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Three pieces of inari sushi (rice wrapped in fried tofu skin) are arranged on a colorful, decorative plate with pickled ginger and a lettuce leaf, set on a wooden table beside chopsticks and a brown napkin.

Inari Sushi

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Inari Sushi is a traditional sushi of vinegared rice tucked inside sweet and salty deep-fried tofu pockets. Known as Inarizushi in Japan, they are one of the easiest types of sushi to make at home and are beloved by children and adults alike. This vegetarian- and vegan-friendly sushi is perfect for a snack, a picnic lunch, or as part of your sushi dinner platter.
Prep: 30 minutes
Rice Cooking Time (varies): 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 Inari Sushi (3–4 pieces per serving)

Ingredients

For the Sushi Rice

For the Garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Before You Start: The rice cooking time is 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the method you use.
  • Please note that 1½ cups (2 rice cooker cups, 300 g, 10.6 oz) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 3½ cups (660 g) of steamed rice, enough for 12 Inari sushi pieces. You must use Japanese rice or your sushi will fall apart. The rice-to-water ratio for sushi rice is 1 to 1; we cook the rice on the firm side, since we later add more liquid with the sushi vinegar.
    Now, gather all the ingredients.
    A top-down view of sushi rice ingredients for inari sushi: a bowl of uncooked rice, a measuring cup of rice vinegar, a bottle of rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and dried kombu arranged neatly on a wooden surface.

To Cook the Rice

  • Wash and rinse: Place 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice in a bowl. To quick rinse, add just enough water to submerge the rice, then immediately pour off the water; repeat and pour off. To wash, gently agitate the wet grains with your fingers in a circular motion for 10–15 seconds. To rinse, add water to cover the grains and immediately pour it off; repeat. 
    Repeat the wash and rinse cycle two more times. Finally, drain the rice very well in a fine-mesh sieve and shake off the excess water.
    A person rinses rice in a glass bowl over a sink; on the right, rinsed rice for inari sushi sits in a strainer next to a measuring cup of water on a wooden surface.
  • Cook: Put the well-drained rice in the inner pot of a rice cooker. Add 1½ cups water. Next, wipe off any dirt particles from 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) with a damp cloth, but keep the white powdery substance. Place the kombu on the rice and soak both for 20–30 minutes. Then, start cooking.
    Nami's Tip: For easy measuring, use your rice cooker's Sushi Rice mode and add water to the 2 rice cup line. Or, use the White Rice mode and add water to just under that line. You can also cook it in a pot on the stove, donabe, or Instant Pot using the same rice and water amounts.
    Left: Water being poured from a measuring cup into a rice cooker with uncooked rice. Right: Uncooked rice and water in a rice cooker with a piece of kombu—perfect for making fluffy sushi rice for inari sushi.

To Season the Sushi Rice

  • While the rice is cooking, make the sushi vinegar. Combine 4 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt in a small bowl. Microwave it for 30–40 seconds and whisk to dissolve the sugar. Set it aside and cool to lukewarm or room temperature.
    Nami's Tip: Alternatively, you can bring it to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk to dissolve the sugar.
    Two images: On the left, hands hold bowls of sugar and salt over a Pyrex measuring cup with liquid, preparing inari sushi. On the right, the measuring cup with liquid sits alone in a microwave.
  • Moisten a wooden sushi oke (hangiri) with running water and drain well, or use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. When the rice is done, discard the kombu (or use it to make simmered kombu). Transfer the hot rice to the sushi oke or baking sheet.
    Left: Cooked white rice with a piece of dried kelp in a rice cooker. Right: White rice molded into a dome shape in a wooden sushi oke tub, ready to be used for dishes like inari sushi.
  • While it's hot, evenly spread it out with a rice paddle and slowly drizzle the cooled sushi vinegar over it. Gently “slice” the rice with the rice paddle at a 45-degree angle to incorporate the seasoning and break up the rice chunks. Do not stir or mix because that may break the grains and make it mushy.
    As you slice, vigorously fan the rice with a paddle fan or another fan to cool it. Gently flip the rice every few slices. Continue until the rice is the temperature of human skin. It's now ready to use. Cover it with a damp towel (or paper towel) and keep for up to a few hours at room temperature.
    Nami's Tip: Fanning wicks away the excess moisture and makes the rice shine.
    Two images side by side: on the left, someone pours liquid onto cooked rice in a wooden bowl; on the right, someone fans the rice with a decorative paper fan while mixing it with a rice paddle to prepare perfect inari sushi filling.

To Make the Inari Sushi

  • Take out 12 Inari age (seasoned fried tofu pouch) from the refrigerator.
    A wooden bowl filled with cooked sushi rice and a white rice paddle sits beside a glass dish of inari sushi—two pieces of fried tofu in sauce—and a small bowl of sesame seeds on a light wooden surface.
  • Sprinkle 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds over the sushi rice and gently “slice” the rice again to combine. Next, divide the sushi rice into quarters; each quarter makes 3 pieces of Inari sushi.
    A hand sprinkles sesame seeds over a bowl of rice with a rice paddle on the left; on the right, the rice—ideal for inari sushi—is divided into four sections with a rice paddle.
  • Pour the seasoned liquid from the Inari age package into a small bowl. Moisten your hands with it, then place about ¼ cup of sushi rice in your palm.
    Two photos: Left shows two pieces of inari sushi tofu pockets in a glass container with a bowl of sauce. Right shows a hand holding a metal measuring cup filled with cooked rice above a glass bowl.
  • Gently form the rice into an oblong shape. Use just enough pressure to keep the sushi rice ball from falling apart. Don't squeeze too tightly, and keep it as airy as possible. Repeat; you should be able to make 12 sushi rice balls.
    A person shapes rice into an oval with their hands next to a measuring cup of liquid; beside it, twelve oval-shaped inari sushi rice balls are neatly arranged in a white tray.
  • Squeeze the liquid from the seasoned Inari age. Next, carefully open the pocket, separating the skin all the way to the bottom of the pocket. Be gentle, as the skin is thin. Then, fold back the skin at the opening.
    Two side-by-side images: On the left, hands squeeze liquid from a pouch over a bowl. On the right, hands gently open an inari sushi tofu pouch above rice, preparing it for stuffing.
  • Stuff a sushi rice ball into the Inari age pocket all the way so the two corners look smooth and round.
    A person holding a piece of inari sushi.
  • Unroll the skin at the opening and fold both side edges down onto the sushi rice ball.
    Two close-up photos of hands opening a tofu pouch above a plate with white rice balls, preparing ingredients for homemade inari sushi.
  • Fold the front and back edges down like you’re wrapping a present. Place the Inari sushi seam side down onto a plate or tray. Continue filling the rest of the pockets. Your Inari sushi are now ready to serve.
    Two images side by side show hands holding and gently opening inari sushi, revealing its rice filling, while rice balls rest on a plate in the background.

To Make Kansai-Style Inari Sushi (optional)

  • After stuffing the pocket with sushi rice, keep it open on top and tuck the edges of the Inari age inside the pocket so you will have smooth, round edges. Then, add any toppings you like. Here, I used sliced cucumber, ikura (salmon roe), shredded egg crepe (kinshi tamago), boiled shrimp, and cooked salmon flakes.
    Close-up images of hands carefully preparing inari sushi, filling tofu pouches with rice and topping them with salmon roe, shrimp, and sliced cucumber before arranging them neatly on a tray.

To Serve

  • Serve at room temperature. Garnish with 5 shiso leaves and sushi ginger (gari), as desired.
    Three pieces of inari sushi (rice wrapped in fried tofu skin) are arranged on a colorful, decorative plate with pickled ginger and a lettuce leaf, set on a wooden table beside chopsticks and a brown napkin.

To Store

  • Please consume the Inari Sushi the same day they’re prepared. You can keep them in a cool place for several hours. If needed, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you do so, I highly recommend storing them in an airtight container or plate sealed tightly with plastic, then wrapping it completely with a thick kitchen towel. The towel keeps the rice insulated from the cold air so it doesn‘t get hard and dry.
    Store leftover Inari age pouches with their liquid in the freezer for up to a month or in the refrigerator for 2–3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 124mg, Potassium: 25mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg
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