A Bold Smoked Salmon Dip Only Needs 3 Easy Ingredients

Smoked salmon is often used to upgrade toasted bagels and cream cheese, fresh green salads, or crowd-pleasing appetizers. Speaking of the latter, if you're on the hunt for another shareable snack recipe, you only need a handful of ingredients to make an ultra-flavorful salmon dip. Sure enough, to make a tasty dip fresh from your oven, you only need hot smoked salmon, cream cheese, and one more flavorful ingredient such as green onions, scallions, dill fronds, or capers.

In a large mixing bowl, combine one package of softened cream cheese, up to six ounces of torn hot smoked salmon or one tin of canned salmon, and one or two of your favorite mix-ins. Stir everything together with a spoon and add enough salt and pepper to taste. If you want to serve it cold, you're done! To serve it warm, add the dip to a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes. If you're up for adding one more ingredient, sprinkle the top with some shredded cheese like smoked Gouda or mozzarella, and turn your oven to broil the last few minutes of baking time.

While the secret to wildly flavorful two-ingredient dips is creamy inclusions like sour cream or cream cheese, choosing the right kind of salmon for this particular recipe is also essential. Unlike cold smoked salmon, which is more moist and has an extra soft consistency, hot smoked salmon has an extra flaky texture (like canned salmon) but also a deep smoky flavor.

If you prefer chilled salmon dip over baked, there are several ways to make this appetizer with any type of salmon. Keep in mind that while hot-smoked salmon can be served either hot or cold, cold-smoked salmon is best served chilled. To make a crowd-pleasing dip with cold-smoked salmon, use only four ounces of the fish to achieve a satisfying, scoopable consistency.

For a cold-smoked salmon dip, use a combination of cream cheese and a bit of mayonnaise to achieve the perfect amount of moisture and zesty flavor. First, mix your creamy components together, and then add any extras such as chives, scallions, or capers. You may even want to include a few dashes of lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, or hot sauce. Once everything has been mixed together, slowly add in the diced, cold-smoked salmon. Alternatively, for a more uniform consistency, blend everything together (salmon included) in a food processor. Make sure to serve this tasty dip with a variety of chopped veggies, buttery crackers, and toasted crostini, like a spicy salmon skin crostini, for a crunchy texture.

When it comes to your next party, aside from following easy tips for arranging better cheese boards, once you make this simple and tasty salmon dip, you may feel inspired to try other easy-to-use seafood ingredients. Take the elements of crab rangoon and turn it into a dip or combine canned tuna, mayo, and a few fresh extras like chives or diced pepper for another convenient and flavorful option.