The Philadelphia Roll is one of our favorites! Also called Philly Rolls and Japanese Bagel Rolls, these tasty homemade sushi rolls are super simple and only require a few ingredients to make!
I may or may not have eaten these Philadelphia Rolls for breakfast yesterday morning.
Not even the “Oh there’s leftover sushi in the fridge, I suppose I’ll eat it!” kind of breakfast either.
Oh no. I flat out made this, from scratch, while sipping my morning coffee.
What? I was out of bagels!
I regret nothing! I could eat sushi every day and be oh so happy about it. I even have a homemade sushi tutorial here on the blog with full step-by-step instructions and photos.
We make it a LOT and it’s become a fun date night activity for my husband and I. Even my kiddo likes to help!
shortcut sushi rice
You can make your sushi rice the standard way, which takes about 20 minutes on the stove or in a rice cooker, or try my shortcut method! Our grocery store has these little Nishiki microwavable steamed sushi rice packages that are perfect amount for two sushi rolls!
I love this option when I want sushi for lunch but don’t want to deal with takeout prices or hassle. It’s super easy!
How do you make a philly roll?
To make these tasty homemade rolls, you’ll only need a few ingredients.
Ingredients
- sushi rice
- seasoned rice vinegar
- nori seaweed sheets
- smoked salmon or fresh sushi-grade salmon
- cream cheese
Tasty extras include sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning blend, matchstick sliced cucumber, chives or scallions, and of course some Sriracha and soy sauce for dipping.
Feel free to add any extras ingredients your heart desires!
Tools Needed
The only tools you’ll need to create this maki sushi roll is a bamboo mat, also sometimes called a sushi rolling mat, and a sharp knife. For the bamboo sushi rolling mats, they can be found at most grocery stores near the prepared sushi or down the international foods aisle.
Homemade Philadelphia Roll Sushi Recipe
The maki roll recipe below yields 2 tasty rolls that are easily sliced into 6 pieces each. Need more than 12 pieces? Simply double the recipe as needed.
Homemade Philadelphia Roll
Ingredients
- 3-4 oz raw sashimi-grade or lightly smoked salmon
- 1/2 cup sushi rice
- 2 TBSP seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 sheet of nori seaweed
- 2 oz cream cheese or to taste
- 1-2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- Sriracha chili sauce and/or soy sauce for dipping
TOOLS NEEDED
- bamboo sushi mat
- plastic wrap to prevent sticking (totally optional)
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- sliced cucumber
- chives or scallions
- everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse 1/2 cup of sushi rice in cool water using a mesh strainer. Rinse until water runs clear then shake it a little to drain through the strainer.
- In a medium saucepan, add rice and 2/3 cup cold water and heat to high. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 20 for 20 minutes covered, then remove from heat (keeping lid on) and allow rice to steam an additional 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a non-metallic bowl and fluff with a fork. Add 2 TBSP of seasoned rice vinegar and mix well. Allow to cool while you prep the rest of your sushi ingredients.
- Roll/shape chilled cream cheese into ropes long enough to spread across your seaweed sheet horizontally. Set aside.
- Slice salmon into strips. If adding optional cucumber or scallions (or add them both – they’re so tasty every which way!) prep those as well. I like to cut my cucumber into matchsticks and then use only the green parts of the scallions.
- Next line a bamboo mat with plastic wrap and top with nori, rough side facing up.
- Spread rice thinly on the seaweed sheet and turn it so that the rectangle is vertical/tall. For seaweed on the outside, place toppings directly on the rice. For rice on the outside with the filling inside, flip your sheet of nori so the rice is touchign the plastic wrapped mat and place filling directly on the nori.
- In a horizontal row about an inch from the bottom, place sliced salmon, cream cheese, and optional veggies on top of your rice.
- Grab the nori and the mat, and roll approx. 1/4 of the mat over the fillingand gently squeeze (so it sticks) to the rice below it and unfold the bamboo mat. Repeat the process until you’ve rolled the sheet of rice, seaweed, and veggies into a spiral. Give it one last squeeze to seal the deal. For a full photo tutorial of the process, click here.
- Slice each roll into 6 bite-sized discs with a freshly sharpened chef’s knife. Sprinkle the cut side with sesame seeds and dive in with soy sauce and/or Sriracha chili sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this homemade Philadelphia roll, let me know!
