You can’t buy a Smoked Salmon Dip with flavour this good! It truly tastes of smoked salmon, it’s soft and creamy with a subtle tang from cream cheese and lemon, and the freshness of dill. This is a dip to impress!
Smoked Salmon Dip
I consider this dip a bit fancy pants because the cost to make this is probably about 2 to 3 times the cost to buy a tub from the supermarket. Whereas usually, I’m chirping “this recipe is better AND cheaper than store bought!”, like these copycat Gourmet Crackers which I swear is about 80% cheaper than buying them and I double swear that they taste better.
But in this case, the homemade version costs more.
BUT it tastes SO MUCH BETTER and it’s flavour money can’t buy!! If you’ve ever tried store bought Smoked Salmon Dip, you’d know that it tastes kind of sour and only tastes mildly of smoked salmon. And let’s be honest, it can’t be real because real smoked salmon has to be consumed with 3 – 5 days after opening the packet.
Homemade is made with the real thing – real fresh smoked salmon. And as a result, it truly tastes like smoked salmon. Really truly!
Smoked salmon is not the cheapest thing in the world, especially if you get good quality (Huon Salmon is my favourite – it’s certainly the freshest in Australia + sustainably farmed). So using it in a dip is a good way to make less go further because when it’s blitzed up, it makes the flavour bloom so it’s much more intense than stirring chopped salmon into the dip.
HOW TO MAKE SMOKED SALMOM DIP
In addition to using real smoked salmon, the other bursts of freshness in this dip are lemon juice and zest (lemon flavour comes from the zest, tang comes from the juice) and fresh dill.
I like to use a combination of cream cheese, sour cream (to lighten up the mixture a bit, I find using only cream cheese is too dense) and mayonnaise (for a bit of extra richness and flavour). This is pretty much the same base I use for all my dips.
Serve it with breadsticks, crackers or crostinis. Crostinis are super easy to make yourself – just slice a small breadstick, brush or spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake! – Nagi x
More dip recipes
French Onion Dip (from scratch) OR Retro Soup Mix 2 Minute French Onion Dip
Hot Corn Dip – you’ll love the flavour in this creamy, bubbly dip!
See all Dip Recipes, all Party Food and the Top 25 Party Foods!
More smoked salmon recipes
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Smoked Salmon Dip
Ingredients
- 200 g / 7 oz smoked salmon (or trout)
- 200 g / 7 oz Philadelphia cream cheese , full fat
- 1/4 cup / 55g sour cream (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup / 60g mayonnaise (Note 1, 2)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill , roughly chopped
- 1/2 garlic clove , minced
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest (1 lemon)
- 1 – 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor, starting with 1 tbsp lemon juice. Only use a small pinch of salt to start because smoked salmon is salty, also bear in mind saltiness of crackers being used.
- Whizz until fairly smooth – about 10 seconds on high – scraping sides as required.
- Adjust lemon and salt to taste. Whizz again briefly.
- Transfer into bowl, garnish with lemon slices and more dill if desired. Serve at room temperature with crackers – I like using melba toasts and mini crostinis.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
LIFE OF DOZER
I really, really tried to get him to smile for a cheery Happy New Year photo ……. You’d think he’d be grateful that I didn’t toss confetti on him like I did last year!! 😂
Stoped at a smoked fish place and bought a smoked steelhead being told it was a people favorite, ended up to be too salty for us and we bought two big fillets. So looked up a dip to make with it and made this one followed directions with 1 Tbs only if lemon juice, next time I will use a bit less, did not have minced garlic so used little over half tsp of garlic powder. No salt needed with this fish, and thank you so much for posting because it saved this salty fish from going in the trash, and it was not cheap. Hubby loved it so much ate it all in one sitting, saying it was better than the other salmon dips he’s had🤗
I’m so glad you managed to salvage it Sandra, nothing worse than buying something you can’t use!!
My family loved this salmon dip. I used a left-over portion of grilled salmon from the nite before. The slight charred taste added an extra yummy depth of flavor and color
Great idea Deb!
Just made this for solstice in front of the evening fire. Don’t have a food processor for quick prep / less dishes to wash – a 1 cup measure, sharp knife, cutting board & big bowl does the trick. Put Mayo, Sour Cream & everything but Salmon & cream cheese into measuring cup. Coarse chopped salmon, into bowl with ingredients from measuring cup. Mix vigorously. Add softened cream cheese and stir with gusto. Put dollops in a line on clingfilm pull up one side lengthwise and roll/cover into a log. Made 2 logs with mini rye bread. My new years resolution is to try one Nagi recipe a week w/Italian cheese for New Years Eve!
Absolute perfection. Brought to a gathering recently and the whole bowl was scoffed!
Do you think it could be frozen? Would love to make it in advance to get ahead on Christmas prep.
Hi Edel, I’ve never thought to freeze as it’s so quick to blitz up. Not sure how the cream cheese/mayo/sour cream will go being frozen and thawed sorry!
