Our families-favorite homemade Sushi rolls are the Philadelphia Rolls! The perfect sushi rice, cream cheese, and cucumbers make the Philadelphia Roll! You don’t have to use salmon or be a Sushi-Chef to make them at home!
We love Sushi! That’s why we count on this Sushi Rice recipe for dinner and when serving guests! Our other family-favorite Sushi Rolls are the Spicy Tuna Rolls! These recipes have proven to be the best at our house!
Philadelphia Roll
The Philadelphia Roll is one of the easiest sushi rolls to make compared to all the other fancy rolls out there! It calls for most pantry ingredients that are probably sitting right in the fridge! Sure you can add smoked salmon or cure your own salmon but I don’t always have fresh salmon on hand, especially when a Sushi Craving Strikes! So I omit the fish (pregnant ladies your welcome;) Furthermore if you have the perfect Sushi Rice recipe and fresh nori seaweed on hand that’s the star of the show! The toppings come to play easily and the classic flavors of the Philly Roll are still there because cream cheese and cucumbers are all you really need! It’s kid-approved this way and they’re actually one of the first rolls to disappear!
How to Make Philadelphia Roll:
Philadelphia Roll
Ingredients
Philadelphia Roll:
- 1/2 english cucumber
- 5 cups cooked Sushi Rice
- 10 nori seaweed sheets (half-sheets)
Instructions
- Cut the cream cheese and cucumbers into strips.
- Place a half-sheet of nori onto a sushi mat. Spread 1/2 cup of cooked and seasoned Sushi Rice over the nori.
- Flip and fill the bottom end with a few strips of the cream cheese and cucumbers. Roll and slice each roll into 8 pieces.
Notes
- Wet your hands when working with sushi to prevent the Sushi Rice from sticking to your hands.
- Bamboo mat: I like to place my sushi mat inside a gallon-sized zip-loc bag for easier clean-up.
Nutrition per serving
Q&A
What is in a Philadelphia Roll?
A Philly Roll (makizushi) is a sushi roll commonly made from cucumbers and cream cheese. Some Japanese Restaurants use avocados and salmon. So, it’s really the cream cheese that’s the most common ingredient between the variations of avocados or cucumbers.
Can I eat Philadelphia Roll when pregnant?
Eating raw fish is not recommended for pregnant women due to bacteria issues that are at a higher risk when pregnant. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy other sushi rolls like this salmon-less version.
What is the best kind of rice to use for Sushi Rice?
When making sushi rice you want a milled white grain, which is typically referred to as small or medium-grain white rice. The only rice that I use when making sushi at home is the medium-grain rice found right in the Asian aisle of Walmart, called the Botan Calrose Rice. It’s very easy to buy and I get fantastic results!
Look for short-grain rice, Japanese rice, medium-grain rice, or California rice. Which will all work in making Homemade Sushi Rice.
Is Sushi Rice Gluten-Free?
Yes! There is NO flour in this recipe!
What is Maki?
Maki is a Japanese term for Sushi Rolls! It’s when raw vegetables or fish are wrapped in seaweed and rice.
What Ingredients do you need to Make Sushi Rice at Home?
Making it at home is very simple! All you need is white rice, vinegar, salt, and sugar; that’s it!
What does “Sushi–Grade” or “Sashimi–Grade” mean?
The word Sushi-Grade is a marketing term for making sales on raw fish. To read more on What Is “Sushi-Grade,” Anyway? Read this article by serious eats. Many stores will not have those marketing terms, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use any other raw fish available, for sushi.
How do you make easy Sushi Rice?
This is the Sushi Rice Recipe we count on! It’s the one recipe we’ve been making for many years (5 years +) and tastes like rice you’d order at a Japanese Restaurant! I have followed some complicated steps in the beginning years of my sushi making, like using non-metallic bowls and specific tools, but at the end, I realized it turns out without all those unnecessary steps! So this recipe is approachable for any Non-Sushi Chef!
You can substitute rice vinegar?
Absolutely! In fact, I don’t even buy rice vinegar anymore! Since, I discovered the substitute of apple cider vinegar, when running out of rice vinegar, I’ve been using it since! It works fabulously and is much more convenient to purchase since it’s available in most grocery stores. This Sushi Rice Vinegar Substitute is sure to come in handy!
How do you make Spicy Mayo?
The orange sauce you’ve likely tried at Japanese Restaurants with your Sushi Rolls was probably Spicy-Mayo and it’s super easy to make! Here is my recipe for Homemade Spicy Mayo and it tastes like the real thing! It’s our #1 condiment sauce for Sushi rolls, so when we have sushi it’s definitely with this stuff!
What does Sashimi mean?
The definition of Sashimi simply means, raw fish. Its a piece of raw fish in the Japanese cuisine that’s served with soy sauce and wasabi and you’ve likely seen it in Japanese menus.
Is raw fish safe to eat?
Raw fish is safe to eat if certain guidelines are followed. For example, freezing your fish at a certain temperature of -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) for several days, or frozen at -31 degrees Fahrenheit (-35 degrees Celsius) for 15 hours, will kill any parasites.
Some people even take the extra step of curing fish to consume raw (a salt and sugar brine.) While others are just back away from the idea. I usually buy Tuna steaks frozen solid in packages that have been vacuumed sealed and have never encountered a bad experience that way. Even when I used raw salmon that I bought fresh and froze turned out well for me.
You should test your fish and determine whether it’s safe to eat raw by inspecting the smell, color, and other guidelines to kill any parasites. If you are not sure, cure the fish or make sure it goes those freezer temperatures, provided. Here is a complete article whether it’s safe to eat Sushi.
Note: I can’t guarantee your safety, which is why you should go with guidelines or look for Sushi-grade seafood for your safety.
How do you cut Salmon for Sushi or Sashimi?
It’s always a good idea to cut across the grain of raw fish. Cutting fish the right way will make the process smoother and a good knife helps too! Here is a video on how to Cut Salmon for Sushi or Nigiri.
Tips:
- Dip your hands in water when working with sticky rice to easier manage.
- Place bamboo mat in a gallon sized zip-loc bag for easier clean up!
- Out of Rice Vinegar? No Problem Apple Cider Vinegar works as a great substitute!
- Allow seasoned rice to cool before rolling in Nori, otherwise it can wilt the seaweed.