The Philadelphia roll is a popular Western style makizushi made with cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese. If you love lox and cream cheese bagels, this Philadelphia roll is going to be your new obsession!
Make this creamy and smoky Philadelphia roll at home in under 1 hour! The best part? You don’t need any raw fish or special skills to make it at home. This is one of the easiest sushi rolls to master, whether you’re new to rolling sushi or just craving your favorite takeout without leaving the house.
Table of contents
What Is a Philadelphia Roll
A Philadelphia roll is a Western influenced makizushi (sushi roll) filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber. The name references the iconic brand of cream cheese – and isn’t related to the City of Brotherly Love.
Philadelphia Roll vs California Roll
Much like a California roll, the Philadelphia roll sits neatly in the Western-style sushi lexicon: rolled sushi that uses filling combinations you wouldn’t find in traditional Japanese sushi. What makes these two different are the fillings:
- Philly: Smoked salmon + cream cheese + cucumber
- California: Crab + avocado + cucumber
Ingredients
- Rice: When making nigiri sushi, sushi rolls, or temaki rolls, you’ll want to use short grain Japanese rice. Properly cooked Japanese rice has a texture that is tender and slightly sticky with a glossy appearance. Make sure to rinse your rice thoroughly prior to cooking. Please refer to this how to cook Japanese rice post for a complete tutorial.
- Rice vinegar, sugar and salt: The combination of these three ingredients are what gives sushi rice its bright and tangy taste.
- Smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber: The fillings are what makes Philadelphia rolls so irresistible. Creamy cream cheese, rich smoked salmon, and refreshing cucumber (Japanese, English, or Kirby, all work well) balance each other to perfection.
- Nori Sheets: Plain nori sheets are recommended when making any type of sushi.
Variations
- Spicy: Add a squirt of sriracha sauce.
- Extra creamy: Add a strip of avocado.
- Nutty: Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the fillings, before rolling.
How to Make Philadelphia Roll
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Make the sushi and set it aside.
- Slice smoked salmon into long strips that are about 1/3-inch thick.
- Slice cucumber into long strips that are 1/3-inch thick.
- Cut long strips of cream cheese that are 1/3-inch thick.
- Wrap a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap. This keeps your rolls from sticking to the bamboo mat.
- Place a sheet of nori on the rolling mat and add a little sushi rice. Spread the rice evenly on the nori with your fingertips.
- Place a strip of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber over the rice.
- Lift the bottom edges of the mat with your thumbs while holding on to the toppings with your fingers. Roll it into a tight cylinder, tucking the fillings in firmly.
- Roll forward until there is only a bit of nori left visible at the far end.
- Keep rolling until sealed and wet the edges to seal the nori.
Tips for Rolling Sushi Successfully
- Be sure your cutting board is dry. Seaweed sheets quickly soak up any moisture that is present so it’s important to start with a dry cutting board.
- Don’t overfill with rice and fillings. Too much rice or filling result in a roll that’s hard to shape and too big to eat.
- Wet your fingers often. This will prevent the rice from sticking all over your fingers and making the process messy.
- When rolling, use firm pressure. You want the roll to be tight so the filling doesn’t fall out. But do not force it to a point where it’s so tight that the nori sheet will rip.
Additional Cooking Tips
- For perfectly cut pieces of sushi: Fill a small bowl with water and a little rice vinegar. Dip a kitchen towel or cloth in it. Use the wet towel to wipe your chef’s kitchen for every cut you make. The mix of water and vinegar removes the sticky starch from the rice which helps in making clean cuts.
- Use a sharp knife. A dull knife will force you to apply too much pressure which can result in flat sushi rolls and torn nori.
- Trim the rough ends off your roll. For a clean presentation, trim them off so all the pieces look the same.
What to Serve With Philadelphia Roll
When it comes to eating sushi and maki at home, I like to whip up the types of sides I’d be ordering if I was dining at my favorite sushi restaurant or izakaya.
- Soups: Of course I must add the classic miso soup here. But I also love other types of miso soups such as onion miso soup and daikon miso soup.
- Salads: Small side salads such as the classic iceberg lettuce salad with carrot ginger dressing, Japanese potato salad, kani salad (crab salad), or gomae (boiled spinach and sesame salad), are quite popular in Japan.
- Other types of sushi: Spicy tuna roll, inari sushi, or temari sushi, are all great pairings.
