Wow everyone with the gorgeous Smoked Salmon Appetizer Board! A layer of cream cheese sprinkled with red onion slices, savory smoked salmon, cucumber slices and fresh dill. Pair with crackers, bread or bagels for the perfect appetizer spread.
Skip the salmon spread and make a classic Charcuterie Board instead!
SMOKED SALMON APPETIZER BOARD
There is nothing better than a fun charcuterie board style spread as an appetizer! This easy smoked salmon cream cheese board is going to become a hit. Cream cheese topped with savory smoked salmon, crispy cucumbers, red onion slices and freshly chopped dill. Pair the board with bagels, crackers, or crostini for the perfect spread. This cream cheese board is fresh, easy, beautiful, and always a hit at any gathering!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Cream Cheese– Classic, low-fat, or whipped cream cheese can be used. You can also use flavored cream cheese like onion and chive cream cheese bread or swap cream cheese for Boursin cheese spread! Be sure the cream cheese is softened for easy spreading.
- Salmon– The key focus of this appetizer board is the cold smoked salmon! Be sure to use high-quality cold smoked salmon or lox.
- Onion– You can use either red onions, sweet onions or even pickled onions for the topping! Be sure the onions are thinly sliced so the flavor doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients.
- Cucumber– Fresh, crunchy cucumbers go great with smoked salmon! You can add them as a topping or serve on the side.
- Herbs– You can’t forget fresh herbs! Either fresh dill, green onions, or chives can be used.
- Lemon– Freshly squeezed lemon juices adds a hint of citrus to this dish, the perfect finishing touch.
- Flavor– Topping the cream cheese with some flakey salt, red pepper flakes, and ground black pepper totally elevates the dish! You can also season the cream cheese with garlic salt or added flavor.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE A CREAM CHEESE BOARD
Not only is this cream cheese board so delicious and beautiful, but it is also so easy to make!
- Using a spatula or butter knife, spread the softened cream cheese onto your serving board or platter. (Don’t smooth it flat—create soft waves and ridges for texture.)
- Season the cream cheese with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Tear or cut the smoked salmon into smaller pieces and arrange them evenly over the cream cheese. (Fold or roll larger pieces for a prettier presentation or chop it up to cover more surface area.)
- Add thin red onion slices, chopped fresh dill, sliced cucumbers, and any other toppings you like.
- Squeeze a little fresh lime juice over everything right before serving.
- Serve your smoked salmon board with bagels, toasted bread, crostini, bagel chips, or crackers.
CREAM CHEESE BOARD VARIATIONS
Have fun with this cream cheese “butter board”! Keep cream cheese as your space, change out the toppings for different styles and variations.
- Butter Board– Swap the cream cheese for softened butter and top with your choice of toppings and pair with fresh bread, bagels, or baguettes!
- Fruit– Swap the plain cream cheese for a sweet flavorful cream cheese and top with fresh fruit. Pair with pretzels, cookies, or graham crackers for a sweet style.
- Bacon Ranch– Make this Bacon Ranch Cheese ball style! Season the cream cheese with Ranch powder and top with all the classic cheese ball ingredients.
SMOKED SALMON BOARD TOPPING IDEAS
You can leave it a plain board and just top with smoked salmon and onions or have fun and add a bunch of toppings!
- Capers
- Caviar
- Red onions
- Herbs
- Cucumbers
- Radish
- Pickles
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
Hot smoking cooks the salmon fully, giving it a flaky, meaty texture. Cold smoking leaves it silky and soft. While lox is a type of cold-smoked, salt-cured salmon that’s saltier and not smoky.
Yes, you can use whichever you prefer for this appetizer board!
Yes, mix the cream cheese with garlic salt, dill, salt, pepper, Ranch powder or any other flavors you prefer and then spread! You can also use the pre-flavored cream cheese spreads.
Assemble the cream cheese board and wrap tightly and store it in the fridge for 12-14 hours! Don’t top with fresh dill until right before serving.
You can store assembled or disassembled! Be sure to store it in the fridge.
OTHER APPETIZER RECIPES-
Try these other delicious appetizer ideas for your next party!
Smoked Salmon Appetizer Board
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- Flakey salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 4 oz smoked salmon
- 1/3 cup red onion thinly sliced
- cucumber sliced thin
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- Fresh lemon juice
- crostini, bagel chips, fresh bagels, crackers for serving
Instructions
- With a spatula or butter knife, spread the softened cream cheese onto desired cutting board or platter. (Don’t slab it onto the cutting board smoothly, make waves and valley throughout.)
- Sprinkle flakey salt and ground black pepper all over the cream cheese.
- Cut or pull apart the smoked salmon into small pieces. Arrange them evenly over the cream cheese. (You can do larger folded or rolled chunks for a prettier look or just chop up the smoked salmon to cover more of the cream cheese.)
- Finish with thin onion slices, freshly chopped dill, sliced cucumbers, and any other desired toppings.
- Top with freshly squeezed lime juice right before serving.
- Serve the smoked salmon appetizer board with fresh bagels, bread, crostini, bagel chips, or crackers.
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