medium and even long grain white rice to make sushi rice, and it has worked fine. Short grain is best, but if you can't find it, you have options.

    hand holding a sushi burrito, so you can see the rice and fillings

    How to use sushi rice

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

    • Sushi Rolls - Duh, right? I have a recipe for Kale Salad Sushi rolls that you make crunchy in the air fryer. No air fryer? Try my tofu sushi!
    • Sushi Burritos - Think of a sushi burrito as a bigger sushi roll that's easier to make. The slightly different technique leaves room for more delicious fillings!
    • 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 crispy baked tofu.
    • Onigiri - These are balls of sushi rice, that you stuff with deliciousness and finish 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!
    • 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 store and reheat it

    If you end up with leftover rice, store it in an airtight container. It will keep for around 3 days in the refrigerator. It will dry out a bit in the fridge, but we'll address that in the reheating method below.

    I do not recommend freezing. Frozen rice can get a really wonky texture when you thaw it, in my experience.

    To reheat, my preferred method is the microwave. Add the leftover rice and a tablespoon of water to a microwave-safe container, and warm on high until it's heated to your liking. Use a fork to serve, so you can leave any excess water behind.

    overhead photo of sushi rice in an Instant Pot after cooking

    Instant Pot sushi rice recipe

    Instant Pot Sushi Rice is incredibly easy to make. Get directions for making sushi rice in the pressure cooker, plus plenty of recipes to use it.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: instant pot sushi rice, pressure cooker sushi rice
    Prep Time: 6 minutes
    Cook Time: 13 minutes
    Total Time: 18 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 270kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups white rice - See note.
    • 1 ½ cups water
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon agave nectar

    Instructions

    • Combine the rice, water, vinegar, and agave nectar in your Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
    • Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a natural release (10-15 minutes).

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot

    Video

    Notes

    Most sushi rice recipes call for short grain rice, and that's definitely ideal. However, if you can't get your hands on short grain rice, medium grain will still get sticky enough to make cohesive sushi rolls. I've even used long grain white rice, in a pinch.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Instant Pot sushi rice recipe
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    270
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    0.5
    g
    1
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    0.1
    g
    1
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    0.1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    0.1
    g
    Sodium
     
    8
    mg
    0
    %
    Potassium
     
    80
    mg
    2
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    59
    g
    20
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1
    mg
    1
    %
    Calcium
     
    22
    mg
    2
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

    More Vegan Instant Pot recipes

    • Easy Vegan Instant Pot Risotto
    • Vegan 3-Bean Chili (Instant Pot or Stove Top)
    • 6-Ingredient Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Tofu Sushi Bowl

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Julia

      April 04, 2021 at 10:50 am

      Probably the mixed results for this recipe is that you have two different directions. First you list essentially one cup rice to 2 cups water in the ingredients list, which I believe is in error. In the description you say 1 cup rice to 1 cup water, a bit extra for brown- which is more traditional ratios for rice in the instant pot.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 05, 2021 at 9:47 am

        Hmm that's a good point. Maybe there's a clearer way to list the ratios out. Thank you for the feedback, Julia!

        Reply
    2. Alan

      January 19, 2021 at 1:52 pm

      I also followed the instructions for brown sushi rice and the end result was porridge. Guess it depends on the brand or specific type of rice.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 19, 2021 at 2:53 pm

        Oh no! What type of brown rice did you use?

        Reply
    3. Megan

      July 05, 2020 at 7:19 pm

      We made this recipe with brown rice, and when we opened the pot, there was lots of water. We did 22 minutes and then 15 minutes on the release. I wonder what we did wrong?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        July 06, 2020 at 10:24 am

        That is very strange! I've made this many times with brown rice without issues. Was the rice itself was cooked fully? I am wondering if your pot's sealing ring wasn't seated properly. Does yours turn easily when you gently try to rotate it? They can get jostled out of place with use, causing problems like undercooked food and leftover water like you're describing.

        Reply
        • Bud

          January 11, 2021 at 6:15 pm

          5 stars
          If I make half again as much, do I need to increase the cooking time? And if I make double the recipe?
          Love this recipe, tastes great makes great rolls!

          Reply
          • Becky Striepe

            January 12, 2021 at 8:39 am

            I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying it! The cooking time should remain the same. Just be sure not to fill your pot past the fill line.

