I always reach for short-grain Japanese sushi rice when I teach classes or cook for a crowd, and in this post I’ll demystify How To Make Perfect Sushi Rice and the simple rule I use to estimate how much uncooked rice to prepare.

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I used to think sushi rice was just rice until a stubborn demo taught me otherwise. short grain sushi rice is the one I always reach for and a good splash of rice vinegar is that little wake up call your rice needs.

In classes people always want to skip steps, but once you see how texture and stickiness change with tiny moves you cant unsee it. Folks google How To Make Perfect Sushi Rice and scroll Sushi Rice Recipes like its all the same, yet there are tiny hacks that separate meh from wow.

Stick with me and you will learn the ones that actually matter.

Ingredients

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Short-grain sushi rice gives you sticky texture, mostly carbs, small protein, little fiber.
Rice vinegar adds bright, gentle acidity that balances sweetness, dont overpower.
Sugar sweetens the seasoning, simple carbs only, use it modestly for balance.
Sea salt heightens flavor, adds trace minerals, but watch sodium levels, ok?
Kombu brings umami from glutamates, adds subtle mineral richness and depth.
Mirin gives glossy shine and a mellow sweetness, alcohol cooks off usually.
Clean water controls final texture, mineral content can change rice firmness.
The vinegar-sugar-salt mix makes shari, gives sweet sour balance everyone loves.

Ingredient Quantities

2 cups short-grain sushi rice, Japanese variety if you can find it (about 360 g)

2 1/4 cups water (for cooking)

1/3 cup rice vinegar (about 80 ml)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 small piece kombu, about 2 inch square, optional

1 tablespoon mirin, optional

How to Make this

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1. Measure 2 cups short grain sushi rice (about 360 g), put it in a bowl and rinse under cold water, swish and drain, repeat until the water runs clear, usually 5 or 6 rinses; drain well and let the rice sit 30 minutes to absorb some water.

2. Put the drained rice into your pot or rice cooker with 2 1/4 cups water; if using kombu, lay the 2 inch square on top while the rice soaks, and remove the kombu right before the water reaches a boil so it doesnt get slimy.

3. Cook the rice: in a rice cooker just start it, on the stove bring to a gentle boil over medium, then cover, lower heat to a very low simmer and cook 12 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed; turn off heat and let the rice rest, covered, 10 minutes.

4. While the rice cooks, make the sushi vinegar: combine 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1 tablespoon mirin if using, warm gently in a small saucepan just until the sugar and salt dissolve, do not boil, then take off heat and let cool to warm.

5. Move the cooked rice to a wide shallow bowl or a hangiri if you have one; remove any kombu, and break up the rice gently with a rice paddle or wooden spoon so grains separate.

6. Drizzle the warm sushi vinegar evenly over the rice, then using a slicing and folding motion gently mix and turn the rice, dont smash or stir like a soup; wet the paddle a little so the rice wont stick.

7. Fan the rice while you mix (a hand fan, piece of cardboard, or electric fan works) to cool it quickly and give the rice a shiny, slightly sticky finish; keep folding and fanning until the rice is about body temperature.

8. Cover the seasoned rice with a clean damp cloth to keep it moist but not wet, and use within a few hours for best texture; dont refrigerate or the rice will harden.

9. Yield/tip: 2 cups uncooked rice makes about 4 to 6 maki rolls or 12 to 16 nigiri; every cup of uncooked rice will usually give you enough for roughly 2 to 3 rolls, so scale up or down depending on how many people youre serving.

Equipment Needed

1. Digital kitchen scale or measuring cups (2 cups ≈ 360 g)
2. Large mixing bowl for rinsing and soaking the rice
3. Fine-mesh sieve or colander to drain the rice well
4. Rice cooker or heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid
5. Small saucepan for warming the sushi vinegar
6. Hangiri or a wide, shallow bowl to season and cool the rice
7. Rice paddle or a wooden spoon to break up and fold the rice
8. Hand fan, piece of cardboard, or small electric fan to cool and shine the rice
9. Clean damp cloth or kitchen towel to cover the finished rice and keep it moist

FAQ

2 cups short-grain sushi rice, Japanese variety if you can find it (about 360 g)

2 1/4 cups water (for cooking)

1/3 cup rice vinegar (about 80 ml)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 small piece kombu, about 2 inch square, optional

1 tablespoon mirin, optional

Q: Can I use long-grain or medium-grain rice instead of short-grain? A: No, don’t. Short-grain or Japanese sushi rice is stickier and has the right texture. Long-grain will be too dry and won’t hold together.

