27 Ways to Use Smoked Salmon in Appetizers, Entrées, and Even Cocktails From a creamy dip to an over-the-top pizza, these recipes show that smoked salmon can truly make anything better. By Audrey Morgan Audrey Morgan Audrey Morgan is a senior editor at Food & Wine with over eight years of experience covering food and drinks. She has held staff positions at Liquor.com and Food Network Magazine, and her work has also been featured in Saveur, Men's Health, and The Bump. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 29, 2024 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: © Greg DuPree Whether folded into a dip, added to a bagel sandwich, or used to top dishes from potato pancakes to pizza, smoked salmon adds a salty, smoky pop to everything it touches. There are two types of smoked salmon: cold-smoked and hot-smoked. Cold-smoked salmon is technically not cooked; it's dry-cured in salt, then smoked at a temperature between 70 to 85 degrees F, resulting in a silky, melt-in-your mouth texture. Hot-smoked salmon is similarly cured, but is then smoked at a temperature between 185 and 200 degrees F, which fully cooks the fish; this meatier, flaky option has a similar texture to roasted salmon, and can be almost jerky-like. Most of the recipes here feature cold-smoked salmon, but you'll also find some delicious uses for its hot-smoked counterpart like this hearty salad. Smoked salmon lovers, find your next party app, brunch dish, or Martini (yes, you read that right) below. 01 of 27 Potato Rösti with Smoked Salmon Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle For this traditional Swedish dish, russet potatoes are transformed into a crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside pancake. You can garnish it any way you like, but ribbons of smoked salmon, red onions, and capers truly take things over the top. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 27 Smoked Salmon Dip Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Smoked salmon is pureed with mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese to form the base of this smoky dip, then combined with finely chopped salmon, briny capers, and dill. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 27 Gougères with Smoked Salmon, Caviar and Prosciutto Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman These irresistible cheese puffs deliver a wow factor with minimal effort. Freeze them ahead of a party, then bake them and top them with smoked salmon and other fixings for a last-minute dinner party flex. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 27 Barbecue-Spiced Hot-Smoked Salmon Greg DuPree Seasoned with a homemade barbecue spice blend and basted with a sweet pineapple-based mop sauce, this hot-smoked salmon makes a stunning centerpiece for any meal. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 27 Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Caper Butter Hollandaise Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman Upgrade the classic brunch dish with smoked salmon, a hollandaise made with caper-infused butter, and crunchy brown butter-fried capers. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 27 Pizza with Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, and Caviar © Greg DuPree This Wolfgang Puck recipe is inspired by one of his first-ever "avant-garde" pizza creations at Spago in Los Angeles, topped with silky smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and black or golden caviar. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 27 Salmon and Arugula Frittata with Pesto Emily Kordovich Salmon features two ways in this pesto frittata from chef Eric Adjepong. Cooked salmon goes into the baked egg mixture, while fresh smoked salmon makes for a decadent garnish. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 27 Waffled Potato Blini with Smoked Salmon Emily Kordovich Turn a classic potato blini into a waffle with this innovative recipe from Justin Chapple, then top it off with smoked salmon, sour cream, and dill. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 27 Smoked Salmon Smørrebrød © Marcus Nilsson For this hearty open-face sandwich, chef Claus Meyer tops rye bread with smoked salmon, a tangy horseradish-crème sauce, and a vibrant fennel-apple salad. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 27 Smoked Salmon Salad with Dill Sauce © Con Poulos This satisfying salad from Andrew Zimmern combines hot-smoked salmon and crisp greens with a creamy dill sauce and a tangy Dijon dressing for a tasty mix of textures and flavors. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 27 Smoked Salmon-Stuffed Puffs © Quentin Bacon For this irresistible appetizer from chef Gabriel Kreuther, light-as-air choux pastry is filled with a garlicky smoked salmon and cream cheese mixture. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 27 Tater Tot Waffles with Smoked Salmon and Caviar © Eva Kolenko Cook thawed frozen tater tots in your waffle iron for this fun dish, then top with smoked salmon and caviar for a brunch that will please everyone. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 27 Rye and Crème Fraîche Strata with Smoked Salmon John Kernick This savory bread pudding is made with cubes of rye bread and topped with smoked salmon, red onions, and capers to evoke a classic bagel and lox combination. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 27 Red Pepper Blini with Creamed Corn and Smoked Salmon © Con Poulos For this riff on blini and caviar, chef Jonathan Waxman tops red pepper pancakes with smoked salmon, a creamed corn sauce, and — of course — caviar. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 27 Smoked Salmon Martini Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Don't knock it until you try it! This briny Martini riff from Bar Bruno in Los Angeles calls for a few tablespoons of smoked salmon-infused gin, which gets mixed with classic gin and blanco vermouth. The results are subtly savory, not fishy. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 27 Smoked Salmon Crisps © Quentin Bacon For these famous canapés from chef Thomas Keller, buttery tuiles are topped with smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and chives. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 27 Farfalle with Creamy Smoked Salmon and Vodka Sauce © David Loftus Melt-in-your mouth strips of smoked salmon add a nice smoky flavor to a classic, creamy pasta alla vodka. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 27 Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Caviar and Dill Cream © Maura McEvoy These crispy potato pancakes from the legendary Wolfgang Puck are great for entertaining, especially when topped with tender smoked salmon and served with a bright dill cream sauce. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 27 Poached Eggs with Parmesan and Smoked Salmon Toasts © Tina Rupp Inspired by a simple childhood breakfast, this elegant brunch dish from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten asks you to play with your food: Dip the salmon-wrapped toasts into a yolky poached egg. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 27 Smoked Salmon Macaroni Salad with Spinach, Lemon and Goat Cheese © Kristen Stevens Smoked salmon transforms this creamy, lemony, spinach-packed pasta salad from a side dish into the main event. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 27 Crispy Potato Galette with Dill Cream, Smoked Salmon and Sturgeon and Osetra Caviar © Lucy Schaeffer For this luxe appetizer from chef Wolfgang Puck, two types of smoked fish and a creamy dill sauce top thick, crispy potato pancakes. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 27 Smoked-Salmon Deviled Eggs © Michael Turek Deviled eggs can be made so many different ways. Here, the classic filling gets an upgrade with chopped smoked salmon, cornichons, and Dijon mustard. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 27 Smoked Salmon Toasts with Mustard Butter © Fredrika Stjärne Instead of smoked salmon's usual partner of cream cheese, these crostini from chef David Tannis are smeared with a softened Dijon and dill butter. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 27 Crispy Potato Galette with Smoked Fish and Dill Crème © John Kernick This simple yet stunning potato pancake from chef Wolfgang Puck is topped with smoked salmon and sturgeon, along with a creamy dill sauce, caviar, and chives. Get the Recipe Save 25 of 27 Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Crêpes © Tina Rupp Buttery crêpes are a decadent vessel for smoked salmon, a lemony dill cream cheese, and a simple spinach salad. Get the Recipe Save 26 of 27 Mini Herb Frittatas with Smoked Salmon © William Meppem These custardy bites from chef Tom Colicchio are brightened with fresh tarragon and dill. They can be made ahead, then topped with smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and dill to order. Get the Recipe Save 27 of 27 Herbed Salmon Tartare with Chips Ditte Isager This tangy salmon tartare from chef Nadine Levy Redzepi is perfect for the raw fish-averse, thanks to fresh and hot-smoked salmon, which are combined with cucumber, cornichons, and crème fraîche. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Seafood Fish Salmon Lox Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit