CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.
Nigiri is hand-formed sushi featuring a mound of seasoned Japanese rice topped with fresh sushi-grade fish, requiring precise rice seasoning and proper fish-cutting technique for restaurant-quality results at home.
Check what you already have. We'll leave it off your shopping list.
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.
Cook rice according to package instructions, preferably in a rice cooker. While rice is cooking whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
Once rice is done cooking, place the rice in a large bowl, add vinegar mixture to hot rice, and toss. Set aside to let rice slightly cool.
While the rice is cooling, cut the fish. Cut against the grain of the fish to form pieces that are roughly 3" long, 1" wide, and 1/4" thick. Set aside.
Form mounds of rice. Fill a small bowl with water, wet your hands, and place a small mound of rice that comfortably fits in your left hand (about 3/4 the size of your palm) when cupped. Keeping the left hand cupped, press down on the top of the mound with the long/inside surfaces of your right hand's pointer and middle fingers (together), gently forming the rice into a slightly more compact, structured mound. Don't squeeze the rice too tight. Set each mound aside and repeat until all rice has been used.
Combine the rice and fish to form pieces of nigiri. With your left palm facing up, lay one piece of fish horizontally across the base of your fingers, and place one prepared mound of rice directly on top. Repeat the same motion as you did when forming the rice mound — gently cupping your left hand and pressing down with the long side of your right hand's pointer and middle fingers, forming rice and fish together.
Place formed pieces of nigiri on a large plate, and serve immediately with soy sauce, wasabi paste, and pickled ginger.
Serve nigiri immediately for best texture. Leftover nigiri can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours, though rice will firm and fish quality will diminish.
sharp sashimi knife or Japanese fish knife · rice cooker (optional but recommended for consistent rice)
Sushi-grade fish is frozen at ultra-low temperatures to kill parasites and is safe to eat raw. Purchase from specialty Japanese markets, high-end seafood counters, or online suppliers certified for sushi use.
Sushi rice should be cooled to room temperature (around 70°F) before forming nigiri. Use a rice thermometer to check, or test by dipping your finger—it should feel warm but not hot.
Cutting against the grain shortens muscle fibers, resulting in more tender, melt-in-your-mouth bites. This technique also helps the fish adhere better to the rice.
Nigiri is best served immediately after assembly, as the rice will harden and the texture will decline. Prepare rice in advance, but form and top pieces within 1-2 hours of serving.
Use gentle, firm pressure with moistened hands to compress the rice into an oval mound without crushing it. The rice should hold together but remain slightly airy inside.
