Canned Salmon Cream Cheese Spread with Dill
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This canned salmon cream cheese spread is sooo good, and it’s ready in about 10 minutes! All you need is a tin of salmon, a block of cream cheese and fresh or dried dill mixed together with a fork. Serve it spread on toast or crackers, with some raw veggie sticks or roll it up in smoked salmon for a really pretty Christmas starter.
Want to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
Salmon Cream Cheese Spread Recipe Quick Look
Prep: 10 min (no cooking) | Serves: 8
- Makes about 2 cups, enough for a party bowl of dip or 2-3 slices of baguette per person.
- Ingredients: canned salmon, cream cheese, fresh or dried dill and chives or green onions, a lemon (optional)
- Quick and easy: I mix it with a fork, so it stays flaky like French salmon rillettes
- Three ways to serve it: as a dip, on toast or crackers, or rolled up in smoked salmon
- A family favorite: I’ve been making this recipe for over 25 years 🙂
Table of contents
- Salmon Cream Cheese Spread Recipe Quick Look
- Salmon Spreads in France and Latvia
- Why you will love this recipe:
- Ingredients for Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
- Additions and Substitutions
- How to make Canned Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
- Three Ways to Serve Canned Salmon Spread
- Tips for the Best Cream Cheese and Salmon Spread
- Storage
- FAQ
- How did I test this recipe?
- More Appetizers You’ll Love
Salmon Spreads in France and Latvia
In France, salmon spreads are a big part of the “apéro” (drinks and nibbles before dinner), and you can buy little tubs of rillettes de saumon in pretty much any supermarket. And when I lived in Paris, I also learned how to make these at home. My family still love it when I served simple salmon and cream cheese canapés or roll it up in a slice of smoked salmon as a special entrée for Christmas or New Year 😋
In Latvia, open sandwiches on rye bread (maizītes) are not only for lunch, but are also a breakfast staple, and they’re always on the aukstais galds, the cold buffet table at birthdays and celebrations. The classic is smoked sprats with egg and onion, but salmon with dill is also common. We eat a lot of baguettes in our house (my husband is French 😉), but I grew up with Latvian rye bread, so in our family we have this spread on baguette slices, rye bread, regular white toast, crackers, pretty much anything 🙂
Why you will love this recipe:
- No actual cooking required – just mix and spread for a satisfying meal in minutes!
- Simple, easy to find ingredients you probably already have on hand – I keep canned salmon and dried dill in my pantry so all I need to get is the cream cheese!
- Way cheaper than store-bought – a tin of salmon costs much less than a tub of salmon dip from the shop or a whole bunch of smoked salmon.
- Versatile – serve as a salmon breakfast toast, brunch, light lunch, or as an elegant appetizer.
- Customizable with your choice of fresh herbs or even a little bit of bagel seasoning or poppy seeds for an extra burst of flavor!
- Flaky, not pasty – I mix it with a fork instead of a food processor, the way the French make rillettes de saumon, so you still get real flakes of salmon.
Looking for more toast recipes? Try these shrimp avocado toasts or these cafe-style avocado cottage cheese toasts.
Ingredients for Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
- Canned Salmon – Red salmon has a less “fishy” flavor, but you can use pink salmon as well. In the US, look for “traditional style” on the label. That’s the one with the bones. Skinless and boneless works too (most 5 oz cans are), but you’ll miss out on the calcium.
- Cream cheese – Full fat tastes best. Make sure it’s soft, so leave it on the counter for about 20 minutes, otherwise it won’t mix in nicely. Regular block cream cheese, like Philadelphia, works best.
- Fresh herbs such as fresh dill, chives or spring onion (green onion or scallions). If you don’t have any fresh herbs, just use dried, but cut the amount by half. I pretty much always use dill, because I’m Latvian, and Latvians pretty much put dill in everything 😉
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste, but taste before you add the salt.
Additions and Substitutions
- Smoked salmon – You can use smoked instead of canned, but the flavor is stronger and saltier. I prefer canned here or a mix of half canned and half smoked salmon.
- Cream cheese – You can use thick Greek yogurt. It’s softer and a bit tangier, so it works better as a dip than a spread.
- Crème fraîche – Swap 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese for crème fraîche for a more French flavor.
- Leftover cooked salmon works too, just add a pinch more salt.
- Canned crab – Add a small tin for a fancier party version.
- Cucumber slices – I sometimes top a salmon cream cheese toast with a slice of cucumber for extra crunch. Or serve the spread on top of a cucumber slice.
- Lemon – optional, you can add a spoonful of lemon juice to brighten the flavor
How to make Canned Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
- Drain the salmon really well and tip it into a bowl. You can pick out the bigger pieces of skin if you like, but keep the bones, which are super soft anyway. And, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, 3 ounces of canned pink salmon with bones has 181 mg of calcium 🙂
- Mash the salmon with a fork, crushing the bones as you go. They are really soft, so this is not hard to do at all.
- Wash and chop your herbs.
- Add the cream cheese, most of the herbs, the lemon (if using). Keep about a tablespoon of herbs for the top.
- Mix with the fork until it’s combined but still a bit flaky. Don’t overmix. You want texture, not paste.
- Taste, and only then add pepper and salt if it needs it.
