Our smoked salmon dip recipe is incredibly creamy and delicious. I love serving it with thick potato chips, crackers, sliced bread, or even spread onto bagels.
We love smoked salmon and are always looking for more ways to use it. This salmon dip has quickly turned into one of my favorite recipes! It’s a knockout appetizer and works just as well for brunch with bagels!
This never disappoints at celebrations and get-togethers, and honestly, it’s usually one of the first things to go! Get ready for everyone to ask you for the recipe. For another seafood dip, try our incredible homemade 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 recipe, but you can use cold smoked salmon or gravlax (lox). 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. For a lighter dip, you can try substituting some of the sour cream for Greek yogurt (although, I do really love the sour cream in this recipe).
- 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.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Our Favorite Smoked Salmon Dip
Tip 1: Use hot-smoked salmon. You can make this dip with hot-smoked, cold-smoked, or cured salmon (such as gravlax or lox), but I prefer the rich, smoky flavor of hot-smoked salmon. It pairs beautifully with the creamy ingredients, adding a smoky, sweet flavor that makes this dip irresistible.
Tip 2: Use an electric mixer. For a light, fluffy texture, whip the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. This step gives our salmon dip a smooth, whipped consistency that’s perfect for dipping or spreading.
Tip 3: Add the salmon last. Once the cream cheese is whipped, light, and fluffy, gently fold in the salmon. Mix just enough to combine. Over-mixing will break the salmon into tiny pieces, rather than leaving those delicious, flaky bits throughout the dip.
More of My Favorite Dips
Easy Smoked Salmon Dip
- PREP
- TOTAL
This is lovely served with thick potato chips, pita bread, crostini, bagel chips, veggies, and spread onto bagels. For the most flavorful, smoky dip, use hot smoked salmon, as we do in the video. For a more mild, creamy dip, use cold smoked salmon (or cured salmon). 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 (225g)
1 cup (8oz) cream cheese, softened, see notes
½ cup sour cream (120g)
½ cup mayonnaise, try homemade mayo (120g)
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
⅛ 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
1Beat the cream cheese: In 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.
2Make the dip: Scrape 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.
3Add the salmon: Flake 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 it to the dip.
4To finish: Scrape 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. We love this salmon dip served immediately, but it is even better after a night in the refrigerator.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: This 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.
- 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.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Adam & Joanne. It doesn’t get much better than this. I knew as soon as I saw your recipe, you had just the right balance of “creamy”. Made this as an appetizer for a dinner party this evening, and guests raved. It is absolutely delicious, a definite keeper, and a five star recipe. You are an inspiration to those of us who love to cook. Thank you.
Yay! What a nice review 🙂
Made this salmon dip and my friends voted it the best ever! I didn’t have shallots but added capers! That worked too! I’ll be making this again. Thank you for sharing!
Outstanding on a freshly baked Bagelista everything bagel with a side of fresh cucumber slices and grape tomatoes sprinkled with a pinch of smoked salt. Just made my first batch but already I can’t wait to try another plate so I can taste how the ingredients intermingle by tomorrow 😋🥯
That sounds delicious! 🙂
This dip is fabulous! I have shared this recipe with several friends and have made it twice to share this holiday season. Everyone asked me for the recipe! I am glad I discovered Joanne and Adam’s Inspired Taste on Instagram and YouTube. I love their enthusiasm and joy as much as I love their recipes.
Love this recipe. We serve it as an appetizer and hope for leftovers so we can eat it on a bagel the next morning.
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.
I usually just use leftover salmon. I assume that’s acceptable as well, just won’t have the smoky flavor?
Have you made it using regular cooked salmon (instead of smoked salmon). It might be a good use of left over salmon, maybe with a few drops of liquid smoke to compensate for it not being smoked
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 🙂