You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Looking for more sushi rolls to make at home?
- Naruto Cucumber Rolls
- Volcano Roll
- Homemade Bacon Avocado Sushi
- California Roll Sushi Bowls via Bellyfull
- Southwest Sushi Rolls
I just made this, added cucumber, and my fiance and I loved it. Very tasty.
Not a big fan of salmon so use imitation crab sticks, cream cheese and add avacado. I use stove top method for rice but after reading this I will look for as rice cooker or the microwave version. Cant wait to try the bagel seasoning! Absolutely delicious! Thanks.
That’s a California roll😉
Sushi is such a great idea for a snack or even a meal! These Sushi Japanese bagel rolls look like just what a sushi lover needs!
This is great because so many people in my family love sushi but I hesitate to make it because I’m not a fan. However, I’m a big fan of salmon and I think this may be the perfect recipe to please us all.
These are so delicious but I will have to look out for pre-cooked sushi rice!!! As cooking sushi rice is a bit hit and miss for me. Sometimes it is perfect sometimes it is stodgy and sometimes it is crunchy!
But these rolls were delicious!!!! I made them for lunch but I wishI had made themfor breakfast too……then I can save the bagel for lunch 😉
PERFECT!
I’ve seen it popping up everywhere so for sure keep an eye out! Glad you’re loving the Philly rolls, Claire! xo
First of all, thanks to you, I finally know what JB Roll stands for! :p That said, this is one of my favorites to order on sushi night (we go at least twice a month) but now I can’t wait to try making my own!
HAHA! I was totally confused about the title at first too! It was for sure an “a ha” moment when I realized it referred to the whole Japanese bagel thing. 😉
Yummm. I’m going for sushi tonight and was actually thinking I’d get a Philadelphia Roll ! Yumyum.
A decent rice cooker can be had for under $20…..check locally or on amazon. Aroma is a quality brand. Splurge now and you’ll actually be saving money! If those microwave rice bowls are $2.50 and make a single serving…..well for $2 you can buy enough rice for the rice cooker for probably 10 servings…..so that right there will have practically paid for your rice cooker! Free rice cooker and save money forever more….can’t beat that!
Haha thanks for looking out for my wallet! If I’m making it for friends and family I break out the big bulk bag of sushi rice and make it on the stovetop — the shortcut rice is only for the one or two times a month I desperately want sushi for just myself and don’t want to wait =) If I can find room for a new appliance I think I might need a Aroma rice cooker! Thanks for the brand tip! =)
Dude, if there is one thing in this world I can’t cook…it’s rice! It’s shameful b/c I’m not only a Southerner, but I’m a *CHARLESTONIAN* who can’t cook rice. That’s just straight up blasphemous. It should be instilled in my blood, ingrained into my skin, but no…it’s a tragedy. I’ve tried to cook it without a rice cooker, and it just doesn’t fly. So, so sad 🙁
Oh, YUM! Of course, I am going to go to bed craving sushi now…and wake up in the morning still craving it. 😉
Thanks for making me crave sushi… haha. I have always wanted to try making my own! You make it look so good!
I consider myself a sushi light weight, cause I usually gravitate towards the California rolls (Don’t laugh). These look delicious and I will definitely have to try them. I’ve never made my own sushi, but I have always wanted to try. Thanks for sharing!
I need to start making sushi rolls again! Love the cream cheese and salmon combo. Salmon is my favorite raw.
Oh yes – raw salmon somehow tastes 100x better than cooked. But cooked is pretty darn amazing too!
Honestly, I’ve been craving sweets, especially ice cream recently! But I am ALWAYS in the mood for sushi, as well. Being pregnant, I stick to just the cooked rolls. But this one looks soo good! Even if it is 6:30 in the morning right now! 😉
Haha yes only cooked rolls for you! Thanks love!
They look lovely and so pretty. I love sushi and I love cream cheese and salmon bagels, so this is right up my street.
I’ve been craving sweet mince pies, which is what I’m baking today, well, I’m making the mincemeat today.
Thanks Nikki! I’ve never had a mincemeat pie! I’m off to google it! =)
Funny enough, I HAVE been craving sushi lately. It might have to happen today. 🙂
Yes! Do it!