Cream cheese and lox on a bagel is transformed into a delicious Smoked Salmon Dip for an easy brunch spread, appetizer, or healthy snack. Perfect for brunch or Rosh Hashanah!
Instead of dipping, sometimes we use this as a spread for our easy homemade bagels.
Best Salmon Dip Recipe
When I was a kid, my grandparents used to drive up from Southern California every single holiday, always with a trunk full of sweet onions, the best fresh bagels one can only dream about, and a cooler full of tender packaged lox. And that’s what we ate for breakfast and lunch for days. Honestly, it was amazing. I sure do miss them terribly.
This smoked salmon dip incorporates cream cheese, onion, lox, and some fresh herbs and seasonings, mimicking all the items we used to pile on our bagel (minus the tomato.) It’s become a regular spread at family gatherings.
What is Lox?
The word lox is derived from “laks,” the Yiddish word for salmon. Lox is a form of cured salmon, and while lox and smoked salmon are both variations of cured salmon, there are some differences.
- How it’s prepared. True lox is cured using only salt, while smoked salmon is cured or brined using salt and then also smoked.
- Flavor. Because of how it’s prepared ^^^ lox has a strong salty flavor, while smoked salmon has a smoky flavor.
- Texture. Lox is sometimes referred to as “belly lox” because it comes from the middle section of a salmon. It’s fatty, tender, and sliced very thin. Hot-smoked salmon has a much thicker, darker texture and is flakey, much like oven-roasted salmon fillets.
Ingredients Needed
The ingredients included in this salmon dip are all items my family typically pairs together when serving lox and bagels. It’s so delicious!
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Lox – Very thinly sliced cured smoked salmon, not the kind sold as a brick that’s flakey. See note above.
- Cream cheese – The base of the dip. Make sure it’s room temperature for smoother blending.
- Plain Greek yogurt – Adds to the creaminess of the dip and loosens it a bit. If you don’t like Greek yogurt, sour cream works fine.
- Red onion – We love raw red onion in this dip. It has a subtle peppery flavor without having an overly strong bite.
- Capers – They should be drained, rinsed, and chopped.
- Fresh herbs – Dill and chives are perfect herbs for this dip. Use fresh for optimal flavor.
- Everything Bagel seasoning – To me, this seasoning blend is a no brainer for this dip and ties all the flavors together. Either buy it at the store or use our homemade everything bagel seasoning recipe.
- Kosher salt – Just a pinch for flavor.
- Tabasco hot sauce (optional) – We add in a dash for flavor.
- Bagel chips or Veggies (for serving) – Bagel chips are ideal for this dip, but if you can’t find them, melba toasts or sturdy crackers are fine.
How to Make Salmon Dip
Making this cold dip is super quick and easy without any cooking.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Combine cream cheese and yogurt. Using an electric mixer, blend together the cream cheese and yogurt until smooth.
- Add in the onion and capers. Add in the minced onion and chopped capers and stir until combined.
- Fold in other ingredients. Gently mix in the lox, dill, chives, and everything but the bagel seasoning. Season with kosher salt and hot sauce, to taste.
- Serve. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later. Garnish with a few more chopped herbs, if desired. Serve with bagel chips.
What to Eat with Salmon Dip
We think serving bagel chips with salmon dip is the perfect pairing, but if you can’t find them, melba toast or any sturdy cracker works great, too. If you want to keep the dip keto friendly and gluten free, simply enjoy it with fresh veggie sticks. We’ve also been known to use it as a spread for our easy bagel recipe!
Storing Leftovers
How long does salmon dip last? The spread will keep, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold or let it sit at room temperature for a bit just to soften and make it easier to scoop.
More Cold Dip Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Smoked Salmon Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- 2 tablespoons capers , drained and chopped
- 3 ounces lox (cured smoked salmon), diced small – see note below
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning
- pinch of kosher salt
- dah of Tasbasco hot sauce
- bagel chips or veggie sticks , for serving
Instructions
- With a handheld electric mixer, in a medium bowl blend together the cream cheese and yogurt until smooth.
- Add in the onion and capers until combined.
- With a spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix in the lox, dill, chives, and everything bagel seasoning. Season with kosher salt to taste.
- Garnish with a few more chopped chives and/or dill. Serve with bagel chips or veggie sticks.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes
Loved this! So delicious. I added just a splash of fresh lemon juice.
Funny story – I dreamt about this dip all throughout pregnancy and finally was able to make it after the baby came. It met all my expectations.
I’ve made this a few times both with lox and also smoked salmon fillets. It’s delicious either way!
Loved this! Great simple dip for entertaining. Almost feels fancy, but it’s so quick to whip up.
So good!