Yes. Yes! YES!!! So delicious I don’t know how I’m going to restrain myself from eating it all by myself. Yum!
I hear you Anna…. believe me, I hear you!! 😂
just made up a batch for my sick mom it was awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nagi
I’m part of a group of women who eat together once a month. We rotate who brings what and I always find appetizers a problem. This week I brought the smoked salmon dip and everyone raved about it and wanted the recipe.I found that in order to mix the other ingredients, the salmon ended up pureed. Next time I do it, I’ll mix the yogurt , butter and cream cheese well then I’ll add the salmon.
The last time I was on appetizers, I made your Parmesan short bread and everyone loved those too!
You’re a life saver!
Ohhh I love hearing that Pat! The vision of you sitting with friends, nibbling on this! And the SHORTBREAD! They are a firm favourite here 🙂 N xx
Made this for Easter, was an absolute hit!
Next time I will take note on the serving size…everyone got take home dip! haha
Thanks xx
YOU MADE THIS TOO???!!! 😳 Were you cooking all week????
I just finally got around to leaving some comments! I made this and the artichoke dip …. and the vege soup haha 🙂
😂
Great recipe! Nothing beats doing it yourself using the real ingredients. Sometimes a I have trust issues with what I buy in the supermarket. I feel like a lot of them are synthetic artificial flavor. Great post as always. Hope your having a great New Year so far.
I hear you Jason! N xx
Hi Nagi,
As your recipes are high quality and you’re a quality person, I Just thought you’d want to know about the ads currently showing on your website.
“Wedding is on hold. Meghan seen crying”. Apart from being obvious click bait, when I click on the cross to close the ad – it opens their website, as if I wanted to open it????
Just thought you’d want to know of the damage to your brand.
Hope it goes well and you can rectify. All the best
Just whipped this up to have on hand for the new year (still to come here in the States) and all I can say is, WOW!!! Absolutely delicious. This will be a staple in my entertaining repertoire for sure!!
Another BIG winner! I absolutely love smoked salmon, never thought of using it to make a dip out of it, this is truly amazing and it sounds sooooo good! tryng this recipe out for sure!
This looks delicious! Now to bring on the bubbly and party. I think Dozer would like to party down with some salmon dip.
Happy New Year to you and Dozer, and your family!!!
Hello Nagi, Dozer, Thank you for YUMI receipt, tomorrow will do last shopping and will make dip. Did you use food processor that sent you to frenzy shopping, ha, Haaa. Ok joke on side, may You and your Dear Family have Healthy, Happy New Year!! SINCERE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, MUCH APPRICIATED NEW AND FRESH IDEAS. Have done lots of cooking this avo, cooler weather helped me a lot, made soup with extra Veges and ham bone, cooked than roasted pork ribs, am making potato salad, white bean salad, pork chops, will be cooking tomorrow night. We have tradition of been busyyyy, busyyyy, table laden with home made food and will inc. your smoke salmo dip. Look after Dozer tomorrow night, fire work noise. Ciao!
Hi Nagi, I simply can’t live without your wonderful posts. There isn’t a recipe I haven’t tried. Thank you so much for sharing. Wishing you and Dozer a wonderful New Year for 2018.
With love from our tummies and hearts,
Sylvie and Anna Perth Western Australia
That dip looks and sounds so good. Will definitely have to try it. That photo of Dozer looks like the morning after new year’s hangover.
Hi Nagi, I have been making a very simple “Prawn Dip” for years that I got from a friend when visiting her in Maine – U.S.A. Now I’ll be trying your Smoked Salmon Dip recipe as it looks so inviting to the extent that I can smell the salmon, my favourite fish. “Huon” of course.
And is this the “Food Processor” that you had to rush out to buy? I’ve had mine for many years and wouldn’t be without one.
Dozer looks as though he’s thinking “Come on already – I’m over this “Pozer Dozer” thingy”. He’s so very cute.
Marvellous recipe, Nagi – shall make it as soon as all letters opened! All my favourite flavours combined!!!!! Hmmm: does ‘Huon’ sell ‘smoked salmon for cooking’? Same as your ‘stuff’ and also from Tassie, but in small pieces and way cheaper [yes, I know, naughty me!!!]. Oh Dozer is just telling you he would have grinned if he has had a whistle twixt his paws and not a clown hat on his head . . . .
PS If Yule has kept you too busy to scour the news ‘Fish Farming Expert’, on 17th December released some very interesting info re your salmon firm and my salmon firm and another biggie and then the ‘smallies’ . . . fascinating plans to read indeed . . .
How apt, I’ve been searching for a good smoked slamon dip/pate all week. My recipe is similar but I used Huon hot smoked salmon instead of cold smoked and it’s also delicious. I blitzed 3/4 of the salmon in the food processor then mix through the last 1/4 as I love the chunky texture mixed in with the smooth. Happy new year Nagi.
Ever the suave and sophisticated party animal, Dozer! He clearly knows a smile would only detract from his elegant air of mystery. He must be quite the chick-magnet at the beach and elsewhere.!