Smoked Salmon Appetizer (VIDEO) (2024)

Published: Feb 8, 2023 by Dina

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All you need is 4 ingredients to make this Smoked Salmon Appetizer recipe.
These tasty appetizers are very elegant yet super simple to make and their subtle flavor makes them easy to serve with almost any meal.

If you love the addition of smoked salmon in your food, you might enjoy our easy smoked salmon tortilla cups or smoked salmon salad.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
Add-ins and Substitutions
How to Make Smoked Salmon Appetizer
Recipe Tips
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Make This Recipe in Advance
More Delicious Salmon Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions

Recipe Details

This Smoked Salmon Appetizer recipe was inspiredby one of the first recipes published on my blog. Idecidedto make a low-carb and healthier version of that recipe, which turned out to be even more popular! You’re going to love it!

TASTE: These appetizers are full of smoky flavor and richness. The mild flavor of the cucumber and herbaceous dill are the perfect complements to the cream cheese.
TEXTURE: With a crisp layer of cucumber and a creamy center of cream cheese and salmon, this dish is utterly scrumptious.
TIME: This recipe will take 30 minutes.
EASE: This Smoked Salmon Appetizer is so easy. With just 4 ingredients, you can whip it up in no time.

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

Smoked salmon- You can use fresh or frozen salmon for this recipe. Just make sure it is thawed so it easily mixes into the spread.
Cucumber- Regular cucumbers work best because they are thicker.
Cream cheese- Full-fat cream cheese will give the richest flavor, but you can also use low-fat if you prefer.
Dill- Using fresh herbs is best because it has a fresher, smoother flavor. But dried dill can also be used in a pinch.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Add Dijon mustard or lemon juice- Add some Dijon mustard or lemon zest or juice to the spread for some tanginess.
Substitute another cheese- You can also make this appetizer with Neufchatel cheese, brie, or mascarpone cheese.
Add Greek yogurt or sour cream-Adding this to the spread will give it a tangy flavor, and the yogurt will also add some healthy protein.
Add capers- These little things have so much lemony, briny flavor, and would taste delicious in these Smoked Salmon Appetizer.

How to Make Smoked Salmon Appetizer

Make the spread. First, combine the softened cream cheese, chopped dill, and smoked salmon into a smooth spread.
Peel the cucumber. Then, peel the cucumber into thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Blot each cucumberslice with apaper towel to absorb any moisture on the cucumber.

Pro Tip:Blotting off extra moisture from the cucumber really helps with spreading the smoked salmon cream cheese spread on top.

Assemble the appetizer. Now spread the smoked salmon spread on top and tightlyroll each sliced cucumber up. Serve.

Recipe Tips

Use the right peeler- I like to use a “Y” shaped peeler to get wider strips of cucumber so more salmon can be spread on them.
Dry the cucumber slices- Pat the sliced cucumber with paper towels to dry them so the cream cheese mixture doesn’t slide off.
Soften the cream cheese- If you use room temperature cream cheese, it will reallyhelp better incorporate the smoked salmon.

FAQs

Can I use lox or cold smoked salmon instead of hot smoked salmon?

Technically, you can, but the texture and taste will be different than with hot smoked salmon.

What is the difference between cold smoked and hot smoked salmon?

Cold smoked salmon often referred to as lox is cured in a salt and sugar rub or brine. Hot smoked salmon is actually smoked and cooked with heat.

Serving Suggestions

These Smoked Salmon Appetizer bites are versatile enough to serve with anything. Enjoy them with main courses, sides, crackers, or other appetizers. Here are a few suggestions:

Meats: Serve this appetizer before a Ribeye Steak, Smoked Chicken Thighs, Pork Crown Roast, or Braised Beef Short Ribs (VIDEO).
Salad: Pair this Smoked Salmon Appetizer with a Spinach Pomegranate Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, Cucumber Radish Salad, or Antipasto Salad.
Sides: Enjoy it alongside some Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, or Air Fryer Green Beans.
Other appetizers: Serve it with other appetizers, such as Eggplant Appetizers (Roll-ups), Mushroom Puff Pastry Appetizers, and Chicken and Mushroom Phyllo Appetizers (VIDEO).

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: Unfortunately, these appetizers are best served an hour or 2 after making them. So, you can’t make them too far in advance or they may get a little soggy.

Storing: Place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until they are ready to serve. They can last up to 3-4 days, but will begin getting soggy within a few hours.

Freeze: The cucumbers do not freeze well so I don’t recommend freezing this Smoked Salmon Appetizer. You should only make what you plan to serve in a few hours.

More Delicious Salmon Dishes!

Smoked Salmon Bagel
Cilantro Lime Salmon
Salmon Wellington
Cedar Plank Salmon

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Check out this video!

Full Recipe Instructions