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
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French Onion Dip (from scratch) OR Retro Soup Mix 2 Minute French Onion Dip
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Hot Corn Dip – you’ll love the flavour in this creamy, bubbly dip!
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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!! 😂
Made this today, it’s delicious! Smoked a side if salmon yesterday so the addition of fresh salmon really made it extra special. Highly recommend this recipe, just the right amount of tang from lemon 🍋 zest & mayo.
@teddi_the_pom
Yummm. I usually buy Harris Smokehouse Salmon pate when I can, but not in the country town I live in. This recipe is as good as, if not better than Harris’ dip and I don’t have to wait for a trip to the city, I can have it any time – win win!
I’ve made this a few times and it’s my daughter’s favourite dip!
I omitted the sour cream and mayo, and subbed with Greek yoghurt.
Nothing better than homemade smoked salmon dip and homemade crostini. This is our lockdown home indulgence, so so good…. Thank you Nagi ❤️
I made it and it’s delicious
Thanks Nagi
I’ve made this several times & love it, thank you. Per my dietary needs, I used Lactose free cream cheese & LF, yogurt, came out great.
That’s great to know Michelle!! N x
Delicious! Can this recipe (salmon dip) be frozen? Otherwise I may have to halve the recipe for my husband and I, unless making it for a party. From other comments it appears that it could be heated for a pasta dish. Thanks!
Hi Brenda, I wouldn’t freeze this one – just make a half serve (you can scale down by clicking the servings) all the ingredients will change for you. N x
This was quadruple yum. Thanks, Nagi! Xo
Perfect Julie!! N x
Love this recipe – made it for Christmas and everyone loved it. I even had some leftover and warmed it up with onions, mushrooms and pasta to make a salmon pasta sauce.
Hi Nagi
Just made the dip and it’s a bit too lemony, what can I do?
Leave it for a few hours, if you can. Lemon loses flavour over time! Then try a bit of extra mayo – that will add richness to take the edge off the lemon! N x
What can you substitute for cottage/cream cheese for non cheese eaters?
Hi Webby, you need the cream cheese for this recipe sorry, it’s the base of the dip – N x
Try using more mayo. Also, soft tofu. Both in small proportions.
So easy & so delicious!
This is so tasty! If you add gelatin and put it on top of a crust of melted butter/ryebread crumbled together and refrigerate until set, then you can cut pieces.
That is how we eat it in Sweden.
Yeah, ditto to the previous comment. I made this with full Philly and light Greek yoghurt as subs for the sour cream and mayo. It was a hit at our extended family picnic post-lockdown 2.0 in Victoria.
O.M.G.
Hi Tin
Can I replace smoked salmon with canned salmon or canned tuna or canned crabmeat? Just being economical in these times.
Hi Selena, it just doesn’t have the same flavour unfortunately! A crap meat dip sounds great though – I’ll have to put that on my recipe list! N x
I think you meant *crab* meat in your reply.
Lol.
Made the dip using smoked trout and Philadelphia light, it was delicious. This is the second recipe of yours, did the moussaka, that was delicious too. Thank you so much and also for the picture of your Goldie, we have had two and they are amazing dogs.
try it with smoked mackeral ! It will knock your socks off
One word: SENSATIONAL!