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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Comments
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This dip was delicious! The only thing I changed was I tripled the amount of salmon so it would be more dense . I’ve already made it twice in 3 weeks. My husband smoked the salmon . Definitely a keeper! ( the recipe I mean. Husband is a keeper too!)
Hi Jenn
Would tzatziki be an acceptable sub for the sour cream?
Truly love all your recipes!
Thx
Hi Yvonne, I would definitely introduce some new flavors to the dip, but it should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
To thicken it as a sandwich spread, I doubled the salmon. (My husband smoked grocery salmon on the grill.)
Delicious on King Hawaiian rolls. Had no capers, so topped with pickles.
Amazing! My boyfriend declared it the best dip he’s ever had 😊 didn’t have some ingredients so subbed tarragon for dill, and a splash of cream instead of sour cream. Super easy, definitely will make again😃
Made this very popular dip again using 160 grams of our own canned smoked salmon
And added a green onion. No salt was needed.
A great recipe!
Hi,
I’d like to try this dip for some friends and was wondering if I could use the vacuum sealed, shelf-stable smoked salmon from the Pacific Northwest (in a foil sealed pouch with oils) in lieu of the refrigerated variety?
Hi Sue, it will have a slightly different texture, but it should work. Hope you enjoy!
I made this dip as a last minute appetizer for dinner guests this evening. I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while now. Smoked salmon was on sale so my decision was easy. I have to say it is fantastic! Incredibly easy too. I followed the recipe as is. I was a bit concerned as a few comments were made regarding consistency but my dip was absolutely perfect. I had to use a blender as I’m currently not at my home but the blender worked fine though I know a food processor would be so much easier.
I just made this. Incredible! And perfect consistency for dipping. Thanks for yet another fabulous recipe. Happy Holidays!!
Can this base be (mayo, cream cheese, sour cream) quickly broiled for some additional aesthetic on presentation?
I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
I have made this several times for family get togethers and it’s always a big hit and my mother in law can’t get enough of it. I use my father in laws smoked faroe salmon that he smokes every year and then vacuum packs and freezes. I have never had a problem with it being too runny and I always use whipped cream cheese. Thank you for such a delicious and wonderful recipe.