Smoked Salmon Mousse
Smoked Salmon Mousse is a 10-minute food processor appetizer you can make up to 2 days before a party. Pipe it onto cucumber slices or crackers for an elegant bite, or serve it as a dip.
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Smoked Salmon Mousse is a make-ahead appetizer that comes together in about 10 minutes in a food processor. Hot-smoked salmon, cream cheese, lemon, capers, and fresh dill blend into a fluffy spread with a smoky finish.
I’ve served this salmon mousse recipe many times at catering events and dinner parties. You can make it up to 2 days ahead, then pipe it onto cucumber slices or crackers right before guests arrive. Or skip the piping bag and serve it as a dip.
Hot-Smoked Salmon vs. Lox for Salmon Mousse
This mousse calls for hot-smoked salmon, not lox. Hot-smoked salmon cooks through as it smokes, so it’s firm and flaky, like baked salmon. It blends into the cream cheese evenly and brings a smoky flavor that holds its own against the lemon and capers.
Lox and cold-smoked salmon are cured rather than cooked, with a silky texture that’s better on bagels. I haven’t tested this mousse with them, so stick with hot-smoked.
I use a 3.5-ounce Ready to Eat Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon pouch from SeaBear Smokehouse, since it’s the exact amount the recipe needs. Any 3.5 ounces of hot-smoked salmon works, with the skin removed.
For more on the difference, see the breakdown in my Smoked Salmon Salad with Cucumber & Avocado.
Ingredients You’ll need
This mousse uses a short list of ingredients, and the food processor does most of the work. You’ll find exact amounts in the recipe card below.
- Hot-smoked salmon, flaked with the skin removed
- Cream cheese, the base that gives the mousse its body
- Lemon juice and capers, for brightness and a briny bite
- Fresh dill and scallion, for an herby, mild onion flavor
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Tabasco sauce, optional, for a little heat
- Cucumber slices or crackers, for serving
Equipment note: A piping bag fitted with a star tip gives you the swirled look in the photos. A zip-top bag with a corner snipped off works if you don’t have one.
How to Make This Salmon Mousse Recipe
Start with the cream cheese. Cut it into large chunks and run it in the food processor on low for about a minute. Whipping it first keeps the finished mousse smooth instead of lumpy.
Next, scrape down the sides and add everything else: the salmon, lemon juice, capers, dill, scallion, seasonings, and Tabasco, if you’re using it. Run the processor on low for another minute or two, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. It’s ready when the mousse looks fluffy and evenly blended, with no visible chunks of salmon.
Transfer the mousse to a bowl, or spoon it straight into a piping bag. Chill for at least an hour so it firms up enough to hold a piped shape. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days, so it’s easy to make in advance for a party.
Ways to Serve Smoked Salmon Mousse
How you serve this mousse depends on how formal the gathering is and how much time you have before guests arrive.
- Piped onto cucumber slices. This is how I serve it most often. The cool, crisp cucumber balances the rich, smoky mousse.
- Piped onto crackers. Pipe these close to serving time so the crackers stay crisp.
- As a dip. Spoon it into a bowl and set it out with crackers and cut vegetables. It’s the fastest option for casual get-togethers.
Finish piped bites with a sprig of fresh dill or a couple of capers. The mousse also fits well on a seafood board, sometimes called a seacuterie board, alongside crackers, tinned fish, and other spreads.
If you’re building a holiday appetizer spread, serve this next to my Potato Pavé. Both can be made the night before, so the only day-of work is frying the pavé and piping the mousse.
Smoked Salmon Mousse
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3.5 ounces hot-smoked salmon, skin removed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 scallion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce, optional, or more to taste
- Cucumber slices or crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Cut the cream cheese into large chunks and add it to a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Run on low for about 1 minute, until creamy.
- Scrape down the sides. Add the smoked salmon, lemon juice, capers, dill, scallion, salt, pepper, and Tabasco, if using. Run on low for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until fluffy and well combined.
- Transfer the mousse to a bowl or a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
- Pipe onto cucumber slices or crackers, or serve as a dip with crackers and cut vegetables. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill or a couple of capers.
Notes
- Use hot-smoked salmon only: This recipe is tested with hot-smoked salmon, which is firm and flaky. I use a 3.5-ounce SeaBear Ready to Eat Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon pouch. Lox and cold-smoked salmon are not recommended.
- Make ahead: Store the mousse in an airtight container or a filled piping bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Piping bag alternative: Spoon the mousse onto cucumber slices or crackers, or spread it with a small knife.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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A go-to recipe in my seacuterie board! Easy yet packed with deliciousness.
This one makes a great app to add to boards and spreads for entertaining. I’m glad it keeps you coming back.