Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe

Smoked Salmon Dip is a lovely starter featuring smoky salmon, tangy capers, fresh herbs, and several spices blended up in tangy cream cheese. A wonderful addition to any party or brunch buffet!

Complete your brunch table and indulge everyone with Eggnog French Toast and refreshing Mandarin Orange Salad. Don’t forget the Mimosas!

Salmon Dip

Smoked Salmon Dip was never exciting to me, not until I actually tried making it from scratch. The grocery store version simply cannot compare. One, we don’t skimp on the ingredients. Just real cured fish, bright and fresh herbs, tangy capers, plus cream cheese from the block, not the spreadable kind that’s usually bland.

Second, we’re creating layers of flavor here. For instance, we use both zest and juice of a fresh lemon. To achieve a complex creamy base, we’re also blending in some sour cream plus mayo to the cream cheese. The delicious bite isn’t just from the hot sauce, but also from the horseradish and freshly-minced garlic. Expect bold flavors in every bite!

Smoked Salmon Dip ingredients:

• Smoked salmon: absolutely get the best kind you can, because the quality can make or break the dish
• Cream cheese: set it out to room temp before using, so that it blends well with the other ingredients
• Sour cream: infuses a wonderful tanginess to the dish
• Mayo: balances out the creaminess with its rich taste
• Capers: tart, briny, and bursting with flavor
• Juice and zest of a fresh lemon: don’t skip this ingredient! Really brightens up the finished product
• Dill: mince finely to release its fresh, citrus-like herb flavor
• Horseradish: adds peppery, spicy heat
• Garlic: grate finely to distribute throughout the dish
• Green onions: for beautiful color and very light, onion taste
• Hot sauce: for a little more heat, but totally optional if you want it less hot
• Salt: Kosher, as needed

Garnishes:

• Thin slices of salmon
• Thin slices of lemon
• A few capers
• A sprig or two of fresh dill

How to make Smoked salmon dip?

1. Blend. Process everything together except for the fish.
2. Add fish. Chop down into fine pieces by pulsing, and continue until it’s almost blended in. A few small chunks are okay. Season to your liking with salt.
3. Serve. Transfer to your serving bowl, and arrange garnishes on top for presentation. Then, lay out veggies and crackers on the side.

Salmon dip recipe variations:

• Make it hotter. Sprinkle cayenne or pulse with jalapenos.
• Add bacon. Fry or bake a few pieces of bacon, then chop into crumbs. Incorporate into the mixture and use some as topping.
• Make it cheesier. Top with parmesan, shredded cheddar, or blue cheese crumbles.
• Use fresh salmon. Yes, you can use fresh! I love that wonderful buttery texture and light taste. However, make sure to consume asap.
• Play with seasonings. Worcestershire sauce, Dijon Mustard, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, and white pepper are tasty ways to spice it up.

What to serve with smoked salmon dip?

Enjoy it with crackers, crudites, bagels (slice thin and toast) or French bread, and bread sticks. Terrific with veggies and fruits too, including celery sticks, broccoli florets (raw), carrot sticks, apples, and slices of pears.

How long does smoked salmon dip last in the fridge?

As long as 5 days when kept in a completely sealed container in the refrigerator (place in the coldest part, such as the chiller). You can also freeze it up to three months.

Before serving, don’t forget to leave it out to thaw. Stir it until soft and scoopable again.

More delicious dip recipes:

• Chick-fil-A Sauce Copycat
• Taco Dip – 5 Minutes Only!
• Easy Salsa
• French Dip Grilled Cheese
• Big Mac Sauce Copycat

Recipe tips:

• For the cream cheese, avoid getting the spreadable variety because it’s not the right consistency we need. Instead, use the block type.
• Want more texture in the dish? Pulse only half of the cured fish with the base. Then, stir the rest by hand, taking care to break the fish chunks a bit more.
• If you don’t want it spicy, leave out the horseradish or the hot sauce.
• If you’d rather not have mayo, use thick Greek yogurt instead. Should the mixture be too dense, loosen using regular plain yogurt until you get your desired consistency.
• For better flavor, make it ahead and store in the fridge overnight.
• If using fresh salmon, try adding a bit of liquid smoke.

5 from 4 votes

Print

Smoked Salmon Dip

Prep Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

SmokedSalmon Dip is a lovely starter featuring smoky salmon, tangy capers,fresh herbs, and several spices blended up in tangy cream cheese. Awonderful addition to any party or brunch buffet!

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 291 kcal

Author: Marionela Tiron

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup green onions chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces smoked salmon
• Kosher salt to taste

Garnish:

• capers
• dill
• lemon slices

Instructions

1. Add cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, green onions, capers, horseradish, lemon juice, dill, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Add smoked salmon to a food processor and pulse until the salmon is finely chopped.
3. Stir it into the cream cheese mixture.
4. Taste and adjust for salt.
5. Garnish and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Smoked Salmon Dip

Amount Per Serving

Calories 291 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 63mg21%

Sodium 491mg21%

Potassium 136mg4%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 699IU14%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 55mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.