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Philadelphia roll recipe hero platter featuring sliced sushi rolls with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and avocado alongside an unsliced roll and condiments.

Philadelphia Roll Recipe

This Philadelphia Roll Recipe is creamy, smoky, and beginner-friendly — made with cold-smoked salmon, block cream cheese, and crisp cucumber wrapped in seasoned sushi rice. No raw fish, no stress, and ready in just 30 minutes. The creamiest homemade sushi you will ever make!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 rolls (24–32 pieces)
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine: American, Asian, Japanese
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Sushi Rice
  • 2 cups Short-grain Japanese sushi rice Must be sushi/short-grain — not basmati or jasmine
  • 2½ cups Water For cooking the rice
  • ¼ cup Rice vinegar Not regular white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
For the Philadelphia Roll
  • 4 Nori sheets Roasted seaweed — shiny side goes down
  • 4 oz Cold-smoked salmon Pre-sliced thin — from deli/seafood section
  • 4 oz Block cream cheese NOT tub or spreadable — cut into ½ inch strips
  • 1 English cucumber Cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1 Ripe avocado Cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1 tbsp Sesame seeds Sliced — optional but recommended
  • Soy sauce Optional — for topping
  • Wasabi For serving
  • Pickled ginger For serving

Equipment

  • 1 Bamboo rolling mat (Makisu) Cover with plastic wrap before use
  • 1 Rice cooker or saucepan For cooking sushi rice
  • 1 Large non-metallic bowl For seasoning rice — never use metal
  • 1 Sharp knife Must be sharp — wipe with damp cloth between cuts
  • 1 Small Saucepan For making rice vinegar mixture
  • 1 Plastic Wrap To cover bamboo mat
  • 1 Small Bowl For water to wet hands during rolling
  • 1 Cutting board For slicing rolls

Method
 

Make the Sushi Rice
  1. Rinse sushi rice under cold water until water runs completely clear — about 3 to 4 rinses.
    Shrimp tempura roll recipe step showing hands washing short-grain sushi rice in a metal strainer under cold running tap water.
  2. Cook rice with 2½ cups water in a rice cooker or stovetop. Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, cover, and cook for 15–18 minutes. Rest covered for 10 minutes after cooking.
    Shrimp tempura roll recipe step showing sushi rice steaming in a stainless steel pot with a glass lid on a gas stovetop.
  3. While rice cooks, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar completely dissolves. Do not boil. Set aside to cool.
    Shrimp tempura roll recipe step showing a whisk gently stirring rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small stainless steel saucepan over a stove.
  4. Transfer cooked rice to a large non-metallic bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over rice and fold gently using a rice paddle with a slicing motion. Fan the rice as you fold to cool faster and create a glossy finish.
    Shrimp tempura roll recipe step showing a person using a wooden paddle and fan to mix vinegar into steamed rice inside a large wooden bowl.
  5. Let rice cool completely to room temperature before rolling. Never refrigerate.
    Shrimp tempura roll recipe step showing seasoned, glossy sushi rice resting and cooling in a traditional wooden bowl on a sunlit kitchen counter.
Prep the Fillings
  1. Take block cream cheese out of the fridge 10 minutes before using. Cut into long strips about ½ inch wide.
    Philadelphia roll recipe step showing a block of cream cheese being sliced into long, even strips on a wooden cutting board with a chef's knife.
  2. Cut cucumber into thin matchsticks. Slice avocado if using. Lay smoked salmon flat on a plate. Have all fillings ready before you start rolling.
    Philadelphia roll recipe prep showing cucumber matchsticks, sliced avocado, and smoked salmon arranged on a wooden board.
Assemble the Philadelphia Roll
  1. Cover bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Place one nori sheet shiny-side down on the mat.
    Shrimp tempura roll recipe preparation showing a bamboo sushi mat covered in clear plastic wrap with a dark green nori sheet placed on top.
  2. Wet your hands with water. Spread a thin, even layer of sushi rice over the entire nori sheet, leaving a 1-inch border at the top edge. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rice if using.
    Shrimp tempura roll recipe step showing wet hands spreading a thin, even layer of sushi rice onto a nori sheet and sprinkling toasted sesame seeds on top.
  3. Place cream cheese strips horizontally across the center of the rice first — this is your anchor layer. Lay smoked salmon slices alongside the cream cheese. Add cucumber matchsticks and avocado slices. Keep everything in a neat single line. Do not overfill.
    Philadelphia roll recipe assembly showing a row of cream cheese, smoked salmon, cucumber, and avocado arranged horizontally on sushi rice.
  4. Lift the bottom edge of the mat and roll forward firmly, tucking the edge over the fillings. Keep your fingers on the fillings as you start rolling to hold them in place. Apply firm, even pressure as you roll completely to the end. The seam should be on the bottom.
    Shrimp tempura roll recipe step-by-step showing hands using a plastic-wrapped bamboo mat to firmly roll nori and rice over shrimp and cucumber fillings.
  5. Squeeze the bamboo mat firmly around the finished roll to tighten the shape. Hold for 5 seconds.
    Philadelphia roll recipe step showing hands squeezing a bamboo mat firmly to tighten and shape the finished sushi roll on a wooden board.
Slice and Serve
  1. Place the roll on a cutting board. Wipe your knife with a damp cloth. Slice the roll in half. Line up the two halves and cut each half into thirds — giving 6 pieces per roll. Wipe the knife with the damp cloth between every single cut. Cream cheese sticks to blades and causes messy cuts if you skip this step.
    Philadelphia roll recipe step showing a sharp knife slicing an inside-out sushi roll on a wooden board next to a damp white cloth.
  2. Arrange on a plate and serve immediately with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger on the side.
    Philadelphia roll recipe final plating on a light ceramic tray with wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce beside a window.

Notes

  • Block cream cheese only — non-negotiable. Tub or spreadable cream cheese has too much water content. It squishes out when you roll and makes messy cuts. Always use block cream cheese cut into strips.
  • Cold-smoked salmon is the best choice for beginners. It is pre-sliced thin, has zero raw fish concerns, and gives the classic Philadelphia Roll flavor. Hot-smoked salmon is harder to roll due to its flaky texture.
  • Cream cheese first, always. Place cream cheese as your first filling layer — it acts as a natural anchor that holds the other fillings in place while you roll.
  • Wipe knife between every cut. Cream cheese sticks to the blade. One dry cut ruins the cross-section. Keep a damp cloth next to your cutting board and wipe after every single slice.
  • Take cream cheese out of the fridge 10 minutes early. Slightly softened block cream cheese is much easier to cut into strips and place in the roll without cracking.
  • For inside-out roll (uramaki): After spreading rice on the nori, sprinkle sesame seeds, then flip the entire sheet so rice faces down on the mat. Add fillings to the nori side and roll as normal.
  • No-salmon version: Skip the salmon and double the cream cheese. Add extra avocado for richness. This is the kid-friendly version — mild, creamy, and universally loved.
  • Spicy version: Drizzle sriracha mayo inside the roll before rolling, or drizzle on top before serving.
  • Storage: Best eaten within 30–60 minutes. Wrap unsliced rolls tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Do not freeze.
  • Never refrigerate sushi rice alone. Cold hardens the starch. Keep seasoned rice covered at room temperature and use within 2 hours.

    Note:

  • Nutrition values are estimates. Values will vary based on exact cream cheese amount, salmon brand, and whether avocado is included. Use a nutrition calculator with your exact brands for precise figures.