Philadelphia Roll - Made with your favorite combination of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumbers then garnished with toasted sesame seeds and covered in seasoned sushi rice. You’re a quick roll away from making the best, most delicious sushi you’ve ever had!
If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I LOVE to share sushi recipes. Everything from smoked salmon sushi balls and tempura shrimp sushi tacos, to salmon avocado rolls.
These Philadelphia rolls are high up there as one of my favorites. If you’re a lover of cream cheese and lox, cream cheese and cucumber, or a combination of all three, you’re going to love sushi with cream cheese as much as I do!
It’s all about getting the balance of flavors just right, because the filling is where the magic happens. Smoked salmon, crunchy cucumber and creamy cream cheese, these Philadelphia roll sushi bites are going to knock your socks off.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make with just 5 ingredients (plus a few extra for the sushi rice seasoning)!
- These little Philadelphia rolls make a great appetizer, snack, or if you eat enough of them, dinner!
- Great for packing in lunch boxes at school or bento boxes for a Japanese-inspired meal.
- The flavors are incredible. You’ll find yourself craving these over and over again.
Recipe Tips
- Use the right rice: Sushi rice, also known as Japanese short-grain rice, is essential for making sushi. Rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking to remove excess starch, and use a rice cooker for best results.
- To toast your sesame seeds, add them to a skillet over medium heat, making sure they’re spread out in a single layer. Once you start smelling that nutty aroma, they’re done. Should only take 2-3 minutes. Or use a store-bought roasted sesame seeds.
- Invest in a bamboo mat: A bamboo sushi rolling mat, or makisu, is essential for rolling sushi.
- Master the art of rolling: Spread the rice evenly on the nori (seaweed) and leave some space at the top.
- For clean slices, you must use a sharp knife. It’s also helpful to wipe the blade clean between each slice.
- If you usually enjoy your sushi rolls with wasabi and pickled ginger slices, you should add them too!
- Have chopsticks on hand for your friends and family who want to use them.
Philadelphia Roll Ingredients
- For the sushi rice seasoning - Hot water, sugar, salt, cold water, and rice vinegar.
- Sushi rice - Made from Japanese short grain rice. Follow the directions on the package to cook it and allow it to cool slightly.
- Smoked salmon - Cut into strips about the same thickness you’ll be cutting your cream cheese and cucumber, so there’s equal parts of everything in every bite.
- Nori seaweed - You’ll need about 6-8 sheets for the amount of filling in this recipe. If you need to double or triple the recipe, you can certainly make more.
- Cream cheese - Use a block of cream cheese, not a tub of spreadable cream cheese. Cut the strips along the length of the block of cream cheese.
- Cucumber - I use English cucumbers and I peel them first, but then also cut the peel into strips. You can either discard the peel or don’t peel at all, it’s up to you.
- For garnish - Toasted sesame seeds.
- For dipping - Soy sauce. The umami saltiness is the best with any kind of sushi roll!
How to Make Sushi Rice
Step 1: Once you’ve made your rice and allowed it to cool for a while, it’s time to make the seasoning. Dilute sugar and salt in hot water until dissolved. Then, mix in the cold water and vinegar.
Step 2: Pour about ½ - ¾ of the mixture over top of the rice, fluffing up and mixing the rice around as you go. Taste a little and add more seasoning mixture if you’d like.
How to Make Philadelphia Roll
Step 3: Grab your bamboo mat and line it with plastic wrap. Place the nori sheet down, with the rougher side facing up.
Step 4: Wet your hands a bit so that it’s easier to work with the sticky rice. Spread a thin layer of the rice over the seaweed, making sure the rice gets to all the edges. Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds.
Step 5: Flip the nori over so that the rice is now facing down onto the plastic wrap.
Step 6: Add the filling by creating a horizontal row about 1 inch from the bottom of the nori sheet. Add the slices of salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber strips. Divide the number of strips evenly between 6-8 rolls, depending on how many nori sheets you’re using.
Step 7: Use the mat to tightly roll the sushi away from you. Start at the end closest to you (the one with the filling) and as you roll, apply gentle pressure to shape it.
Step 8: Once the roll is complete, you can keep it rolled tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
Step 9: To serve, use a sharp knife to slice it into individual pieces, over the plastic wrap then carefully remove the plastic wrap. Serve with soy sauce and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
It sure is. For whatever reason, it’s called different things, but what’s on the inside of the bottle is the same.
These classic little sushi bites contain Philadelphia cream cheese (hence the name), smoked salmon, and cucumber. A trio of incredible flavors and textures.
These are best eaten the day they are made, however you can keep them refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
More Delicious Appetizer Recipes
- Easy Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
- Crispy Chicken Drumsticks Stuffed with Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Quesadilla Recipe with Ham and Cheese
- Easy and Tasty Cod Fritters Recipe
- Sourdough Pizza Rolls
When YOU make this Philadelphia roll sushi recipe tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
If you tried this Sushi Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a * star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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📖 Recipe
Philadelphia Roll
Equipment
Ingredients
Sushi Rice & Seasoning
- ½ cup water hot
- 2 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons sea salt or to taste
- 1 cup water cold
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar unseasoned
Philadelphia Roll
- 3 cups sushi rice cooked and cooled
- 8 oz smoked salmon cut into strips
- 6-8 sheets nori
- 4 oz cream cheese or to taste, cut into strips
- ½ English cucumber thinly sliced then cut into long strips
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- soy sauce for dipping
Instructions
- To make sushi rice seasoning, dilute sugar and salt in hot water until everything is dissolved. Add cold water and vinegar and mix.
- Pour about ½ - ¾ cup of rice seasoning mixture over rice and mix; if needed, add more to taste.
- Line a bamboo mat with plastic wrap and place nori on top, rough side up. Spread a thin layer of rice (using wet hands) over the seaweed. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rice, flip the nori so the rice touches the plastic wrap, and add the filling directly to the nori.
- Create a horizontal row about an inch from the bottom of the nori sheet and place sliced salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber strips.
- Now, use the mat to tightly roll the sushi away from you, starting at the end with the fillings. Apply gentle pressure to shape the roll.
- Once the roll is complete, use a sharp knife to slice it into individual pieces, over the plastic wrap then carefully remove the plastic wrap. For clean, precise cuts, it's helpful to wet the knife blade with water between each slice. Serve with soy sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Use sushi rice: Rinse thoroughly and use a rice cooker.
- Get a bamboo mat: Essential for rolling tight, uniform sushi.
- Use fresh ingredients.
- Master the art of rolling: Spread rice evenly and roll tightly.
- Sharpen your knife: A wet, sharp knife ensures clean slices.
- Have fun with toppings: Get creative with sesame seeds, spicy mayo, and tobiko.
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