Thermomix sushi rice is the one Thermomix hack that makes you look like you've got your life together, even on a Tuesday.
It's just as fuss-free as my Thermomix mashed potato or Thermomix brown rice - pop it in, walk away, and come back to perfectly sticky rice every single time.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Thermomix Sushi (Sushi Rice)
🕒 Ready In: 20 minutes
👪 Serves: 10
🍽 Calories: 148 per serve
🥣 Main Ingredients: sushi rice, water, sushi seasoning
📖 Dietary Info: gluten-free (check your seasoning label)
⭐ Why You'll Love It: a foolproof Thermomix method for perfectly fluffy, sticky sushi rice - ideal for rolls, bowls or lunchboxes.
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"We've used this sushi rice recipe quite a few times and it's always been amazing!"
- Katrina
It's just as good spooned into a bowl with bang bang chicken or crispy panko chicken schnitzel on top, or served alongside a crunchy Asian cucumber salad for something fresh.
Jump to:
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Just 3 ingredients - rice, water, seasoning, done.
- Ready in 20 minutes, and most of that is the Thermomix doing the work, not you.
- Genuinely foolproof - no burnt pots, no standing over the stove watching for a boil-over.
- Doubles as a lunchbox filler, a quick dinner base or party food, so it earns its keep in the fridge.
Sushi Rice Ingredients
You only need a handful of things for this, but here's what actually matters:
- Sushi rice - this short-grain Japanese rice is what gives sushi its sticky, slightly glossy texture. Skip the jasmine or long-grain rice sitting in your pantry - it just won't hold together. In a real pinch, arborio rice works (it's starchy for a reason), but you'll end up with a creamier, stickier result than the real thing.
- Sushi seasoning - a ready-made mix of rice vinegar, sugar and salt from the Asian aisle. Out of it? Warm together 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and a good pinch of salt until the sugar dissolves and use that instead - it's basically the same thing without the label.
- Nori sheets (if you're rolling) - only needed if you want actual sushi rolls rather than a bowl. Grab a fresh, unopened packet where you can - nori that's been open in the cupboard for months goes leathery and won't seal properly around the rice.
Variations
- Sushi bowls - skip the rolling altogether and pile the rice into bowls with your toppings. No mat, no stress, still tastes like sushi night.
- Swap in short-grain brown rice for a fibre boost, but budget extra time in the Thermomix - brown rice needs longer to cook through.
- Watching sugar? Halve the sugar in your sushi seasoning. The rice tastes a touch more tart but still rolls perfectly fine.
- Kid-friendly rolls - stick to cooked fillings only (avocado, cucumber, cooked chicken or crumbed fish) so there's no raw fish for little ones to knock back.
- For a vegetarian version, avocado, carrot, cucumber and a smear of cream cheese roll up beautifully and travel well in a lunchbox.
How To Make Thermomix Sushi
Equipment needed: just your Thermomix (with the rice/steaming basket that comes with it), plus a sushi rolling mat and nori sheets if you're making rolls rather than a bowl.
The first time I made this I got cocky and rushed the rinsing step because I was running late for school pickup. Big mistake - it went gluggy and stuck to the Varoma basket in one giant rice brick I had to chip out with a spoon. These days I rinse until my arms ache, and it comes out perfect every time.
For the record, my ratio here is 400g rice to 1000g water (just over 2:1), cooked 18 minutes on Varoma, Speed 4. That's a wetter ratio than a lot of Thermomix sushi recipes floating around online - some use closer to 950g water, others use less rice altogether - but it's what gives you that stickier, rollable texture instead of drier grains that fall apart in your hands.
- Step 1: Weigh and rinse the rice. Place the rice basket (steaming basket) into the Thermomix bowl and weigh in the sushi rice. Remove the basket and rinse the rice under cold running water until it runs mostly clear - don't skip this bit, it's what stops your rice turning gluggy.
- Step 2: Cook the rice. Add the water to the Thermomix bowl, then insert the rice basket with the rinsed rice back in. Cook for 18 minutes, Varoma, Speed 4.
- Step 3: Season while warm. Carefully lift the rice basket out using the hook on the spatula (it's properly hot), tip the rice into a large bowl or tray, and mix through the sushi seasoning while it's still warm so it actually soaks in.
- Step 4: Cool before using. Spread the rice out in a wide bowl and pop it in the fridge to cool completely before rolling or serving - it holds together much better once it's had a proper chill.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse the rice until the water runs properly clear - it takes longer than you'd think, so don't cut it short.
- Stick to real sushi rice (sometimes labelled koshihikari) - long grain and jasmine won't give you that sticky bite.
- Season the rice while it's still warm so it actually soaks in, rather than just sitting on top.
- Cool it in a wide, shallow bowl instead of a deep one - it cools faster and more evenly, so you're not standing around waiting.
- Fridge: cooked sushi rice keeps for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: the cooked rice on its own freezes well for up to a month - thaw it overnight in the fridge and fluff with a splash of water before using. I wouldn't freeze rolled sushi though - the nori goes soggy and any avocado or mayo filling doesn't come back well, so freeze the rice only and roll it fresh.
Thermomix Sushi FAQs
No - sushi rice is a short grain, high-starch variety, which is exactly what makes it sticky enough to hold together. Jasmine and long grain rice will fall apart. In a real pinch, arborio rice (yes, the risotto one) will work, but it turns out creamier and stickier than the real thing.
It washes off the surface starch so your rice doesn't turn into a gluggy paste. Keep rinsing until the water runs mostly clear - a little cloudiness is fine.
Yes, and honestly it's the best way to do it. Cook the rice up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, or freeze it (rice only, not rolled) for up to a month.
Definitely. Warm together 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and a pinch of salt until the sugar dissolves, then mix it through the warm rice.
400g sushi rice to 1000g water (just over 2:1), cooked for 18 minutes on Varoma, Speed 4. That's a wetter ratio than a lot of Thermomix sushi recipes floating around online, but it's what gives you that stickier, rollable texture instead of drier grains that fall apart in your hands.
More Thermomix Side Recipes
Once you've nailed this one, here are a few more Thermomix sides that earn a regular spot on our dinner table.
Thermomix Sushi
Ingredients
- 400 g sushi rice
- 1000 g water
- 2-3 tbs sushi seasoning
Instructions
- Place the rice basket (steaming basket) into the Thermomix bowl.
- Weigh the rice into the basket.
- Remove the rice basket and rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Add the water to the Thermomix bowl and insert the rice basket (steaming basket) with the rinsed rice.
- Cook for 18 minutes, Varoma, Speed 4.
- Carefully remove the rice basket (steaming basket) and spread the rice onto a flat plate or large bowl.
- Add the sushi seasoning (see notes) and mix well.
- Cool the rice in the fridge before using.
Notes
- Rinse rice thoroughly
- Use proper sushi rice
- Season while warm
- Cool before using
- Store 2 days in fridge
- Freeze up to 1 month
Katrina says
We've used this sushi rice recipe quiet a few times and it's always been amazing