Easy Smoked Salmon Dip (video)
This cheesy and creamy smoked salmon dip is the only cheese dip recipe you will ever need! It’s hands-down my favorite dip! I’ve made this dip so many times for my holiday parties and it’s always the first appetizer to be gone! My guests just won’t stop asking for it! The intense smoky flavors, the creaminess and chunks of smoked salmon are what make this dip so irresistible!
Watch My Salmon Dip Video Tutorial!
Watch my YouTube recipe for step-by-step instructions and see how to make smoked salmon dip! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my website and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Ingredients for Smoked Salmon Dip
Don’t let the long ingredient list stop you from trying this recipe – most of the ingredients are spices and prepared items and sauce you already have in your fridge or pantry!
- To get that smoky flavor, I use smoked bacon, smoked salmon, smoked cheese and smoked paprika. I render the bacon until crispy, then chop it up into little bits so you get some of that flavor in every bite.
- To get the ultimate creamy dip, I use a combination of cream cheese, smoked gouda cheese, parmesan cheese and sour cream. These all come together to create an unforgettable smoky salmon dip!
- For the crumb topping, you’ll need panko bread crumbs, butter and parsley.
What Type of Salmon to Use
I used hot-smoked salmon for my video recipe, but cold-smoked salmon will also work. The difference is in the texture – hot-smoked is chunkier and has less moisture. It breaks apart very easily into chunks and it retains its shape when mixed with the cheese mixture. If you want to use cold-smoked or lox salmon, just dice it into small bits.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Dip
This cheesy and creamy seafood dip is so easy to make and so aromatic! Here’s how to make it:
- Preheat the oven to 375F. You will need a ceramic baking dish that will also double as a serving dish.
- Preheat a sauté pan over medium/low heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the diced bell pepper, onion and garlic. Sauté for a 5 to 7 minutes until the pepper and onion are soft but not browned. Remove the mixture from heat and cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Discard the salmon skin and dice the salmon into small bits. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except for the topping ingredients. Use a spatula to mix everything together until well combined.
- Spread the dip into a ceramic dish and smooth off the top with a spatula. Prepare the topping: combine the panko bread crumbs with butter, parsley and garlic powder. Sprinkle the topping over the dip in an even layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the topping turns golden brown and dip is bubbling along the sides of the dish. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Serving the Dip
Serve the dip with toasted baguette or a crudités tray with carrots, celery and bell pepper. When I’m planning a party, I like to make this dip ahead of time, get it into the dip pan, cover and refrigerate it until it’s ready to be baked.
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this easy smoked salmon appetizer recipe? Here are more recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Spicy Stuffed Mini Peppers – cheesy stuffed peppers with bacon bits, cheddar cheese and Tabsco sauce! Try my spicy stuffed peppers next!
- Smoked Salmon Cream Puffs – fluffy pate a choux filled with a creamy smoked salmon and dill spread!
- Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches – quick and easy tea sandwiches with cheese, cucumbers and dill!
- The Best Crab Cakes – my favorite recipe for flaky and delicious crab cakes, served with a homemade tartar sauce! So easy and impressive!
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Cheesy Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 to 7 ounces smoked salmon
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup wilted spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: salt, dried basil, dried thyme
For Topping:
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. You will need a ceramic baking dish that will also double as a serving dish.
- Preheat a saute pan over medium/low heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the diced bell pepper, onion and garlic. Saute for a 5 to 7 minutes until the pepper and onion are soft but not browned. Remove the mixture from heat and cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Discard the salmon skin and dice the salmon into small bits. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except for the topping ingredients. Use a spatula to mix everything together until well combined.
- Spread the dip into a ceramic dish and smooth off the top with a spatula. Prepare the topping: combine the panko bread crumbs with butter, parsley and garlic powder. Sprinkle the topping over the dip in an even layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the topping turns golden brown and dip is bubbling along the sides of the dish. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before serving with baguette, crisps or crudites.
My family has made this twice within a few weeks. The first time we followed the recipe pretty closely and it was super good. The second time I made it I did not have any bell pepper or spinach and it was still irresistible. I ate an embarrassing amount instead of dinner today. Simple to make and perfect for salmon lovers.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Lol I have the same problem! I ate a ton of this dip over the holidays, too!
I am thinking about making this dip for an upcoming party.However, I am concerned as to how this dip can be stored :/.With my schedule, I would have to bake it the night before.So I have a stupid question : Can I bake it, keep it in the fridge overnight and reheat it the following day? Thank you for your amazing recipes Tatyana 🙂 I am a big fan
Yes, this dip reheats very nicely so you can definitely make it the night before 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
I just discovered some smoked salmon I had in the fridge (left over from making sushi) and went searching through my pins for a smoked salmon dip. This sounds perfect! Will be trying it soon
This is one of my all-time favorite dips, especially for the holidays! Hope you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