Hot Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip

This Hot Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip is deliciously rich, easy to make, and full of chunky wild Alaskan smoked salmon! Serve this make-ahead friendly dip as an app with crackers or spread on your morning bagel!

Pretty sure smoked salmon dip reigns as one of my all-time favorite dips. But not all smoked salmon dip is the same. No no.

There is one smoked salmon dip in particular made by a local grocery store here in Seattle. I’ve tried to buy it at other stores and they either don’t have the same exact thing, or it doesn’t measure up, or it has TOO MANY CAPERS. 

This dip (or a variation) is usually present at holiday gatherings in my family and it’s one of those foods that just reminds me of Christmas. There are no gatherings this year, but I still wanted the foods that remind me holidays and family. This dip is one of them. So, I learned how to make it myself!

What are the ingredients in this hot smoked salmon cream cheese dip?

In order to recreate this dip I have loved for years, I reviewed the ingredients on the store label.

Here’s what I saw, in the exact order I saw them: salmon, cream cheese (milk), mayonnaise (eggs, soybean oil), onion, Tabasco.

This dip has only five ingredients! Simple! It only took me two tries to get the proportions right. 

SO, here is my version, made with the same ingredients, but with a little more info to go with each one:

• hot smoked wild salmon – For this recipe, you need one 4-ounce filet of hot smoked wild salmon with traditional seasonings. Hot smoked salmon is smoked with heat like other meats, and will look like a baked filet of salmon at the grocery store. Wild Alaskan salmon is my preference. More info on salmon choice below.
• cream cheese – Salmon and cream cheese just go together! For this recipe I use half a brick of cream cheese, softened so it’s way easier to stir.
• mayonnaise – The key to the perfect consistency of this dip is the mayonnaise. If you skip it, your dip will break every cracker you try to dip. I used Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo.
• onion – The label on the grocery store salmon dip only said onion, but I could tell it was green onion because I could SEE the green onion. I used two whole stalks, sliced thinly.
• Tabasco – Use regular or chipotle Tabasco for that hint of spice and flavor that elevates this dip!

What kind of salmon do I need for this smoked salmon dip?

This dip calls for a 4-ounce filet of hot smoked wild salmon. Let me elaborate!

First of all, you want to find hot smoked salmon. This is different than cold-smoked salmon, which is also different from salmon lox.

Using the word hot in front of the salmon describes the cooking conditions of the fish (not the serving conditions!).

The hot smoked salmon filet will look fully cooked, almost like it has been baked, because of the heat during smoking. It will be much flakier and drier than lox, as well as firm to the touch. This is what you want! 

Note: You can also try making your own hot-smoked salmon if you have the equipment and the raw salmon – Here’s a recipe for Hot Smoking Your Own Salmon from Fine Cooking.

Cold smoked salmon is smoked but at a much lower temperature than hot smoked salmon. This helps the salmon retain moisture and keeps a shinier look. It is usually thin sliced and looks similar to lox. However, that kind won’t work for this recipe.

For more info on hot vs cold smoked salmon and how it is different than lox, check out this article from The Kitchn!

I also strongly suggest going with wild Alaskan salmon for the best taste. I am little biased from my trip to Juneau in 2019, but Alaskan salmon is the some of the most sustainably caught fish in the world, and worth the extra price from farmed fish.

How do you make this Hot Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip? 

The first thing to do is prepare your smoked salmon by removing the skin.

Next, take about a quarter of the salmon filet (you can measure roughly) and set it aside. This portion will be stirred in at the end to keep some larger salmon chunks in the dip. I just used my hands to break off a small portion.

Add all the ingredients, except the portion of salmon you set aside, to a medium mixing bowl. Using a spoon or a hand mixer, mix all of the ingredients together until everything is very well combined. It will look a little weird at first but just keep mixing until it’s pink, creamy and smooth.

Your salmon dip is almost ready! Now, take the salmon you set aside earlier and break it up into large chunks. Add those chunks to the bowl and gently stir until mixed in. Try not to break up the larger pieces of salmon we just added in.

Top with some extra sliced green onions and serve right away, or refrigerate until time to eat. I like to eat smoked salmon dip with any crackers I have on hand! 

What should this hot smoked salmon cream cheese dip be served with?

While this dip is great for serving as an appetizer or as a party finger food, it also works really well just made at home and eaten as you wish because it can easily go in and out of the fridge. This dip can be easily served straight from the refrigerator, which makes it super easy. 

Here are some serving ideas:

• I almost always eat my smoked salmon cream cheese dip with crackers as a snack
• Serve before dinner as a classy appetizer
• Spread all over a bagel for delicious salmon + cream cheese combo already put together!
• Dip for veggies, pita chips, and more
• Serve a scoop with eggs for a creamy smoked salmon breakfast addition

Is this smoked salmon dip make-ahead friendly?

Yes! I love that this dip can be completely made ahead and served directly from the fridge. 

You can make this Hot Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip up to two days ahead of time for maximum freshness and serving potential.

Optional additions and customizations for this dip:

This recipe is made of only five ingredients and is super basic. There’s definitely room to customize if that’s your thing! Here are some ideas for you:

• capers – I personally am not a huge fan of capers, but they make their way into *most* smoked salmon dips (not mine!!). If you love capers, go ahead and add some in to the dip at your own risk!
• fresh dill – This one I could get down with. I don’t usually have fresh dill on hand but if I did, I would add a sprinkle into the dip.
• roasted garlic – Another way to really make this dip your own. I love roasted garlic and I think this would be a great addition.

Store, freeze & reheat:

To store: Store this dip in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after making.

To freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dip.

To reheat: This dip is served cold and I do not recommend heating for this specific dip.

Did you make this Hot Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip? I want to see how your version turned out! Tag me in your post and use #projectmealplan to share!