Name: Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese softened; 3 Tbsp. red onion finely diced; 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar; 1 Tbsp. milk; pinch of salt and pepper; 3 oz. cold smoked salmon; Bagels crackers, french bread, etc. for dipping

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip is an easy and impressive 5 ingredient appetizer recipe is made in only 5 minutes. A layer of whipped cream cheese and red onion is topped with cold smoked salmon and served with crackers and bread.

Prep5 minutes

Total5 minutes

Serves8

Published 29 Dec 2019

Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe

This Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip is made with luscious cold smoked salmon for an elegant and impressive appetizer recipe. It starts out with a layer of whipped cream cheese, red wine vinegar and diced red onion for a creamy and flavorful base.

The cold smoked salmon is layered on top and its all served with crackers, bagels or bread. It’s the perfect dip for a New Year’s Eve celebration, shower, or any other party you want to serve a quick and simple appetizer that will impress.

What is the difference between cold and hot smoked salmon.

Hot smoked salmon is most readily available in grocery stores. It is cooked and smoked at the same time so it is a drier and fully cooked meat. It is great in recipes like these Smoked Salmon & Goat Cheese Puffs or Cheesy Smoked Salmon & Asparagus Crostini.

Cold smoked salmon on the other hand, is first cured and then smoked at a very low temperature, typically around 80°. It is commonly paired with cream cheese, capers and bread. This Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip takes the traditional pairings and puts them in a beautiful dip to serve at parties.

I picked up some very affordable smoked salmon gravlax at Aldi for this easy recipe because my local small town grocery store doesn’t carry it.

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip served on plate

How to Make Smoked Salmon Dip

You could just mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and serve it with crackers and bread and have a delicious appetizer. By taking just a couple extra minutes to layer the whipped cream cheese on a nice plate and top it with some of the cold smoked salmon, it looks way more appetizing in my opinion!

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip on sourdough bread

Cold Smoked Salmon

If you don’t have access to cold smoked salmon and are instead using hot smoked salmon, which is drier, then I would recommend mixing it all together. This will add a little moisture back the salmon.

The cold smoked salmon I purchased had dill on it already, so I didn’t add any more to the cream cheese mixture. If the salmon you pick up at the store doesn’t have dill, I would recommend adding in a teaspoon to the cream cheese mixture for added flavor.

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip served on table

Easy Cream Cheese Dip

When it comes to serving your Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip, it is really a matter of personal preference. You could go all out and offer a big spread of dipping options or keep it simple and just offer bagels for a brunch offering.

I like to serve a variety of crackers and bread with this easy dip. Some parmesan crackers for more flavor, toasted sourdough bread for a chewy option and plain butter crackers for those who like the basics.

And what is better than one great dip at a party? Two or three! I love serving a good spread when I have guests. This crab rangoon dip and blueberry balsamic goat cheese appetizer are more great options!