Perfect Sushi Rice

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.

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.

Cookdap 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!”