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Making sushi at home is much cheaper, and you get way more rolls for the price! My go-to sushi rolls to make are California rolls (really any leftover veggies with imitation crabmeat), Spicy Tuna Rolls, and these Philadelphia Rolls.
The Philadelphia sushi roll is one of my children’s favorite sushi rolls. Maybe it’s because I don’t add raw fish and make it with just cream cheese and cucumbers. The simple combination is always a winner in my house, dipped into spicy mayonnaise and homemade EEL sauce (so yummy)!
This is the best Philadelphia roll recipe, and it’s super adaptable to what you have in the fridge — avocados, smoked salmon, or scallions from the garden.
Sushi Rice
My favorite rice for making sushi has always been Botan Calrose rice, which I buy in bulk from Walmart in the Asian aisle.
These days, I’ve been making sushi rice much easier using my Instant Pot. I dump the rice and water (1:1 ratio) into this appliance and press a button, and the rice is cooked to perfection in 12 minutes.
If you don’t have a rice cooker or the Instant Pot, you can easily make the sushi rice on the stovetop. Just rinse the rice using a sieve and transfer it into a saucepan with cold water. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to low to simmer it for 20 minutes. I like to steam my rice after it cooks by leaving it covered for an additional 15 minutes.
After the rice is cooked, I then add the sushi vinegar mixture (a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, or you can use seasoned sushi vinegar instead) and stir it in.
What is In a Philadelphia Roll?
A good way to think of Philadelphia rolls is cream cheese roll-ups. Fill sticky rice with it and add a veggie, then roll up jelly-roll style. It’s a no-fuss sushi roll recipe because it’s not cooked. Our favorite dipping sauces are spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce. I’ve also been loving wasabi paste lately, or dipping with coconut aminos for a soy sauce substitute.
The main ingredient in a Philadelphia roll is Philadelphia cream cheese. Obviously, you can use any name-brand cream cheese to make this popular sushi roll filled with cucumbers and other desired ingredients. Sushi rolls often vary by Restaurant, so that a Philadelphia roll can consist of smoked salmon, avocado, or scallions.
I like to keep it simple by just using cream cheese and cucumbers, and they seem to store better than the rolls made with avocado or fish. Sushi rolls go quickly at our house, so they don’t generally keep for long anyway. Plus, they make a fabulous entertaining dish.
Watch How To Make Philadelphia Roll:
Watch this easy beginner’s video to learn how to make a Philadelphia roll at home, just like in a sushi restaurant!
How To Make Philadelphia Roll:
- Make the sushi rice. Follow my sushi rice directions, or combine 3 cups of short-grain rice (rinsed and drained) and 3 1/4 cups of water into a pot and cook the rice until done. Add the sushi vinegar mixture and cool before handling.
- Cut the seaweed sheets in half.
- Julienne the cucumbers. Cut the cream cheese into thin strips. Dipping your knife into water will help the cream cheese from sticking.
- Protect the sushi mat: Place the sushi mat into a gallon-sized freezer bag or wrap it with plastic wrap to avoid having to wash the mat.
- Assemble the Philadelphia rolls. Spread a heaping handful of the prepared sushi rice over the seaweed sheet. Flip it over to the other side and place a row of cucumbers and cream cheese across the seaweed. The rice side should be facing down when filling. Roll up tightly using the mat.
- To slice sushi rolls, place the roll onto a cutting board and wet the blade of a sharp knife. Cut the sushi roll in half and then align the halves together and slice into four equal pieces to make eight slices.
- Serve with Spicy mayonnaise or your favorite dipping sauce.
Pro Tip: Dip your hands in water or use disposable vinyl kitchen gloves to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands when working.
Q&A
What is a Philadelphia Roll?
A Philly Roll (makizushi) is a type of sushi roll commonly made with cucumbers and cream cheese. Some Japanese Restaurants use avocados and salmon. So, it’s really the cream cheese that’s the most common ingredient among the variations of avocados or cucumbers.
What is Maki?
Maki is a Japanese term for Sushi Rolls! It’s when raw vegetables or fish are wrapped in seaweed and rice.
How To Make Spicy Mayonnaise
To make spicy mayonnaise, combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with two tablespoons of Sriracha sauce.
Philadelphia Roll vs California Roll
A Philadelphia roll mainly consists of cream cheese, whereas the California roll is mainly filled with imitation crab. Both sushi rolls can be filled with avocado or cucumbers, depending on the Restaurant. The California roll is often served with Tobiko (caviar).
Tips:
- Dip your hands or a sharp knife in water when working with the sushi rice to make it easier to manage.
- Wrapping the bamboo mat in plastic wrap or freezer bags makes for easier cleanup, as you can discard the plastic covering without washing the mat.
- Out of Rice Vinegar? No Problem, Apple Cider Vinegar works as a great substitute!
- Allow the sushi rice to cool before rolling it in seaweed sheets (Nori); otherwise, it can cause the seaweed to wilt.
- Store leftover sushi rolls in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, to prevent them from drying out. Allow the Philadelphia roll to come to room temperature before serving (about 1-2 hours).
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Philadelphia Roll Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bamboo sushi mat
- 1 Bowl of water, (for dipping hands or a knife into for easier handling)
Ingredients
Philadelphia Roll:
- 8 oz cream cheese, (Philadelphia brand)
- 1/2 English cucumber , (julienned)
- 5 cups cooked and seasoned sushi rice
- 10 Roasted seaweed sheets , (cut in half)
Instructions
- Prepare the sushi rice according to the instructions and season it. Set aside to cool.
- Cut the cream cheese and cucumbers into strips. Dip your knife into water for easier slicing when handling cream cheese.
- Place the bamboo mat in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Place half of a seaweed sheet onto the sushi mat—Spread 1/2 cup of the prepared sushi rice over the seaweed.
- Flip it over to the other side and place a few strips of cream cheese and cucumbers across the center or the bottom half of the seaweed. Roll up tightly, creating tension with the mat.
- Slice the Philadelphia rolls using a sharp knife (that has been dipped into water) and slice into eight equal slices. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Variations: can add smoked salmon or avocado slices. Keep in mind that the avocado can brown after storage.
Nutrition (per serving)
Tried this recipe?
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