How to Store Leftover Rolls
Refrigerate any leftovers inside a food storage container with a lid – or on a plate covered in plastic wrap – for 1 to 2 days max.
- Since smoked salmon is already cured it can keep for a couple of days in the fridge. However, raw sushi grade salmon is used instead of smoked, I don’t recommend storing leftovers for more than a day.
- To serve leftovers, take them out of the fridge and leave on the kitchen counter for 15-20 minutes prior to eating to let the rice soften a little.
*Do not heat in the microwave.
Did you try this recipe? Would you like to share any changes you made? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
PrintPhiladelphia Roll
The Philadelphia roll is a popular Western style makizushi made with cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 rolls 1x
- Category: Rice
- Method: Rice cooker
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
- 2 cups Japanese short grain rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup plain rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz smoked salmon, sliced into 1/3 inch thick strips
- 4 oz plain cream cheese, sliced into 1/3 inch thick strips
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced into 1/3 inch thick strips
- 4 sheets dried nori
Instructions
- Put the rice in a rice washing bowl and run cold water over it. Rinse the rice using your hand, in a swirling motion. Keep doing this until the water runs clear, and drain well. If you don’t have a rice washing bowl, put the rice in a medium size bowl and pour a little water in it. Wash the rice in a swirling motion to remove the excess starch and pour as much of the water out (don’t use the strainer yet). Repeat this step until the water runs clear and strain the rice through a sieve to drain all the water.
- Place the rice in the rice cooker inner pot and add the water. Select the plain setting and press start. If you don’t have a rice cooker, please follow the instructions at the bottom of the directions.
- Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, in a bowl and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside
When the rice is cooked, transfer it to a bowl and spread the rice and pour the vinegar mixture over it. Gently fold and slice the rice (do not mix as this will make the rice mushy) a few times until the vinegar mixture is evenly distributed and the rice is warm but cool enough to handle. - Wrap your bamboo mat with plastic wrap. This prevents the rice from sticking to the mat.
- Place a piece of nori on the bamboo mat’s edge closer to you, lengthwise. Leave about 1” of bamboo space visible, with the shiny side of the nori facing down.
- Dip your fingers in the dipping bowl and moisten your hands. Grab 1 cup of sushi rice (using a measurement cup is the easiest to measure the rice) and place it on the nori sheet. Don’t overfill the cup or press the rice down, just scoop the rice as you normally would scoop any other grain.
- Spread the rice evenly across the sheet, leaving 1” of space free at the top of the nori sheet.
- Place the smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber, over the rice, on the side closer to you, across lengthwise.
- Make sure you save enough ingredients to make 4 rolls! Grab the bottom edges of the mat with your thumbs while holding on to the toppings with your other fingers. Roll it into a tight cylinder, tucking the fillings in firmly.
- Roll it forward while using a little pressure but not so much that the filling spills out. Keep rolling until there is only a bit of nori left visible.
- Wet your fingers and run them across the inside edge of the nori sheet. This will seal the end of the roll. Keep rolling and delicately remove the bamboo mat.
- Wipe a kitchen knife with vinegar water and evenly cut the roll into bite size pieces.
- Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi.
Stove Top Method For The Rice
- Add the rice and water to a medium size pot.
- Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. To check on the water level, slightly open the lid but don’t open it all the way as this will let too much steam out and cause the rice to cook unevenly.
- Turn the heat off and let the cooked rice sit for 10 minutes, to finish the cooking process.
- Using a wooden or plastic spoon, or a rice paddle, gently fold the rice a few times (do not stir or knead as this will break the rice grains and make the rice glutinous).
Notes
Save the Philadelphia rolls in a storage container with a lid – or on a plate covered in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 575
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 265.4mg
- Fat: 13.5g
- Saturated Fat: 6.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 86g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 25.6g
- Cholesterol: 72.3mg
Frequently Asked Questions
This particular type of sushi is cooked because smoked salmon is used instead of raw.
Actually, all of the main ingredients for this roll are naturally gluten-free. If you are planning to dip it in soy sauce and wasabi, simply use tamari or liquid aminos instead.
Japanese short grain rice is highly recommended because it’s stickier than other types of rice. However, I have made sushi rolls in the past using medium grain rice and it worked. Keep in mind that the rice will not stick together as well though.
Most definitely! In fact, it’s common in Japan to eat both nigiri (sushi) and maki (cut rolls) with your fingers or chopsticks. In most restaurants in Japan, you’re given an oshibori – which is a moist washcloth – at the beginning of your meal to clean your hands.
