Smoked Salmon Dip
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Make your holiday gatherings special with this easy smoked salmon dip—perfect with crackers and cocktails or as part of a brunch buffet with bagels. Bonus: it can be made ahead for stress-free entertaining!
If you’re ever in need of a festive and elegant dish for a party, this smoked salmon dip is sure to save the day. You can serve it with crackers and cocktails, or use it as a delicious spread on a brunch buffet with bagels and all the fixings. Even my husband, a true-blue New Yorker and self-proclaimed expert on all things smoked fish, gives it a big thumbs up. Plus, it’s super easy to make—you’ll love how quickly you can check it off your holiday to-do list! Another great thing about this dip is that it can be made a few days in advance and refrigerated.
What You’ll Need To Make Smoked Salmon Dip
- Cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise: This trio creates a rich and creamy base for the dip with a nice balance of tanginess.
- Fresh lemon juice: Brightens the flavors and adds acidity.
- Capers: Bring a briny, savory note that pairs well with seafood.
- Tabasco: Adds a hint of heat and depth to the dip.
- Smoked salmon: This product is made by curing salmon fillets and then smoking them, resulting in a rich, silky texture with a distinct flavor. You can typically find it in the seafood section of the supermarket, packaged and ready to use.
- Fresh chopped dill and chives: These herbs add freshness and a mild onion flavor, enhancing the dip’s overall taste.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors to bring the dip together.
- Bagel chips or crackers: Perfect for serving, providing a crunchy contrast to the creamy dip.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Tabasco and capers in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse to blend.
Add the smoked salmon, chives, and dill.
Pulse until the salmon is finely chopped.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, and serve.
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Smoked Salmon Dip
Make your holiday gatherings special with this easy smoked salmon dip—perfect with crackers and cocktails or as part of a brunch buffet with bagels. Bonus: it can be made ahead for stress-free entertaining!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- ¼ teaspoon Tasbasco
- 4 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
- Salt, to taste
- Bagel chips or crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, capers, and Tabasco in a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse until blended. Add the salmon, dill and chives and pulse, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the salmon is finely chopped. Taste and add salt, if necessary (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon, but it depends on the saltiness of the smoked salmon). Serve as a dip with crackers or bagel chips, or as a spread with bagels.
- Make ahead: This dip can be made a few days ahead of time. However, it gets quite firm in the fridge so let it sit out at room temperature before serving, otherwise it will be hard to scoop.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 3 tablespoons
- Calories: 144
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 237 mg
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This recipe is amazing!! I followed it as it is, at first I was disappointed because it tasted too much like cream cheese. However, I let it sit in the fridge for Christmas today and the flavors combined to a smoky creamy and delicious dip. Thank you!!
Hi Jenn! Can I use a vegan cream cheese for this recipe? Violife or Daiya brand. Thank you!
Hi Colleen, I’ve never used a vegan cream cheese so I can’t say for sure how it will impact the consistency/taste — sorry I can’t be more helpful. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
WASTE OF SALMON. Should be called cream cheese dip! If you have good smoked salmon don’t dilute it down with so much cream cheese and Mayo.
Delicious! I do recommend cutting the dill in half or more because it can overpower the dip if not eaten the same day. Overall, absolutely delicious and a total crowd-pleaser. Served with crackers and also had a plate with roasted, halved fingerling potatoes, topped with this dip and a teeny bit of caviar on each potato. Guests loved it. Many requests for the recipe.
Wow, your version sounds fantastic! Are the potatoes hot or room temp?
So delicious! Served it with crackers and crostini – huge hit with all my guests. I did not need to add any salt as my salmon was plenty salty. I would suggest tasting before you season this dip. Will definitely make again!
Hi Jenn. What brand(s) of smoked salmon would you recommend for this dip? Thanks! Tracy
Hi Tracy, I’ve used Blue Hill Bay brand when I make this. Hope you enjoy!
Hi, Jenn. I can’t get this brand of salmon in my neck of the woods. Is the salmon hot smoked? Or cold smoked??
Hi Janice, it’s cold smoked. Hope that helps! 🙂
I made this for a party. Everyone loved it! I will definitely make this again.
Just made today! I had some fresh salmon (4-6 oz) that I seasoned with lemon/pepper seasoning and I baked at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. I flaked that baked salmon apart and added to the cream cheese mixture. I did omit the lemon juice to prevent sour taste. The overall results were amazing!
Delicious! Highly recommend!
What an elegant appetizer! It was very easy to make and had great flavors!