Do you love Philadelphia roll sushi bowl but hate the rolling part? This Philadelphia roll sushi bowl gives you every bit of that flavor, cool cream cheese, sweet crab, creamy avocado, over a bowl of warm rice, and it comes together in about 40 minutes.
I started making sushi bowls on nights when my kids were begging for “the crab roll thing” but I had zero patience for a rolling mat. My oldest calls this our “lazy sushi night,” which honestly is the highest compliment I’ve gotten from her about anything I’ve cooked. I usually make a double batch of the yum yum sauce because it disappears fast in my house, and in my experience the soy reduction is worth the extra five minutes, it turns this from good to genuinely crave worthy. Once you’ve got your rice cooked and your sauces made, the rest of this comes together in minutes, it’s the same trick I rely on for my California roll bowl. Let’s get into it.
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Ingredients for Philadelphia Roll Sushi Bowl
Here’s what I use, and a few swaps that work if your fridge looks different than mine tonight.
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 1 avocado
- 1 large cucumber
- 2 packages imitation crab meat (real crab works too, and honestly tastes even better)
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2-3 pieces dried seaweed, crumbled
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Lemon wedges, for serving
For the Yum Yum Sauce
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp rice wine or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
For the Soy Sauce Reduction
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice wine or apple cider vinegar
My go-to brand for imitation crab is whatever my local store has fresh that day, but if you want to splurge, lump crab meat takes this bowl up a notch. Pro tip: if your avocado isn’t quite ripe yet, a squeeze of lemon juice on the cut pieces keeps them from browning while you finish everything else.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
I always toast my sesame seeds while I prep everything else, it saves time and fills the kitchen with a nutty smell that gets everyone circling the stove.
Step 1: Heat your oven to 350°F. Spread the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together all the yum yum sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside until you’re ready to serve.
Step 3: Combine the soy sauce reduction ingredients in a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 4: Chop the cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and crab into bite sized pieces.
Step 5: Assemble your bowls. Start with a base of warm rice, then add the cucumber, avocado, crab, and cream cheese. Drizzle generously with the soy sauce reduction and yum yum sauce, then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and crumbled seaweed. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
Common mistake: don’t skip letting the soy reduction cool for a minute or two before drizzling it. Straight off the heat, it can wilt your avocado and cucumber pieces.
Philadelphia Roll Sushi Bowl
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spread the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the yum yum sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Combine the soy sauce reduction ingredients in a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and let boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Chop the cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and crab into bite size pieces.
- Assemble bowls: start with a base of warm rice, then add cucumber, avocado, crab, and cream cheese. Drizzle with soy sauce reduction and yum yum sauce, then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and crumbled seaweed. Serve with a lemon wedge.
Nutrition
Notes
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What to Serve With Philadelphia Roll Sushi Bowl
A few sides round this bowl out into a full meal without overshadowing the flavors already going on.
- Miso soup: the warm, savory broth is a classic sushi restaurant pairing and a nice contrast to the cool bowl.
- Edamame with sea salt: an easy, protein-rich side that takes five minutes and keeps little hands busy at the table.
- Cucumber salad: a light, vinegary side that echoes the cucumber already in the bowl but adds a fresh crunch.
- Seaweed salad: if you love the seaweed in the bowl, a small side portion doubles down on that briny flavor.
A Quick Note on Allergens
This bowl contains shellfish/fish (crab or imitation crab), egg and dairy (mayo, butter, cream cheese), sesame, and gluten (most soy sauce and many imitation crab blends use wheat as a binder). If you’re cooking for someone with a shellfish, dairy, egg, sesame, or gluten allergy, check your labels or swap accordingly.
Storage & Serving Tips
Store the components separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the rice, chopped toppings, and both sauces apart so nothing gets soggy.
To reheat, warm the rice in the microwave for about a minute, then rebuild the bowl with the cold toppings and sauces on top. I don’t recommend microwaving the assembled bowl since the avocado and cream cheese don’t hold up well to heat.
This recipe is easy to change up too. Swap the crab for cooked shrimp like in my shrimp sushi bowl, or use salmon the way I do in my salmon sushi bowl, use cauliflower rice for a lower carb version, or wrap the whole thing in a large sheet of seaweed for a hand roll instead of a bowl.
My Favorite Sauces for Philadelphia Roll Sushi Bowl
Beyond the yum yum sauce and soy reduction already built into this recipe, a few classic sushi sauces take this bowl even further. I like keeping a couple of these on hand so I can switch things up depending on my mood.
- Spicy mayo: a simple mix of mayo and sriracha, this adds a creamy heat that pairs naturally with the cool cream cheese and crab. It’s the same sauce I drizzle over my spicy tuna sushi bowl when I want extra heat.
- Eel sauce (unagi sauce): I love this one for its sweet, savory depth, it’s a reduction of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar that brings umami without any heat.
- Wasabi mayo: mayo blended with a bit of wasabi paste for a sharp, sinus-clearing kick. I like it best cutting through the richness of the avocado and cream cheese.
- Ponzu sauce: ponzu is citrusy and tangy and brightens up the whole bowl, especially with the crab. I use the same sauce on my ahi tuna poke bowls.
- Sriracha aioli (dynamite sauce): mayo whisked with sriracha and a touch of garlic, this one leans spicier and I like drizzling it generously over the top.
Conclusion
This Philadelphia roll sushi bowl has become one of my family’s regular weeknight dinners because it’s fast, it’s customizable, and it tastes like the sushi I’d normally order out. Once you’ve made the sauces once, you’ll want an excuse to make them again. Give this one a try this week and see if it doesn’t become a regular in your rotation too.
