How to make sushi rice at home

On this page

1. What is the best ratio for sushi rice seasoning?
2. What rice should you use?
3. Which sushi rice brand should you buy?
4. How do you wash sushi rice properly?
5. How do you cook sushi rice on the stovetop?
6. How do you cook sushi rice in a rice cooker?
7. How do you season the rice?
   1. Pouring the vinegar
   2. The folding technique
   3. Fanning and cooling
8. Nutrition per serving
9. Five mistakes that ruin sushi rice
   1. Using the wrong rice
   2. Skipping the rinse
   3. Adding seasoning to cold rice
   4. Stirring instead of folding
   5. Refrigerating the finished rice
10. What tools do you need?
11. Frequently asked questions
12. What to make with your sushi rice

Your sushi is only as good as your rice. I spent the first three months of home sushi making wondering why my rolls tasted flat and fell apart on the plate. The fillings were fine. The technique was passable. The problem was the rice every single time.

Sushi rice is not just cooked rice. It is short-grain Japanese rice, washed until the starch is gone, cooked with slightly less water than normal, and seasoned while still hot with a specific ratio of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Skip any of those steps and the result is either too sticky, too dry, too bland, or too sour.

This page covers the sushi rice recipe I have used weekly since 2021. The ratio has not changed because it works every time. Below you will find the full recipe with stovetop and rice cooker methods, a brand comparison, and the five mistakes that ruin most batches.

What is the best ratio for sushi rice seasoning?

For every 2 cups of uncooked rice, use 4 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Enough for 4 to 6 rolls.

That is the ratio. Write it down or bookmark this page because you will use it every time you make sushi. It produces rice that is gently tangy, slightly sweet, and seasoned enough to taste like sushi without overpowering the fillings.

Some recipes call for mirin or sake in the seasoning. I have tested both. Mirin adds a subtle sweetness that works well with delicate fish. For everyday home sushi with cooked fillings, the three-ingredient recipe above is simpler and just as good.

Heat the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve completely. This takes about two minutes. Do not let it boil. Set it aside to cool slightly while the rice cooks. Our rice vinegar guide covers the different types and which ones work best for sushi.

What rice should you use?

Use Japanese short-grain rice. Not long-grain, not jasmine, not basmati. Regular white rice from the supermarket will not work either. The higher starch content in short-grain Japanese varieties creates the sticky texture sushi rolls need to hold together.

Three brands that work well and are widely available: Nishiki, Kokuho Rose, and Tamaki Gold. Any bag labelled "sushi rice" at the supermarket will also work. If you cannot find short-grain Japanese rice, Calrose is an acceptable substitute. It is slightly less sticky but produces decent results.

One cup of uncooked rice makes enough for roughly 2 to 3 maki rolls. For a dinner for two, start with 2 cups. For a sushi party with four people, use 3 cups and scale the seasoning proportionally.

Which sushi rice brand should you buy?

Nishiki, Kokuho Rose, and Tamaki Gold all produce good sushi rice. The differences are subtle but noticeable after you have made a few batches.

All five are grown in California using Japanese rice cultivars. Genuine Japanese-grown rice (like Akitakomachi or Hitomebore) costs $15 to $25 per bag and is mostly available at Japanese grocery stores or online. The California-grown options above produce results that are close enough for home sushi that the price difference is not justified unless you are chasing perfection.

I have used Kokuho Rose for most of my four years of home rolling. It holds its shape better than Nishiki during the seasoning step and produces a slightly glossier finish. Tamaki Gold is what I use when I am making sushi for guests. The flavour difference is noticeable side by side but subtle enough that most people will not spot it in a finished roll. All five are available online or at Asian grocery stores. See our sushi supplies buying guide for sourcing options.

How do you wash sushi rice properly?

Rinse the rice in cold water five times, or until the water runs mostly clear. This removes surface starch that makes cooked rice gluey.

Put the rice in a large bowl. Cover it with cold water. Swirl it with your hand for about 30 seconds. The water will turn milky white. Drain it. Repeat. By the third rinse, the water starts to clear. By the fifth, it should be mostly transparent with only a slight haze.

This step is not optional. I skipped it once in my first month and the rice turned into a dense, sticky paste that was unusable for rolling. Five rinses takes about three minutes and makes the difference between rice that holds its shape and rice that turns into porridge.

After the final rinse, drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer and let it sit for 10 minutes. This brief rest allows the grains to absorb a small amount of water evenly before cooking.

How do you cook sushi rice on the stovetop?

Combine the washed rice and water in a heavy-bottomed pot. Use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water. For 2 cups of rice, use 2 cups of water. This is less water than you would use for regular steamed rice. Some traditional recipes add a small piece of kombu (dried kelp) to the pot before cooking. The kombu adds a subtle umami flavour to the rice. Remove it before the water reaches a full boil.

Bring the pot to a boil over high heat with the lid on. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for 12 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.

After 12 minutes, turn off the heat. Leave the lid on. Let the rice steam for another 10 minutes. This resting period finishes the cooking and gives the grains their final texture.

The rice should be tender but firm, not mushy. Each grain should hold its shape when you press it gently between two fingers. If the rice is still crunchy, add a tablespoon of water, replace the lid, and steam for another 5 minutes. This recipe works identically for a rice cooker if you prefer that method.

How do you cook sushi rice in a rice cooker?

Add washed rice and water at a 1:1 ratio. Use the sushi rice setting if your cooker has one, or the standard white rice setting. Rest 10 minutes before seasoning.

