This sophisticated smoked salmon dip recipe with cream cheese is for anyone who loves a lox bagel! With bits of tender smoked salmon in every bite, this creamy, tangy dip is always a crowd-pleaser. It’s the perfect appetizer to serve at your next gathering.
The dip takes just a few minutes and simple ingredients to whip up. Plus, you can even make it a night ahead of time. Serve smoked salmon dip with bagel chips, toasted baguette slices, or with crispy sliced vegetables like cucumber and carrots. I love serving this easy smoked salmon dip alongside other easy appetizers, like my hummus, bacon wrapped dates, and bruschetta.
Ingredients To Make Smoked Salmon Dip
Cream cheese — use full-fat cream cheese that comes in a brick, not the kind in a tub. Set the cream cheese out for at least 1 hour in advance to give it time to soften.
Sour cream — sour cream adds a lovely tang to the dip and helps the dip stay soft once refrigerated. Bring the sour cream to room temperature before mixing it with the cream cheese.
Lemon juice — fresh lemon juice introduces a slightly acidic bite that goes so well with smoked salmon.
Seasoning — you just need salt and pepper to enhance the dip since there is so much flavor in the other ingredients.
Smoked salmon — chop up the smoked salmon so it’s easily dipable. I like to use cold smoked salmon for its soft texture and mild smoky flavor.
Herbs — fresh chives and fresh dill go so well with smoked salmon and bring a fresh bright flavor to the dip.
How To Make Smoked Salmon Dip
1. Add the softened cream cheese and sour cream to a large bowl.
2. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. With a hand mixer, beat until well combined, airy, and smooth. The mixture will look like whipped cream cheese.
3. Using a spatula, fold in the chopped smoked salmon, chives, and dill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
4. Garnish the fill with additional herbs, if desired, and serve.
Can I Use a Different Type of Fish?
The beauty of this dip is that you can use different types of smoked fish, cooked fresh fish, and even canned fish, making it perfect for seafood lovers of any kind! Here are some ideas, as well as a few other recipe variations you can try:
- Use different smoked salmon: I use cold-smoked salmon in this recipe, which tends to be quite smooth and silky. Feel free to use lox instead (which is very similar to cold-smoked salmon but is typically salt-cured, not smoked) or hot-smoked salmon. Hot-smoked salmon (also called kippered salmon) resembles a cooked salmon fillet, so it is flaky, and has a stronger smoky flavor.
- Use other smoked fish: Smoked trout, smoked mackerel, and smoked tuna all work wonderfully in this recipe, imparting their unique flavor.
- Use canned fish: Drain a can of tuna or salmon very well and use it in the dip instead of smoked salmon. The overall flavor of the dip will be different but still incredibly tasty!
Recipe Variations
- Add lemon zest: For more fresh citrus flavor, zest the lemon before juicing it and add up to 1 teaspoon of zest to the dip along with the lemon juice.
- Add capers: Salty, briny capers are an incredible complement to the other ingredients. Serve them on the side or add 2 tablespoons to the dip.
- Add red onions: If you’re an onion lover, dice up a little red onion to serve on the side or add up to 2 tablespoons to the dip. You can also use sliced green onions.
- Use Greek yogurt: You can swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt if you like.
- For a little heat: To add a subtle kick, add a dash or two of a vinegar-based hot sauce like Tabasco to the lemon juice.
What To Serve With Smoked Salmon Dip
- Bagel chips, crostini from a sliced toasted baguette or French bread, pita chips, or your favorite crackers
- Salty potato chips or a flavored kind like sour cream and onion
- Sliced veggies like cucumber slices, carrot sticks, baby carrots, celery, and bell pepper.
- Use it as a smoked salmon spread for breakfast! Spread it generously onto toasted bagels. Top it with sliced tomato, red onion, and capers for a delicious lox-style bagel.
How To Store
Leftover smoked salmon cream cheese dip can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Do not store it past the salmon’s expiration date if it is sooner than that time. Set leftovers out 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the cream cheese can soften again.
Recipe Tips
- Room temperature dairy ingredients: Set the cream cheese and sour cream out in advance so the cream cheese can soften and the sour cream can come to room temperature for the best smoked salmon dip recipe. This makes it easier to blend both ingredients into a smooth, creamy dip.
- Separate the slices of salmon before chopping. If the slices are stacked on top of each other, they tend to clump together when chopped and are not as easy to incorporate evenly throughout the dip.
- Make it ahead of time. I often make this smoked salmon dip the night before I plan to serve it because the flavors meld so well overnight in the fridge. Just set it out about 20 minutes before serving so it can soften a little.
- For a smooth dip: Add everything to a food processor and blend for a smoother dip.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are using smoked salmon or a different kind of preserved or cured salmon, no, you do not need to cook it first as it is sold ready-to-eat.
Yes, you can use seasoned, cooked, fresh salmon if you like. Keep in mind that fresh salmon will taste quite different, as it lacks the salty-smoky flavor of smoked salmon. Be sure to remove the skin and flake the fish before folding cooked salmon into the dip.
No, I do not recommend freezing this dip, as the texture will be much different upon thawing.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this smoked salmon dip recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe
Equipment
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce/227g) block cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup sour cream (80g), room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 ounces smoked salmon (170g), chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. With a hand mixer, beat until well combined, airy, and smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Fold in the salmon, chives, and dill with a spatula. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve the dip with crackers. Garnish with additional chopped dill and chives, if desired.
Notes
- Room temperature dairy ingredients: Set the cream cheese and sour cream out in advance so the cream cheese can soften and the sour cream can come to room temperature for the best smoked salmon dip recipe. This makes it easier to blend both ingredients into a smooth, creamy dip.
- Separate the slices of salmon before chopping. If the slices are stacked on top of each other, they tend to clump together when chopped and are not as easy to incorporate evenly throughout the dip.
- Make it ahead of time. I often make this smoked salmon dip the night before I plan to serve it because the flavors meld so well overnight in the fridge. Just set it out about 20 minutes before serving so it can soften a little.
- For a smooth dip: Add everything to a food processor and blend for a smoother dip.
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