Philadelphia Roll
intro
A creamy, savory Japanese-American fusion sushi roll filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, and avocado, perfect for fresh, shareable bites.
Ingredients
Steps
Rinse 200g short-grain sushi rice under cold running water for 2 minutes until the runoff water is almost clear, then drain completely for 5 minutes. Add rinsed rice and 260ml cold water to a small lidded saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then immediately turn heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let rest, still covered, for 10 minutes to finish steaming.
While the cooked rice is still warm, transfer it to a wide, shallow glass or wooden bowl. Stir 45ml unseasoned rice vinegar, 12g granulated sugar, and 3g fine sea salt in a small dish until fully dissolved, then drizzle the mixture evenly over the rice. Use a flat wooden rice paddle to gently fold the seasoning into the rice, slicing through grains (not mashing) while fanning the rice continuously for 3-4 minutes until it cools to 21°C (70°F) and develops a glossy, slightly sticky texture.
Set up your rolling station while the rice cools: Wrap a bamboo sushi rolling mat (makisu) tightly in plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Cut chilled cream cheese into 1cm (0.4in) thick long strips, seed the cucumber and cut into matching 1cm strips, peel and pit the avocado then slice into 1cm strips, and arrange all fillings (smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, avocado) on a small plate. Place nori sheets and a small bowl of 100ml cold water (for dipping fingers) within easy reach.
Place one full nori sheet shiny-side down on the prepared bamboo mat. Dip your fingers in the cold water to prevent rice from sticking, then spread 1/4 of the seasoned rice (approximately 110g) evenly across the bottom 2/3 of the nori sheet, pressing gently to form a 5mm (0.2in) thick uniform layer, leaving the top 1/3 of the nori completely bare to seal the roll. Sprinkle 1/4 of the toasted sesame seeds evenly over the rice layer.
Arrange fillings in a straight, even horizontal line across the exact center of the rice layer: use 30g (1oz) thinly sliced smoked salmon, 2 cream cheese strips (approximately 28g), 1 cucumber strip, and 1 avocado strip, making sure fillings span the full width of the nori sheet so every cut piece has even filling. Do not overstuff the line, as excess filling will cause the roll to burst when rolled.
Lift the bottom edge of the bamboo mat closest to you, fold it over the line of fillings, and tuck the mat edge tightly against the fillings to form a firm log core, squeezing gently with even pressure to compact the rice. Continue rolling forward slowly, applying light consistent pressure, until you reach the bare nori edge. Dab the bare nori strip with a tiny amount of cold water to seal the roll closed, then give the rolled log one final gentle squeeze through the mat to form a tight, uniform cylinder roughly 5cm (2in) in diameter. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, and fillings to make 4 total rolls.
Wet a very sharp, thin-bladed knife with cold water, then cut each roll into 8 even 2cm (0.8in) thick pieces, wiping the blade clean and re-wetting it between every 2 cuts to prevent rice from sticking to the knife. Arrange cut pieces cut-side up on a serving plate, and serve with optional soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
Tips
2.Keep cream cheese fully chilled until you are ready to add it to rolls; room temperature cream cheese softens too quickly and will squish out of the sides of the roll when you apply pressure during rolling.
3.Never lift the saucepan lid while sushi rice is simmering; escaping steam drops the pot’s internal temperature, leading to unevenly cooked rice with crunchy undercooked grains or mushy overcooked patches.
OMG, I’ve been intimidated to make sushi at home forever but this Philly roll recipe was totally doable! The cream cheese to salmon ratio was perfect, and I didn’t even mess up the rolling too bad. My whole family devoured the whole platter at our Sunday dinner, even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds. SO good, will be making this for our next potluck for sure!
Game changer! I usually just grab Philly rolls from the grocery store sushi counter but these taste way fresher. Cook time took me a little longer than 40 minutes because I’m slow at prepping the cucumber and avocado, but totally worth the extra time. Only thing I did differently was add a tiny drizzle of sriracha on top for a little kick, chef’s kiss.
I made a double batch of these for my weekly meal prep and they held up shockingly well in the fridge for 3 days! I was worried the cream cheese would get weird or the nori would get soggy, but as long as you wrap them tight in plastic wrap they stay perfect. Saved me so much money on takeout sushi this week, 10/10.
Okay, full transparency, my first two rolls came out totally lopsided and oozing cream cheese everywhere, but once I got the hang of tucking the nori tight they turned out great! Tasted exactly like the rolls I order at my local sushi spot, I can’t believe I made these myself. Definitely medium difficulty like the recipe says, don’t go into this thinking it’s super easy if you’ve never rolled sushi before!
Brought these to my neighborhood block party last weekend and people were begging me for the recipe! I added a little sesame seed garnish on the outside like my local spot does and they looked so fancy, no one believed they only took 40 minutes to make. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular rotation.
I tested this with dairy-free cream cheese last night because I have a milk allergy, and it was SO close to the real thing! I was worried the non-dairy cream cheese would be too runny but the block style held up perfectly. My kids loved it too, even the ones who don’t have dairy restrictions didn’t notice a difference.
Made these in my tiny dorm kitchen with no fancy equipment and they slapped! I used pre-cooked salmon from the dining hall because I didn’t want to deal with raw fish, and it still worked so good. Saved me so much money on sushi delivery during midterms, will be making these every week from now on.
Taste was 10/10 but I struggled so bad with the sushi rice! I think I added too much rice vinegar and it was way too tangy for my liking, plus I overcooked the rice a little so it was mushy. I’ll definitely try again though, the flavor combo of cream cheese, salmon and cucumber is unbeatable.
Made these for my at-home date night with my boyfriend last night and he was so impressed! He thought I ordered takeout until he saw me rolling them in the kitchen. We paired them with miso soup and edamame and it felt like we were at a fancy sushi restaurant for a fraction of the price. Total win.
I’ve been making sushi for 30+ years and this Philly roll recipe is spot on. The ratios are exactly right, no weird extra ingredients, just the classic combo everyone loves. I taught my teen grandson how to make these last weekend and he picked up the rolling technique faster than I expected, great recipe for new sushi makers.
These are so good! I added a little bit of spicy crab and jalapeño to a few of the rolls for a fun twist and they were incredible. The base recipe is perfect as is, but it’s also super easy to customize with your favorite fillings if you want to mix things up. 10/10, will make again.
Perfect weeknight dinner! I was able to prep all the fillings while the rice cooked, so the whole thing came together right at 40 minutes like the recipe said. My kids thought it was so fun to build their own rolls at the table, it turned dinner into a little activity instead of just a meal. We will definitely be having this again soon.