- Chill for 20 minutes if you have time. The flavors come together and the dill gets stronger. But don’t stress if you don’t have time 😉
Three Ways to Serve Canned Salmon Spread
1. Salmon Cream Cheese Toast
Toast your bread and put on a generous dollop of the salmon spread right before serving. If I’m making lots of toasts, I put the slices on a baking tray in the oven at 200°C (390°F) for 5 to 8 minutes, turning once. It’s quicker, and they all come out at the same time. You can also use the air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 3 to 4 minutes.
I like to cut baguettes across rather than lengthwise. I think it looks prettier, and you can pile on a bigger dollop 😉 Sourdough bread, dark rye, wholemeal, or any other bread of choice can also work. Either as an open-faced toast or sandwich filling. I love to serve this with a Baltic creamy asparagus soup or a French-style cauliflower, potato and leek soup.
And small baguette toasts make easy salmon and cream cheese canapés for Christmas or New Year 😋
2. Canned Salmon Dip with Veggies or Crackers
Spoon the salmon cream cheese dip into a small bowl, sprinkle the reserved herbs on top and serve with cucumber, carrot and celery sticks, or crackers. If it’s a bit too thick for dipping, stir in a spoonful of sour cream or greek yogurt.
3. Smoked Salmon Roll-ups for Christmas
This looks really elegant, and it’s super quick!
- Lay a slice of smoked salmon flat on a plate.
- Put a spoonful of the spread at one end.
- Roll it up and turn it seam-side down.
- Scatter with fresh or dried herbs, and add a lemon wedge if you like.
Allow 2 roll-ups per person as a starter. You can make the spread up to 2 days ahead and roll them before serving. Keep them covered in the fridge.
Tips for the Best Cream Cheese and Salmon Spread
- Drain the salmon tin really, really well. Extra liquid makes the spread runny and the toast soggy.
- Use soft cream cheese. Cold cream cheese goes lumpy and won’t mix evenly with the salmon.
- Assemble toasts just before serving. Even good toast goes soft under cream cheese after about half an hour. The dip and the roll-ups hold up much better.
Storage
- Make ahead and refrigerate for up to 2 days in advance
- It’s best to make the toasts right before serving.
- Don’t freeze it. The cream cheese goes grainy when it thaws.
FAQ
I prefer red. Pink salmon is cheaper and still works well, but I find it tastes slightly fishier.
No! They’re soft enough to mash with a fork, and they’re full of calcium.
Yes, this is totally fine, but the flavor is stronger and it costs more. Canned salmon is milder, cheaper and always in the cupboard 😉 Sometimes I use a combination – part canned, part smoked.
Yes, use thick Greek yogurt or labneh. It will be a bit softer and tangier.
I prefer the salmon with the bones, because they add extra calcium and it’s cheaper. I do remove the skin though, not because you can’t eat it (you can), but because it dulls the color of the spread and it’s not as pretty a pink color.
How did I test this recipe?
I have been making this recipe for over 25 years. Rillettes de saumon is very popular in France and most people have a home-style recipe they make. I think I got this recipe from a friend of mine, but I have adapted it over the years, mostly by adding the fresh dill and chopped chives. My family loves this recipe – on toast, on crackers, as a dip, with smoked salmon, and just fresh out of the bowl.
More Appetizers You’ll Love
- Mild chicken liver pâté: Frida’s Latvian recipe, lovely on crackers with lingonberry jam next to the salmon spread.
- Shrimp avocado toast: Served on baguette toasts, it makes a gorgeous party finger food.
- Avocado cottage cheese dip: a lighter dip that goes great with veggies.
- Cottage cheese avocado toast: three café-style toppings, easy to make as mini toasts.
If you’re planning canapés for Christmas, I explain how the French do them (and why they’re only for special occasions) on my French Recipes page. You can also find all my appetizers here in one place.
Made this salmon cream cheese spread? Leave a rating below. It helps other home cooks find it. Every recipe on this blog is made and tested in my own kitchen. You can read more about how I develop and test recipes here. 🙂
Want to save this recipe?
We’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
Canned Salmon Cream Cheese Spread with Dill
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 oz canned salmon Red or pink (400 grams). You can use one 14.75 oz can, or three 5 oz cans.
- 8 oz cream cheese Block-style, Full Fat and Softened (225 grams)
- 4 tbsp dill chives, spring onion (green onion) and/or parsley (or 1-2 tbsp dried herbs)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice Optional
Instructions
- Drain the salmon well and tip it into a bowl. Remove large pieces of skin, but keep the soft bones.
- Mash the salmon and bones with a fork.
- Add the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of the herbs, lemon juice if using.
- Mix with the fork until combined but still flaky.
- Taste, then add pepper and salt only if needed.
- Chill for 20 minutes if you have time. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs and serve as a dip, on toast, or rolled in smoked salmon (see notes).
Notes
- Red or pink salmon works, but I prefer red salmon. You can also use smoked salmon.
- US cans: one 14.75 oz “traditional style” can (with skin and bones) or three 5 oz cans (usually skinless and boneless). Australia: one 415 g tin or two 210 g tins.
- Bread for toast – Use sourdough, baguette, white toast, rye bread or multigrain.
- Toast – toast bread at 200°C (390°F) for 5 to 8 minutes, turning once, then spread generously.
- Smoked salmon roll-ups – place a spoonful of dip at one end of a smoked salmon slice, roll up, and scatter with herbs. Allow 2 per person.
- Thinner dip – stir in 1 to 2 tbsp sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Not suitable for freezing.