A rice cooker produces more consistent results than stovetop because it handles the temperature changes automatically. I switched to a rice cooker after my sixth month of home sushi making and the improvement was immediate. Fewer burnt bottoms. More even texture. Less guessing.

The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 is the model I use. It costs more than basic cookers but the sushi rice setting adjusts water absorption and cooking time specifically for shorter, stickier grains. If you make sushi weekly, it pays for itself in consistency. If you are choosing between premium and budget, read the Zojirushi vs Aroma comparison.

When the cooker finishes, let the rice rest in the cooker with the lid closed for 10 minutes before seasoning. Do not skip this resting step.

How do you season the rice?

Transfer hot rice to a wide bowl, pour the vinegar mixture over it, and fold with a cutting motion while fanning. Do not stir in circles.

A wooden hangiri is the traditional vessel for this step, but any large, wide, shallow bowl works. Do not use a metal bowl as the vinegar can react with certain metals and leave a metallic taste.

Pouring the vinegar

Pour the warm vinegar mixture over the rice in a thin stream, distributing it evenly across the surface. Do not dump it all in one spot.

The folding technique

Now the technique that matters most: use a rice paddle or flat wooden spatula to fold the rice using a cutting and flipping motion. Slice through the rice at a 45-degree angle, then flip it over. Do not stir in circles. Stirring crushes the grains and turns the rice mushy. The cutting motion keeps individual grains intact while coating them with seasoning.

Fanning and cooling

While folding, fan the rice with your free hand, a piece of cardboard, or a hand fan. Fanning cools the rice quickly and gives it the glossy sheen that distinguishes good sushi rice from ordinary cooked rice. If you do not have a free hand, enlist someone to fan while you fold.

Continue folding and fanning for about 5 minutes, until the rice reaches body temperature. It should look shiny and slightly translucent. Cover with a damp cloth until you are ready to use it. Do not refrigerate sushi rice. Cold rice becomes hard and loses its sticky texture.

The first time I got this right, in about my fourth month, the difference was obvious. The rice looked like it does in a restaurant. Glossy, slightly translucent, individual grains visible but cohesive when pressed. Once you see it, you know.

Nutrition per serving

One serving of seasoned sushi rice (about 1 cup cooked, enough for 2 to 3 maki rolls) contains approximately:

These values are estimates for the recipe above using standard short-grain Japanese rice. The sugar and sodium come primarily from the vinegar seasoning, not the rice itself. Unseasoned sushi rice has about 200 calories per cup with near-zero sodium.

Five mistakes that ruin sushi rice

Using the wrong rice

Long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati does not have enough starch to hold sushi together. Your rolls will fall apart as soon as you slice them. Use short-grain Japanese rice only.

Skipping the rinse

Unwashed rice cooks into a sticky, starchy mass rather than individual grains that hold their shape. Five rinses. Every time.

Adding seasoning to cold rice

Hot rice absorbs the vinegar mixture evenly. Cold rice does not. The seasoning sits on the surface and the centre of each grain stays bland. Season the rice within 2 minutes of finishing cooking.

Stirring instead of folding

Circular stirring breaks the grains. The rice becomes gluey and paste-like. Use the cutting and flipping motion described above.

Refrigerating the finished rice

Sushi rice is meant to be used at room temperature within 2 to 3 hours of seasoning. Refrigeration hardens the starch and changes the texture completely. If you must store it, cover with a damp cloth at room temperature for up to 4 hours. After that, discard it and make a fresh batch.

What tools do you need?

A pot with a lid, a fine mesh strainer, a small saucepan for the vinegar mixture, a wide bowl, and a rice paddle. Most kitchens have these already.

Required: A pot with a lid (or a rice cooker), a fine mesh strainer for rinsing, a small saucepan for the vinegar mixture, a large wide bowl for seasoning, a rice paddle or flat wooden spatula, and a damp cloth to cover the finished rice.

Optional but helpful: A wooden hangiri absorbs excess moisture during seasoning and is the traditional vessel for this step. A hand fan speeds up cooling. A rice cooker with a sushi setting removes guesswork from the cooking step.

If you are just getting started, a basic sushi kit typically includes a rice paddle and sometimes a rice spreader. You do not need to buy anything else specifically for the rice.

Frequently asked questions

What to make with your sushi rice

Once you have a batch of seasoned rice ready, the easiest place to start is a basic California roll or a simple cucumber maki. Both use cooked fillings, so there is no raw fish handling to worry about.

For maki rolls, you will need nori seaweed sheets alongside your rice. Lay the nori on a bamboo mat, spread the rice, add fillings, and roll. Serve with soy sauce for dipping, pickled ginger as a palate cleanser between pieces, and a small dab of wasabi if you like heat. Eat with chopsticks or your hands.

For chirashi bowls, scatter sashimi slices over the rice alongside vegetables and sesame seeds. Chirashi skips the rolling entirely and is the fastest path from preparation to plate.

Read our step-by-step sushi guide for the full process, our guide on types of sushi rolls for ideas beyond basic maki, and our sushi ingredients guide for sourcing and preparing fillings. If you are completely new to sushi, our beginner's guide walks through everything from rice to finished plate.

The rice is the foundation. Get this recipe right and everything else gets easier.

Clare Farnell has been making sushi at home since 2021 and writes about Japanese home cooking, sushi tools, and kitchen equipment at sushi-planet.com.

Last updated: 4 May 2026.