Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Appetizer

This Smoked Salmon Appetizer is easy and perfect for the holidays! Cucumber, cream cheese and dill make a snack everyone will love.

Here’s a simple appetizer that looks great and relies on simple, precise flavors: Smoked Salmon Bites! The classic combination of smoked salmon, dill, cucumber and cream cheese is always a hit. Mix cream cheese with fresh dill, scallions and Dijon for a rich, zesty pop. Put this tray together for a party and people won’t be able to tear themselves away from it!

Ingredients for this smoked salmon appetizer

Smoked salmon is ideal for appetizer spreads: its bold, smoky, salty flavor and 0-minute prep time make it a favorite here. Here you just put it on cucumber rings with flavored cream cheese. Here’s what you need:

• Smoked salmon: We prefer cold smoked salmon (which has a soft texture) over hard smoked (flaky and more like cooked salmon).
• English cucumber: The English cucumber is longer and thinner than a regular cucumber, and you don’t have to peel it! See below for more.
• cream cheese
• mayonnaise (or substitute plain yogurt or Greek yogurt)
• Dijon mustard
• fresh dill
• Green Onion

The basic idea: mix cream cheese with mayonnaise, Dijon, fresh dill and green onions. Arrange cucumber slices on top and garnish with smoked salmon and a sprig of fresh dill. Jump to the recipe for all the details!

Why look for English cucumber?

This smoked salmon appetizer is great no matter what pickle you find: we highly recommend looking for an English pickle, though. English cucumbers are long, thin cucumbers sold in stores covered with plastic. Why use here?

• English cucumbers are long and straight, with thin skin with ridges. The seeds are so small that they are hardly noticeable. The taste of an English cucumber is milder than that of the standard cucumber and does not need to be peeled or pitted before eating! Because the thin skin is so fragile, it’s sold in the grocery store with a plastic sleeve. Not only does it taste better, but it also has a lighter green color and a more festive appearance.
• Cut standard cucumbers are shorter, with thick, dark green skin and very large seeds. The thick skin and seeds can be bitter, so they are often removed during cooking. You can substitute a standard pickle here, but the taste is much better with an English pickle.

Serve for a party

This smoked salmon appetizer recipe makes about 20 slices. Depending on the party you’re making them for, this may be enough: it fills a large round plate. But if you’re serving a big party, make a double recipe! For a complete recipe you only need one English cucumber.

If you’re planning a party, you can make the smoked salmon appetizer bites ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate up to 1 day before serving. Anything beyond that and cucumber slices can become parched or mushy.

Other ways to serve it

You can also serve these Smoked Salmon Bites as a lunch idea! Prepare ahead and use them for a healthy gluten-free lunch with some extra veggies and fruit. Go to Healthy Meal Ideas or Gluten Free Meal Ideas to learn more.

Easier recipes for appetizers

These Smoked Salmon Bites are the perfect easy party appetizer! Here are a few more of our favorite holiday dishes:

This smoked salmon appetizer recipe is…

Gluten free and pescetarian.