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Creamy, tangy, and packed with rich salmon flavor, this smoked salmon dip is a total crowd-pleaser. It’s quick to make and just fancy enough for your next party or brunch.
If you’re ever in need of a festive and elegant dish for a party, this smoked salmon dip recipe 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. It also makes a great addition to an appetizer spread. Pair it with bagel chips, crostini, cucumber slices, or alongside fresh veggies for your guests to scoop and snack on.
Even my husband, a true-blue New Yorker and self-proclaimed expert on all things smoked fish, gives this smoked salmon dip recipe a big thumbs up. Plus, it’s super easy and make-ahead friendly—you’ll love how quickly you can check it off your to-do list!
“The perfect combination of ease, taste, and elegance. It looks beautiful with a bit of dill garnish on top, and it took all of 15 minutes to make.”
What You’ll Need To Make Smoked Salmon Dip
- Cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise: This trio makes up the creamy base—a nice balance of rich, smooth, and slightly tangy.
- Fresh lemon juice and Tabasco: Adds brightness and a little heat to balance out the richness.
- Capers: Bring a salty, briny bite that works perfectly with the smoked salmon.
- Smoked salmon: Cured and smoked salmon fillets that give the dip its distinct smoky flavor. Look for it pre-packaged in the seafood section.
- Fresh dill and chives: These fresh herbs add a pop of freshness and a mild onion flavor that complement the dip. I also like to sprinkle some on top as a garnish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Lox vs. Smoked Salmon: What’s the Difference?
Lox and smoked salmon are often used interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same thing. Traditional lox is cured in salt but not smoked, while cold-smoked salmon is cured and gently smoked, giving it a delicate smoky flavor and silky texture. Nova (sometimes labeled “Nova lox”) is a mild variety of cold-smoked salmon.
For this dip, use cold-smoked salmon, including Nova—the thinly sliced kind you’ll find in the refrigerated seafood section. Avoid hot-smoked salmon, which has a firmer, flakier texture, more like cooked fish, and won’t give the dip the same consistency.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Dip
Blend the base: In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, Tabasco, and capers. Pulse until mostly smooth.
Add the salmon and herbs: Stir in the smoked salmon, fresh chives, and dill. Adding them after blending keeps the salmon in small pieces and the herbs visible throughout.
Pulse to combine: Pulse again until the salmon is finely chopped and everything’s well blended.
Serve: Taste the dip and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve. It can be made up to 2 days ahead—just let it come to room temperature before serving.
Make-Ahead & Storage
This smoked salmon dip can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It firms up quite a bit when chilled, so let it sit at room temperature for a little while before serving to soften and make it easier to scoop. Give it a quick stir before serving.
Smoked Salmon Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 oz) cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- ¼ teaspoon Tabasco
- 4 oz 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.
Nutrition Information
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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I don’t like mayo. Do you have a suggestion, Jenn? Your site is fabulous. I’ve gotten raves on so many recipes and have referred lots of friends to you.
Barb
Hi Barb, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I promise you that you can’t taste the mayo at all, but if you really don’t want to use it, I’d substitute more sour cream. The sour cream will make the dip a little tangier, so I’d also cut the lemon juice in half. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn! Excited to try this for Thanksgiving. Would it work if I used light cream cheese, sour cream (even greek yogurt), and mayo, or would it compromise the texture? Thanks in advance.
Hi Flo, one reader commented that she prepared this with low-fat cream cheese and sour cream and was happy with the result. I haven’t prepared it this way, though, so I can’t vouch for it. I’d love to hear how it turns out of you do use reduced-fat versions of any of the ingredients!
I made this for a recent bridal shower and it was truly outstanding! Guests raved and raved! A must try!
Is the smoked salmon cooked or raw?
Hi Gail, this is salmon is that has been cured and hot or cold smoked. Hope you enjoy!
I made this on Saturday for dinner with friends and so I would have enough for Mother’s Day dinner on Sunday. It was so delicious, even my 13 year old daughter loved it. It was so easy to make and was even better on Sunday night! This is my new go to appetizer. Thanks!
This has been my super quick go-to appetizer dip to impress guests for the past 1 year.
This is the best salmon dip out there and I’m always getting requests to make it! It’s so incredibly easy to put together. I find it’s best to make it the night before you intend to use it so that the flavors meld a bit more.
Once again, a very tasty and easy recipe. I looked for an appetizer last minute ute and went to yr site and found this. Made it for my guests tonight and they all (plus me) just loved the dip. Thanks again!
Just made today for a friend’s dinner party. Got raves from all, even my hubby who normally won’t touch dips!! Very fresh herbs taste and oh so easy….Served w/ red peppers and sugar snap peas, didn’t even need the crackers!
Tks Jenn for a great seafood dip!!
Made this recipe and took to a New Year’s Eve party. My family all like to fish and I used smoked salmon the family caught last summer. Big hit. I was very pleased. I will add this recipe to my holiday collection.
I sure wish MY family would catch a smoked salmon! LOL