You’ll love our smoked salmon dip recipe. It’s incredibly creamy and absolutely delicious. I love serving it with thick kettle chips, crackers, sliced bread, or even spread onto bagels.
I can’t get enough of this creamy, delicious salmon dip! We love smoked salmon and are always looking for more ways to use it. This smoked salmon dip has quickly turned into one of my favorite recipes!
It never disappoints at celebrations and get-togethers, and honestly, it’s usually one of the first dips to go! Get ready for everyone to ask you for the recipe. This one is a keeper! For another seafood dip, try our incredible crab dip, which is just as delicious served hot as it is served cold.
Key Ingredients
- Hot smoked salmon: This is my go-to for this dip, but you can use cold smoked salmon or gravlax. It has a firm, flaky texture, and the smoky flavor pairs perfectly with the cream cheese base.
- Cream cheese: I use full-fat block cream cheese because it makes the dip so delicious.
- Sour cream and mayonnaise: These add flavor and creaminess while lightening the texture of the cream cheese. I love using homemade mayo when I have it in the fridge.
- Shallot and fresh herbs: I love the light onion flavor of shallot in this dip, but use your favorite fresh herbs. I love using chives and dill, which complement the salmon well.
- Lemon: This cuts through the heaviness of the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo.
- Worcestershire sauce: This adds another layer of flavor. A little bit makes creamy dips and sauces so much better. I also use Worcestershire sauce when making homemade ranch.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Dip
Our smoked salmon dip is incredibly easy to prepare. I prefer using my stand mixer because it whips the dip into a light and airy consistency, similar to whipped cream cheese. However, you can easily combine the ingredients by hand if you don’t have a mixer.
To make the dip, start by beating the cream cheese until it’s soft and creamy. Then, mix in the sour cream, mayonnaise, shallots, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt.
Once everything is well combined, gently mix your flaked smoked salmon and favorite fresh herbs. It’s that easy!
Easy Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe
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Our amazing smoked salmon dip is lovely served with thick kettle chips, crackers, sliced bread, and spread onto bagels. For the most flavorful, smoky dip, use hot smoked salmon, as we do in the video. To tone down the smoked flavor, use a 50-50 blend of hot smoked and cold smoked salmon (or use cured salmon like gravlax). Or, for a more mild, creamy dip, use all cold smoked salmon (or cured salmon) in the recipe. If you use cold smoked or cured salmon, finely chop the salmon into tiny bits before mixing it into the dip.
For the most creamy and whipped texture, use a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
8 ounces hot smoked salmon
1 cup (8oz) cream cheese, softened, see notes
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
1/2 cup (120g) mayonnaise, try homemade mayo
Heaped tablespoon minced shallot, from half a small shallot
1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or Pickapeppa sauce
5 twists fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Directions
1In a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-low speed until creamy, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add the sour cream, mayonnaise, shallots, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt. Mix on low speed until blended.
3Flake in the salmon (do not use the skin). Mix on low speed until blended. If using cold smoked or cured salmon, finely chop the salmon before adding to the dip.
4Scrape the bowl’s sides and bottom, then scatter over the chives and dill. Mix in on the lowest speed so the herbs don’t bruise. Remove from the mixer and serve with a few extra herbs sprinkled on top.
5We love this salmon dip served immediately, but it is even better after a night in the refrigerator. This salmon dip keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Hot smoked salmon vs. cold smoked salmon: Hot smoked salmon is smoked at a high temperature, while cold smoked salmon is cured in salt for several days. Hot smoked salmon has a firm and flaky texture and is usually sold in 4 to 8 ounces fillets. On the other hand, cold smoked salmon has a silky and delicate texture and is sold sliced, similar to gravlax.
- Softened cream cheese: For best results, use room-temperature cream cheese to ensure it mixes well.
- Storing: Our smoked salmon dip will last up to 4 days in the fridge. We recommend storing it in an airtight container. Stir the dip well before serving, and consider letting it sit out for 20 minutes to warm up so it is dippable and spreadable. We do not recommend freezing salmon dip.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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This was an amazing recipe, and it is super easy.
No hesitation to give this 5 stars. I made this dip to take as an appetizer for dinner at a friend’s house. This got rave reviews and I ate every last molecule of the spread I left at home. I’ve NEVER finished off salmon spread before but I licked the container clean.I made this with dried dill and used a lot more than what you called for. I also used leftover salmon vs. using smoked salmon. I also only hand mixed it vs using a blender.
Lovely dip, but easily mixed with a fork..(or did somebody else already said so? I am a big fan of you two
You can definitely use a fork, but the whipping of the mixer makes this more of a light, airy, whipped texture (which we love). Sort of like whipped cream cheese vs. block cream cheese.
This was really good! I was looking for a way to use up the hot smoked salmon I had from Costco so this recipe was perfect. We ate the dip with everything bagel chips and enjoyed every bite. Thank you for the recipe!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the dip. We really appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
We love smoked salmon dip and have made it over many years (we only use wild salmon.) Today, you changed us forever. Your dip is creamy and so delicious — mine was on the dry side but still delicious. From now on, your recipe takes first place in our kitchen. It was absolutely delicious. We’re going for your crab dip next. My husband, a Marylander who thrives on fish asked what I did to our dip. I said it was Joanne and Adams fault! He looked puzzled and said let’s just keep making this one….it’s a keeper. Thank you for your wonderful website…we love it and make a lot of your scrumptious dishes. Thank you for all you’re hard work in making these videos for everybody.
What a nice thing to say. We are so glad you loved the recipe. Both Joanne and I grew up in Maryland. Small world 🙂
I’m not familiar with making dishes using salmon but does the salmon need to be cooked first? This looks delicious and can’t wait to try it. Thank you
Hi Patti, you are going to love this recipe because we call for smoked salmon which is fully cooked and should be available at your local grocery store. It comes together in minutes and doesn’t require cooking 🙂