Philadelphia Roll
intro
Creamy, refreshing Western-style sushi roll filled with smoked salmon, smooth cream cheese, and crisp cucumber, wrapped in seasoned sticky rice and nori.
Ingredients
Steps
Rinse 360g uncooked short-grain sushi rice under cold running water for 2-3 minutes, swishing gently, until the runoff water is almost completely clear. Drain rice thoroughly, then add to a medium lidded pot with 600ml cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then immediately turn the stovetop to the lowest heat setting, cover the pot tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove pot from heat, keep covered, and let rice rest for 10 minutes to finish steaming. Transfer cooked rice to a wide, shallow glass or wooden bowl, gently fold in 3 tablespoons (45ml) seasoned rice vinegar with a flat rice paddle, fanning the rice continuously for 5 minutes as you fold to cool it to room temperature, leaving grains glossy, separate, and slightly sticky.
While the rice cooks and rests, prep fillings and your rolling station: Cut the chilled 225g block of cream cheese into uniform 1cm-thick long strips, seed the 150g English cucumber and cut it into matching 1cm-thick long strips, and separate the thinly sliced 170g smoked salmon into easy-to-lay pieces. Set out the 4 nori sheets and 9g toasted sesame seeds. Mix the remaining 1 teaspoon (5ml) seasoned rice vinegar with 120ml (1/2 cup) cold water in a small bowl for dipping your fingers, to prevent rice from sticking. Lay a bamboo sushi rolling mat (makisu) flat on the counter, wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap for easy cleanup if desired.
Place 1 full nori sheet shiny-side down on the prepared bamboo mat. Dip your fingertips in the vinegared water to prevent sticking, then scoop 1/4 of the cooled seasoned rice (roughly 225g) onto the nori. Press the rice gently into a thin, even layer covering the entire surface of the nori, leaving no bare patches, taking care not to mash the rice grains. Sprinkle 1/4 of the toasted sesame seeds (roughly 2.25g) evenly across the entire rice layer, then carefully flip the nori sheet over so the rice-coated side faces down against the bamboo mat, and the plain matte nori side faces up toward you.
Arrange fillings in a single, straight line running the full length of the nori sheet, centered horizontally: Lay 2-3 strips of cream cheese (about 56g), 2 cucumber strips (about 37g), and 2-3 slices of smoked salmon (about 42g) evenly across the center. Do not overstuff the roll, as this will cause it to burst open and leak fillings when rolling; keep the fillings in a tight, narrow line no wider than 2.5cm across.
Lift the bottom edge of the bamboo mat closest to your body, folding it up and over the line of fillings to tuck the nori and rice snugly around the fillings, squeezing gently with even pressure along the length of the mat to form a tight log shape. Continue rolling the mat forward slowly, applying gentle, consistent pressure as you go to compress the roll into a uniform cylinder, dabbing a tiny amount of vinegared water along the far edge of the nori to seal it closed if it does not stick on its own. Once fully rolled, squeeze the mat around the log lightly to shape it into an even 5cm-diameter cylinder. Repeat assembly and rolling with the remaining nori, rice, sesame seeds, and fillings to make 4 total rolls.
Let the completed rolls rest at room temperature for 2 minutes to allow the rice to set and the nori to adhere, which prevents fillings from falling out during cutting. Dip a sharp, thin-bladed knife in the vinegared finger water, then slice each roll into 8 even 2cm-thick pieces, wiping the knife blade clean with a damp cloth and re-dipping in vinegared water after every 2 cuts to prevent sticking. Arrange the sliced rolls on a serving plate, and serve with optional pickled ginger, wasabi, and low-sodium soy sauce on the side.
Tips
2.Keep cream cheese fully chilled until you are ready to assemble rolls: room-temperature cream cheese softens too quickly and will ooze out of the roll during rolling and slicing, creating messy, uneven pieces.
3.Apply gentle, even pressure when rolling: squeezing the mat too hard will mash the rice into a gummy texture and push fillings out the ends of the roll, while too little pressure will result in a loose roll that falls apart when cut.
OMG this classic Philly roll is SO good! I was intimidated to make sushi at home but the step-by-step made it totally doable even for a first-timer. Took me a little longer than 40 mins my first go because I kept messing up the roll tightness, but by the third roll I had it down. Brought a batch to my office potluck yesterday and everyone was begging for the recipe! Total game changer for weeknight meals too, I prepped the rice ahead on Sunday so assembly was super fast.
Solid recipe! I added a little extra toasted sesame seed on the outside and tossed in a thin slice of avocado with the cream cheese and salmon, and it tasted exactly like the rolls I get at my local sushi spot. Only note: make sure your sushi rice is properly seasoned with the rice vinegar, sugar and salt mix—that makes all the difference. Will be making these again for my guy’s night this weekend.
My kids LOVED these! I was worried the raw salmon would be a hard sell for my picky 7 and 9 year old, but they devoured half the batch in 10 minutes. I skipped the wasabi inside the rolls for them and served it on the side for my husband and I, perfect family dinner hack. 10/10 will add to our weekly rotation.
Took me a couple tries to get the rolling technique right (definitely medium difficulty, don’t let anyone tell you sushi is easy your first time!) but the end result was chef’s kiss. I used smoked salmon instead of raw since that’s what I had in the fridge, and it still had that classic Philly roll flavor I was craving. Great recipe, no weird fancy ingredients required.
Taste was spot on, but I struggled with the rice sticking to my bamboo mat even when I wrapped it in plastic wrap like the instructions said. Ended up with a couple lumpy rolls before I figured out I needed to dampen my fingers way more often between handling the rice. Flavor was great though, just a messy learning curve. Took almost 50 minutes total for me, which is a little over the listed 40.
Made these for a neighborhood potluck last weekend and they were the first plate gone! I cut them into extra thick slices and set out soy sauce, pickled ginger, and extra wasabi for dipping. So many neighbors asked for the recipe I lost count. Will absolutely be making these for every summer get together from now on.
Game changer for my weekly meal prep! I make a big batch of these on Sunday, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and grab them for quick work lunches all week. They hold up way better than I thought they would, no sogginess even after 3 days in the fridge. I add a little cucumber for extra crunch, *chef’s kiss*.
Decent recipe, but I wish it had a tip for how to cut the rolls without squishing them. I used a super sharp knife like I always do for veggies, but still smooshed a few pieces when I sliced. Flavor was on point though, cream cheese to salmon ratio was exactly right. Might try running my knife under hot water between slices next time.
I’ve been making Philly rolls at home for years and this is hands down the best recipe I’ve tried. The rice seasoning ratio is perfect—not too vinegary, not too sweet. I usually add a tiny drizzle of sriracha mayo on top for a little kick, but the base recipe is perfect even without it. SO good, my roommate already asked me to make them again next week.
Okay I was so nervous to make these because I’ve never made any kind of sushi at home, but these came out amazing! I watched a quick 1 minute video of how to tuck the bamboo mat while rolling and that was all I needed to get tight, even rolls. My boyfriend thought I ordered takeout until I told him I made them myself. 10/10, worth the 40 minutes for sure.
So happy I found this recipe! I used gluten free soy sauce for the rice seasoning and dipping, and it tasted exactly like the regular Philly rolls I used to get before going GF. No weird texture, no off flavor, just that perfect creamy, salty, savory bite. Already shared the link to my GF food group chat!
Made these last night when my friends came over to watch the game. I was a little worried the 40 minute cook time would cut into hang time, but I got the rice cooking first and knocked out all the veggie and cream cheese prep while it cooled, and it was totally seamless. Everyone raved about them, even the friend who swears he ‘hates all seafood.’ Total win for game night snacks.