            Reply
    4. Sarah De la Cruz

      June 18, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      5 stars
      This rice is one of our family's weekly staples! I turns out perfectly every single time!!!

      Reply
    5. Amy

      July 15, 2019 at 3:15 pm

      I keep getting the burn error message every time I attempt to make sushi rice. Any tips on how to avoid this?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        July 17, 2019 at 11:06 am

        Oh no! I'm sorry this is happening. You might try not stirring, but I'm not totally sure. I haven't had that happen with this recipe, even during testing, so it's hard to say. :(

        Reply
      • Matt

        January 10, 2020 at 2:57 pm

        It might help to really scrub out the instant pot vessel- even a tiny bit of food burned on to the bottom will heat differently and make the burn notice more likely.

        Reply
        • Becky Striepe

          January 13, 2020 at 9:18 am

          Ooh this is good to know! I have another IP recipe that someone said gave them the burn notice, and I was stumped, because we make that recipe once a week with no problems. Thank you for taking the time to comment, Matt!

          Reply
    6. Julia Stearns @ Healthirony

      March 28, 2019 at 8:46 am

      I had a similar sushi rice at a restaurant recently and found myself craving it and wondering if I could recreate it today.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        March 28, 2019 at 1:25 pm

        Enjoy it, Julia!

        Reply
    7. Dreena

      April 27, 2017 at 11:06 pm

      I may get kicked out of the vegan club because I don't like sushi (!!!) but this post reminds me to use my instant pot for cooking rice more. I always, always cook it stovetop. Thx for the post!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 27, 2017 at 11:19 pm

        Ha! I won't judge. More sushi for meeee!

        Reply
    8. Cadry

      April 27, 2017 at 10:13 am

      Ah, another reason I need an Instant Pot! Your rice looks great, and as always, your videos show how simple it really is to make.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 27, 2017 at 10:48 am

        Thank you, Cadry! I do think you'd love an IP. Makes everything so quick and easy!

        Reply
    9. Kristina

      April 25, 2017 at 8:16 pm

      I LOVE sushi rice< even if I'm not making anything with it! great to know I can make it in my pressure cooker, WOOT!

      Reply
    10. Linda Weinberger

      April 25, 2017 at 6:04 pm

      I just am trying to cooking it right now in my instant pot. I know vegans do not eat honey, but I am using honey. I hope it comes out okay. I am excited to look at the sushi bowl recipes since I have not had luck making sushi rolls. Actually maybe because I did have the sushi rice. Just finished making it. I used the brown short grain rice. I thought it would come out more sticky than it did.

      Reply
      • Linda weinberger

        April 28, 2017 at 12:34 am

        4 stars
        Now I know why my rice was not that good. I read the instructions wrong. I use a 1 1/2 cups of brown short grain rice instead of a cup. It makes sense my rice was dry and a little hard. I will try. Again.
        Linda w

        Reply
    11. Jenn

      April 25, 2017 at 3:30 pm

      I've never made sushi at home, but I do make rice all the time. And as much as I love my Instant Pot, I never think to use it for rice. It's such a habit to just grab a pot and and turn on the stove. Next time, I'm going to remember this and try it in the Instant Pot!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 25, 2017 at 5:05 pm

        It's so easy! We use the IP for grains the most!

        Reply
    12. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day

      April 24, 2017 at 10:21 pm

      YES! I am so excited about this post! I have always struggled with figuring out the rice vinegar/agave when making sushi rice. I always make rice in my Instant Pot, so this is so perfect! I'll be checking out all the other recipe links you mentioned too. Thank you so much!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 25, 2017 at 7:14 am

        Yay! Enjoy, Amy!

        Reply
    13. Dianne

      April 24, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      There are parts of Asia that have lived for hundreds of years on white rice, so it's not a terrible choice. Thanks so much for linking to my spring roll recipe! This rice would taste great in them!

      Reply
    14. Mary Ellen | VNutrition

      April 24, 2017 at 8:39 am

      Ooh, I need to get back into making sushi - your video has me craving it now. I also need to get on the instant pot craze. I'll totally be making sushi rice this way from now on, it looks so easy!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 24, 2017 at 8:49 am

        We use our IP so much! I thought it would be for beans, but I use it most to make yogurt and grains.

        Reply

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    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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