Smoked Salmon Dip is a mainstay of holiday party appetizer spreads. It’s rich and flavorful and everyone loves it!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Affiliate Disclosure.
I serve my creamy Smoked Salmon Dip with baguette slices, crackers, bagel chips, or cucumber slices as an appetizer for game day parties, dinner parties, or cocktail spreads. Because it's soft and spreadable, It's also great as a smoked salmon spread for bagels at brunch.
I love to make Smoked Salmon Dip for just about any holiday—Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Easter, and more. It’s one of those easy recipes that are perfect for all sorts of special occasions.
I also love that it is super easy to make, so I can throw it together quickly and then get on with preparing my other dishes. You can even make it two or three days ahead if you are that organized! Just keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
I love to use homemade Smoked Salmon in this easy smoked salmon dip, but you can certainly use store-bought smoked fish or even leftover cooked fresh salmon. I prefer hot smoked salmon in this dish over lox style.
Ingredient Notes
This healthy smoked salmon dip is made with a short list of simple ingredients, but it is full of flavor. Here are a few notes about the ingredients.
- Smoked salmon: Use my homemade Smoked Salmon recipe or a high-quality store-bought smoked salmon. If you don't have smoked salmon, substitute canned salmon, cooked salmon, or even smoked trout.
- Cream cheese: I prefer using whipped cream cheese it's soft texture makes it easier to mix and spread.
- Sour cream: This adds creaminess and tang, but you can substitute full-fat plain or Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
- Garlic: Minced garlic is optional, but adds some nice pungent flavor. I do not recommend substituting garlic powder. Use fresh or simply skip it.
How do you make it?
This recipe is so easy! Here’s how to make it:
- Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor or using an electric mixer. Pulse to a chunky consistency.
- Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the flaked salmon.
- Chill in the refrigerate for at least an hour.
- That’s it! Serve this easy dip chilled with baguette slices or crackers for dipping or serve it as a spread with bagels, sliced red onion, sliced tomatoes, and capers.
Variations
This simple recipe can stand up to lots of variations. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Try it with other fresh herbs like fresh chives, green onions, parsley, or chervil, or stir in some very finely diced or thinly sliced celery.
- Garnish with lemon slices or add freshly grated lemon zest.
- Add a spoonful of capers or horseradish for a change.
Want to save this recipe?
We'll send it straight to your inbox!
What do you serve with it?
This Smoked Salmon Dip is delicious spread on bagels. Offer capers, sliced tomatoes, and sliced red onion for building sandwiches. Or serve it with Latkes for a special Hanukkah brunch! Round out the spread with Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad, Garlic Swirl Bread, and Watermelon and Feta Salad.
This is also the best smoked salmon dip recipe to serve as an appetizer. I offer baguette slices, crostini, bagel chips, sliced cucumbers, or crackers and it always disappears fast. Pair it with other dips like Whipped Feta Spread or Roasted Carrot Spread.
More appetizers you'll love
Round out your party spread with buffalo chicken dip or Instant Pot Hummus. Add some Homemade Pita Bread for dipping.
Don't stop at dips, either. Add some Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Bites, Samosas, Fried Wontons, Arepas con Queso, or Air Fryer Empanadas.
If you love fish and seafood recipes like this one, I've got lots more where that came from! Try my Lemony Trout Spread, Sardine Salad, Miso Glazed Salmon, Fish Tacos, and Thai Fish Cakes.
Smoked Salmon Dip
Robin Donovan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces smoked salmon flaked
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, dill, and salt in a food processor and pulse to a chunky consistency.
- Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a mixing bowl and add the salmon. Stir to mix well.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Serve chilled with baguette slices, crackers, bagel chips, or cucumber slices for dipping or serve as a spread with bagels, sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, and capers.
This was super easy and so yummy! I’d didn’t feel like washing my food processor afterwards (lol), so I just combined it with a hand mixer until it was kinda chunky and then folded in the salmon, and it turned out great too!
It is an AMAZING dip. Hit 9f the appetizers. Use it on toasted bagels too. Add a few capers and firm slice tomato. Yummy!
I’ve made this a few times and tried serving it when I had my friends over. They instantly loved this dip! Great flavors every time.
What a great recipe! I made it according to recipe however, I didn’t have dill so I used green onions and that was yummy. I only had about 6oz of smoked salmon and that turned out just fine. I would definitely make this salmon dip recipe again! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Everyone loved it. My only drawback was the cost of the smoked salmon to make it.