Q: How long can I let the rice sit before making sushi? A: Use it within 1 to 2 hours at room temp. Cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. After that the texture and taste start to go downhill.

Q: My rice turned out mushy, what went wrong? A: Usually that means too much water, overcooking, or not rinsing enough. Check your water ratio, rinse until water is clearer, and reduce cooking time slightly next time.

Q: Can I skip the vinegar heating step? A: You should dissolve the sugar and salt first. If you pour cold vinegar with undissolved sugar onto rice, it won’t distribute properly and grains will be unevenly flavored.

Q: Is kombu or mirin necessary? A: No they are optional. Kombu adds subtle umami, mirin adds a touch of sweetness and gloss, but perfect sushi rice can be made without them using the main vinegar, sugar, and salt.

How To Make Perfectly Perfect Sushi Rice, Every Time Recipe Substitutions and Variations

How To Make Perfectly Perfect Sushi Rice, Every Time

2 cups short-grain sushi rice, Japanese variety if you can find it (about 360 g)
2 1/4 cups water (for cooking)
1/3 cup rice vinegar (about 80 ml)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 small piece kombu, about 2 inch square, optional
1 tablespoon mirin, optional

Why this works quick: rinse the rice until the water runs clear to remove extra starch, let it rest after cooking so the grains set, and fold the vinegar in gently while fanning to get that glossy, slightly sticky but separate-grain texture. Ok here’s how.

Method
1. Rinse the rice: Put rice in a bowl, cover with cold water, swirl with your hand and drain. Repeat 4 to 6 times until the water is mostly clear. Drain well for 5 minutes.
2. Soak: Transfer rice to your pot or rice cooker, add 2 1/4 cups water, let sit 30 minutes at room temp. This hydrates the grains for even cooking.
3. Add kombu if using: Lay the kombu on top of the rice. If you use kombu don’t let it boil with the rice, just heat gently to extract umami. If using a pot bring to a gentle boil over medium, then lower to the smallest flame, cover and simmer 12 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes more.
4. Make sushi vinegar: While rice cooks, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Warm gently just until sugar dissolves, don’t boil. Add mirin if using. Cool slightly.
5. Transfer and season: Put hot rice into a wide shallow bowl or hangiri if you have one. Remove kombu. Pour the seasoned vinegar evenly over rice.
6. Cut and fold, don’t stir: Use a wooden spatula or rice paddle to slice through the rice and fold, turning the bowl as you go. Fan the rice while you fold to cool it quickly, this gives shine and keeps grains separate. Keep working until rice is shiny and slightly warm, not hot.
7. Cover: Drape a damp towel over the rice until ready to use so it doesn’t dry out. Use within a few hours at room temp for best texture.

Quick tips and common mistakes
– Don’t skip the soak, it’s not optional if you want even grains.
– Rinse until water runs clear, but don’t overwork the rice or it gets gluey.
– Folding gently is how you keep grains separate. If you stir hard you’ll mash them.
– If you’re making sushi later, shape the rice with wet hands and a tiny pinch of salt in your fingers so it doesn’t stick to you.

Substitutions

Short-grain sushi rice: use Calrose or another medium-grain rice if Japanese sushi rice isn’t available, results slightly less polished but still good.
Rice vinegar: white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can work, use about 90% of the amount and keep sugar the same so it tastes balanced.
Granulated sugar: superfine sugar or honey (use about 3/4 the amount of honey) to dissolve easily and add a gentle sweetness.
Kombu: skip it or add a pinch of instant dashi powder or a small piece of dried kelp granules for umami if you don’t have whole kombu.

