This smoked salmon cheese ball is always a party favorite. It’s a simple mix of smoked salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, red onion, and lemon pepper, then rolled in chopped pecans and herbs. It’s soft, creamy, savory, smokey and highly addictive! Your guests will love it.
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If you’ve been following me on Instagram stories, you might have gotten a sneak peek of my mom’s famous smoked salmon cheese ball. She whips up this appetizer every holiday, and I gotta say, this salmon recipe never fails. It’s the perfect dip that is a blend of savory, creamy, and crunchy ingredients.
Just layer crackers or veggie sticks around the ball and you’ve got one beautiful looking dish to serve at your next holiday party!
What Type Of Salmon To Use
For this recipe, you can use either fresh or canned salmon. I prefer fresh salmon as I feel it has a better texture and flavor. But, if you’re looking for a simple and quick alternative, then canned salmon is the way to go.
Normally, my mom uses homemade smoked salmon that comes straight from Alaska – thanks to my aunt. But if you don’t have smoked salmon you can easily create your own. Just add one teaspoon of liquid smoke to the mixture.
Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball Ingredients
Throw this scrumptious ball together with a few easy ingredients.
- Cream Cheese: This is a good chunk of the recipe that creates a thick creamy texture – perfect for dipping!
- Smoked Salmon: The smokiness adds a depth of flavor.
- Sour Cream: Makes the mixture extra creamy and softer to scoop.
- Red Onion: Pairs nicely with the smoked salmon.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Helps brighten up the flavor with a little zing.
- Pecans: Creates the perfect crunchy outer layer.
- Fresh Herbs: Adds freshness to the entire dish. You can never go wrong with more herbs right?
How To Make Smoked Salmon Cheeseball
The best thing about this recipe is that it comes together in just 10 minutes! Simply mix together the ingredients and roll them into ball. Here’s how to do it.
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, salmon, red onion, and lemon pepper to a mixing bowl.
- Mix everything together with your hands, or a stand mixer on a low setting.
- Form the cheese mixture into a ball with your hands. Note that the cheese will be soft at first, but will firm up once it’s been chilled.
- Mix together your chopped pecans and herbs. Then place them in a single layer on a plate or cutting board.
- Roll the cheese ball into the pecan mixture, until the entire outside is coated.
- Serve immediately with crackers or veggie slices, or refrigerate until desired.
Note: Make sure to squeeze out all the liquid from the canned salmon so that there won’t be excess liquid.
Get Creative With The Outer Layer
Aside from using a layer of pecans, you can also add chopped almonds or walnuts. If you want to switch up the herbs, parsley and dill taste great paired with smoked salmon.
More Salmon Recipes
If this appetizer got you hooked onto salmon, here’s a few other healthy salmon recipes to make this season.
Description
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 12 ounces smoked salmon, or regular salmon plus 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (see notes above)
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh herbs (chives, parsley, dill, etc), chopped
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, salmon, red onion, and lemon pepper to a mixing bowl.
- Use your hands to mix everything together. Alternatively, you could use a stand mixer.
- Form the cheese mixture into a ball with your hands. The cheese will be soft, but it will firm up once chilled. If you feel it's too soft to make a ball, you can chill it for 30 minutes.
- Mix together your chopped pecans and fresh herbs. Place them in a single layer on a plate or cutting board.
- Roll the cheese ball into the pecans, until the entire outside is coated.
- Serve immediately with crackers or veggie slices or refrigerate the cheese ball, until desired. The flavor becomes more intensified the longer the ball sits in the fridge. So you can certainly make this the day before it's needed.
Lisa’s Tips
- I’ve tried several brands of liquid smoke and this one is far and away my favorite.
- You can also make this dairy-free by using a vegan cream cheese spread.
Nutrition
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Could half of it be frozen for another time?
Hi Vicky – Yes, you could freeze this and then thaw in the future.