Easy Philly Roll Sushi Recipe

Philly Roll Sushi is filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber, then rolled in nori seaweed sheet and sushi rice. In this recipe, you will learn how to make sushi rice, how to roll the sushi, and how to make the delicious and creamy Philadelphia roll.

What is Philly Roll Sushi?

This is a type of maki sushi or rolled sushi made by rolling smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber in nori seaweed sheet and seasoned rice. Also called Philly roll or Japanese bagel roll, it’s an inside-out sushi roll (Uramaki) where the rice is on the outside and the nori is on the inside, wrapping the filling. 

Philly roll sushi was created in the 1980s in North America, and the name comes from the Philadelphia cream cheese brand. As the combination of smoked salmon and cream cheese is often used on a bagel, Philly roll sushi is also called Japanese bagel roll.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• sushi rice
• water
• optional sushi vinegar
• smoked salmon
• cream cheese
• cucumber
• nori
• sesame seeds

How to Make Philly Roll Sushi

Step 1: Make Sushi Rice

For sushi rolls, you’ll need to use less water than cooking the regular rice. The best water to rice ratio is 1:1 (or use 1.2 to 1 if you prefer softer rice). Use high-quality short grain sushi rice for this recipe.

Once cooked, transfer the hot rice to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly. When it’s still very warm, stir in the sushi vinegar (the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt) to season the rice.

Step 2: Assemble Philly roll

For this recipe, the rice is on the outside, covering the nori and fillings. You’ll need half of a nori sheet for one roll.

• First lay out your bamboo mat with a piece of plastic wrap on top, to keep the mat clean and avoid the rice from sticking to the mat. 
• Place half of the nori sheet on top of the bamboo shining side facing down. 
• Evenly spread cooked sushi rice (about 3/4 cup) over nori. 
• Flip the sheet and add the fillings to the middle of the nori sheet.
• Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling. Roll the bamboo mat away from you and press the rice and filling together. Keep rolling until the ends meet.
• Spread toasted sesame seeds on top of the roll for some extra flavor.

You’ll also need a sushi rolling bamboo mat to make the sushi for the best result.

What Kind of Smoked Salmon to Use?

Good smoked salmon has a rich flavor and bright color. If it’s very dense in color, it means it’s not thawed properly, and could have an unpleasant and mushy texture. You’ll need to cut them into narrow strips or roll it up before using them as fillings.

The Best Cream Cheese

Traditionally Philadelphia branded cream cheese was used in this recipe, but any cream cheese would work for this recipe.

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Philly Roll Sushi Recipe

Philly Roll Sushi is filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber, then rolled in nori seaweed sheet and sushi rice. In this recipe, you will learn how to make sushi rice, how to roll the sushi, and how to make the delicious and creamy Philadelphia roll.

Servings 4 rolls (32 pieces)

Equipment

• Bamboo Sushi Mat
• Plastic wrap, (optional)

Ingredients

For Sushi Rice

• 1 cup sushi rice (short grain sushi rice works the best)
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ tablespoons optional sushi vinegar (or mixing 1 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt)

For Philadelphia Roll

• 4 oz smoked salmon
• 4 oz cream cheese (cut into ½-inch strips)
• 1/2 cucumber (cut into ½-inch strips)
• 2 sheets nori (seaweed sheet)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (you can toast it in a hot skillet for a few minutes for extra flavor)

Instructions

• Cook Sushi Rice: Rinse the rice and add it to the rice cooker together with water. Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly. When it’s still very warm, stir in the sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt).
• Make Philly Roll Sushi: Lay out the bamboo mat with a piece of plastic wrap on top (this will prevent rice from sticking to the bamboo).
• Fold the nori sheets in half and split them using a pair of scissors.
• Place half of the nori sheet on top of the mat.
• Dip your hands in vinegar water* (this will prevent rice from sticking to your hands) and take about ¾ cup of cooked rice. Evenly spread over nori.
• Flip so that rice is facing down.
• Fold smoked salmon into ½-inch strips.
• Place smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber on top of the nori.
• Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling.
• Roll the bamboo mat away from you and apply some pressure to tighten it up. Keep rolling until the ends meet.
• Remove the bamboo mat, and spread sesame seeds on top of the roll.
• Cut each roll into 8 pieces. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• * Tezu water for dipping hands: Mix together 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoon rice vinegar.
• To prevent your sushi roll from falling apart, you’ll need to squeeze the roll tightly while rolling. Try to tuck and pull the bamboo mat tightly.