This Smoked Salmon Platter is loaded with cold and hot smoked salmon, colorful vegetables, and a delicious cream cheese spread with crostini. Use any of the optional ingredients to build your perfect brunch or appetizer plate in minutes.
I made this stunning Smoked Salmon Platter last Thanksgiving when we had the whole family staying with us overnight. I had the usual marathon day of cooking ahead of me so instead of planning a complex breakfast and lunch menu, I opted to put together this substantial plate of delicious goodies, doing most of the prep the day before.
As they rolled out of the bed that day, I popped it on the kitchen counter and watched as they hovered over the plate and just devoured the entire thing. I’m not overstating this. This Smoked Salmon Platter was a massive hit with my family.
Table of contents
Smoked Salmon Platter Highlights
- Quick and Easy – It takes minutes to assemble which makes it perfect for a busy holiday like Easter or Thanksgiving.
- Make-Ahead – Most of the prep can be done a day in advance.
- Easy to Modify – It’s easy to modify this smoked salmon appetizer with ingredients that suit your taste. You can make it as big or small as you need for your group.
- Substantial and Wholesome – The ingredients are substantial enough to fend off your hungry group until the big meal without being too heavy or indulgent.
Ingredients for the Best Smoked Salmon Platter
For the Smoked Salmon Platter
- Smoked salmon – For a platter similar to the one you see here, you want about 1 pound, give or take, of smoked salmon. It’s super common to find cold smoked salmon on appetizer plates but let me tell you, hot smoked salmon is a revelation! If you haven’t tried it, you absolutely need to. See below for more details on the difference.
- Vegetables – Thinly sliced red onion, cucumber, radishes
- Capers
- Lemons – Cut into wedges.
- Fresh dill – To garnish the platter.
- Sliced bread – I like to include an assortment of breads like rye, marble rye, or pumpernickel, cut into wedges.
For the Crostini
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sliced baguette
For the Cream Cheese Spread
- Cream cheese – Either regular or 1/3 less fat, softened.
- Plain Greek yogurt – I use nonfat but 2% or full fat work well too.
- Lemon – The juice from half a lemon.
- Everything bagel seasoning – I get this flavorful seasoning blend at Trader Joe’s but you can find it just about everywhere now. Check the spice section of your grocery store.
- Chopped fresh dill
Cold Smoked Salmon vs. Hot Smoked Salmon
As the name implies, cold smoked salmon is smoked at a low temperature which results in a smooth appearance, silky texture and a color similar to raw salmon. It comes pre-sliced and is best served cold on appetizer plates or in cold dips like my Smoked Salmon Dip.
Hot smoked salmon is smoked at a much higher temperature so it has a flaky texture and is more similar in appearance to baked salmon. It’s quite versatile and can be eaten cold or used to make dishes like baked quiche, warm dips, or chowders.
Both cold smoked and hot smoked salmon are ready to eat right out of the package. When making a smoked salmon appetizer or brunch platter, it’s a good idea to include both types for a little variety and to appeal to all tastes.
Optional Ingredients
- Avocado – Sliced and sprinkled with salt and pepper
- Hard boiled eggs – Halved and sprinkled with salt and pepper
- Pickles – Any kind you love. Dill, bread and butter, sweet and spicy. Anything goes!
- Sliced tomato or cherry tomatoes
- Mini bagels – Right out of the bag or toasted under the broiler for a minute or two.
- Assorted crackers
The Cream Cheese Spread
- Combine the cream cheese, yogurt and lemon juice.
- Divide the mixture between two small ramekins or bowls. Just before serving, top with everything bagel seasoning and fresh dill.
How to Make Crostini
- Slice the baguette on the diagonal in ¼-inch thick slices. Brush both sides of each piece lightly with olive oil and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 375 degrees F. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the crostini over. Return the baking sheet to the oven for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until crisped to your liking.
How to Make a Smoked Salmon Platter
- Arrange the smoked salmon, crostini, breads, and ramekins of cream cheese spread on a large platter.
- Fill in the spaces with the cucumber, red onion, radish, capers in a small dish, lemon wedges or any of the optional ingredients you like.
- Garnish the platter with sprigs of fresh dill and sprinkle some of the capers over the smoked salmon.
Prep Ahead Tips
- Cream Cheese Spread – Mix together the Cream Cheese Spread, cover the bowls with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Top with the seasoning and dill just before serving.
- Vegetables – Slice all the vegetables and store them in zippered plastic storage bags in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Breads – Slice the assorted breads and baguette for the crostini and store in zippered plastic storage bags. I recommend waiting until just before you serve to make the crostini.
More Appetizer Ideas You’ll Love
Smoked Salmon Platter
Ingredients
For the Smoked Salmon Platter
- 6 to 8 ounces cold smoked salmon
- 6 to 8 ounces hot smoked salmon
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup sliced radishes
- 4 ounces capers, drained
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges
- fresh dill, as needed for garnish
- 4 slices bread, cut into wedges (rye, marble rye, pumpernickel)
For the Crostini
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 artisan baguette, sliced
For the Cream Cheese Spread
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning, or as needed
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, or as needed
Optional Ingredients
- avocado, sliced and sprinkled with salt and pepper
- hard boiled eggs, halved and sprinkled with salt and pepper
- pickles
- sliced tomato or cherry tomatoes
- mini bagels
- assorted crackers
Instructions
The Smoked Salmon Platter
- Arrange the smoked salmon, crostini, breads, and ramekins of cream cheese spread on a large platter. Fill in the spaces with as many of the ingredients and optional ingredients as you'd like.
- Garnish the platter with sprigs of fresh dill and sprinkle some of the capers over the smoked salmon.
Cream Cheese Spread
- Combine the cream cheese, yogurt and lemon juice. Divide the mixture between two small ramekins or bowls. If making the day before, cover the bowls with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, top with everything bagel seasoning and fresh dill.
Crostini
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the baguette on the diagonal in ¼-inch thick slices. Brush both sides of each piece lightly with olive oil and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the crostini over. Return the baking sheet to the oven for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until crisped to your liking.
Notes
- Cream Cheese Spread – Mix together the Cream Cheese Spread, cover the bowls with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Top with the seasoning and dill just before serving.
- Vegetables – Slice all the vegetables and store them in zippered plastic storage bags in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Breads – Slice the assorted breads and baguette for the crostini and store in zippered plastic storage bags. I recommend waiting until just before you serve to make the crostini.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