Pro Tips

1) Rinse right but dont overdo it. Wash until the water runs mostly clear, but be gentle or you can break the grains. Drain really well and let it sit a bit before cooking so it cooks evenly, otherwise some parts will be mushy while others are underdone.

2) Tiny water tweaks change everything. If you like firmer rice cut the cooking water by a tablespoon or two, want it stickier add a little more. Kombu adds umami but remove it just before boiling or it gets slimy, dont leave it in.

3) Seasoning hack: warm the vinegar mix just enough to dissolve the sugar, then cool to warm before you pour it on. Pour from a small spout or drizzle slowly so it spreads evenly, dont dump it in one spot or youll end up with pockets of soggy rice.

4) Mixing and cooling is part technique part timing. Use a wide shallow bowl or hangiri if you got one, fold with a slicing motion not a stir, wet the paddle so rice wont stick. Fan the rice while you fold to get that glossy finish and stop when it feels about body temperature.

5) Keep it moist, but dont let it steam itself into glue. Cover with a clean damp cloth until you use it, dont refrigerate or it will harden. If you need to hold it longer, re-steam gently or sprinkle a tiny bit of water and warm briefly so the grains loosen up again.

How To Make Perfectly Perfect Sushi Rice, Every Time Recipe

Recipe by Pho Tsventichi

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Calories

250

kcal

Equipment: 1. Digital kitchen scale or measuring cups (2 cups ≈ 360 g)
2. Large mixing bowl for rinsing and soaking the rice
3. Fine-mesh sieve or colander to drain the rice well
4. Rice cooker or heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid
5. Small saucepan for warming the sushi vinegar
6. Hangiri or a wide, shallow bowl to season and cool the rice
7. Rice paddle or a wooden spoon to break up and fold the rice
8. Hand fan, piece of cardboard, or small electric fan to cool and shine the rice
9. Clean damp cloth or kitchen towel to cover the finished rice and keep it moist

Ingredients

2 cups short-grain sushi rice, Japanese variety if you can find it (about 360 g)
2 1/4 cups water (for cooking)
1/3 cup rice vinegar (about 80 ml)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 small piece kombu, about 2 inch square, optional
1 tablespoon mirin, optional

Directions

Measure 2 cups short grain sushi rice (about 360 g), put it in a bowl and rinse under cold water, swish and drain, repeat until the water runs clear, usually 5 or 6 rinses; drain well and let the rice sit 30 minutes to absorb some water.
Put the drained rice into your pot or rice cooker with 2 1/4 cups water; if using kombu, lay the 2 inch square on top while the rice soaks, and remove the kombu right before the water reaches a boil so it doesnt get slimy.
Cook the rice: in a rice cooker just start it, on the stove bring to a gentle boil over medium, then cover, lower heat to a very low simmer and cook 12 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed; turn off heat and let the rice rest, covered, 10 minutes.
While the rice cooks, make the sushi vinegar: combine 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1 tablespoon mirin if using, warm gently in a small saucepan just until the sugar and salt dissolve, do not boil, then take off heat and let cool to warm.
Move the cooked rice to a wide shallow bowl or a hangiri if you have one; remove any kombu, and break up the rice gently with a rice paddle or wooden spoon so grains separate.
Drizzle the warm sushi vinegar evenly over the rice, then using a slicing and folding motion gently mix and turn the rice, dont smash or stir like a soup; wet the paddle a little so the rice wont stick.
Fan the rice while you mix (a hand fan, piece of cardboard, or electric fan works) to cool it quickly and give the rice a shiny, slightly sticky finish; keep folding and fanning until the rice is about body temperature.
Cover the seasoned rice with a clean damp cloth to keep it moist but not wet, and use within a few hours for best texture; dont refrigerate or the rice will harden.
Yield/tip: 2 cups uncooked rice makes about 4 to 6 maki rolls or 12 to 16 nigiri; every cup of uncooked rice will usually give you enough for roughly 2 to 3 rolls, so scale up or down depending on how many people youre serving.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.