Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups – Simply Home Cooked

By Editor On Mar 16, 2024

Published: Mar 13, 2024 by Dina

These 3-ingredient Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups are made with minimal ingredients and come together so quickly. They’re made with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and homemade baked tortilla cups.

Looking for more ways to use up smoked salmon? Try our Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls or Smoked Salmon Salad for a light and refreshing appetizer.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details

I love these easy Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups because they’re simple, absolutely scrumptious, and perfect for any get-together I need to bring a dish for. Everyone loves the flavors of these little hand-held treats. And, as you’ll see, you’ll love making them, too.

TASTE: Full of smoky flavor and rich tanginess from the cream cheese, these Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups are delicious.
TEXTURE: The cup is crisp and crunchy while the cream cheese and salmon mixture is creamy and dense. No one can eat just one!
TIME: It only takes 25 minutes to make.
EASE: With just 3 ingredients, this appetizer is so simple. It’s easy to make and doesn’t take long, so you can have it ready for guests at a moment’s notice.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups: flour tortillas, cream cheese, hot smoked salmon, and fresh dill.

Ingredient Notes

Smoked Salmon– We use hot smoked salmon for this dish because it has a smokier flavor and a flakier texture than cold smoked salmon.
Cream cheese– Full-fat cream cheese will give the richest flavor and creamiest texture. It needs to be at room temperature before mixing.
Flour tortillas– Any size is fine, but large ones are best so you can cut out a few cup shapes from each tortilla.
Chopped fresh dill (optional)- This is for garnish.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Substitute mini phyllo cups- Phyllo is very flaky and light, and can be used in place of these tortilla cups if you prefer.
Add capers- Capers add a briny flavor to this appetizer that goes really well with the salmon.
Make them tangier- Substitute some of the cream cheese for plain Greek yogurt. This adds protein and extra tang to these Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups.
Add lemon- Brighten up the flavors with some lemon zest and lemon juice.

How to Make Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups

Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the smoked salmon and cream cheese using an electric mixer.

Steps to make Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups: mix the cream cheese and smoked salmon together with an electric mixer.

Make the cups. Now, cut out circles from the tortillas and place them in a mini muffin tin. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pro Tip: I used a can as my guide so the tortilla cups would come out the perfect size for the mini muffin tin.

Steps to make Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups: use a can to mark the circles and then cut out the flour tortilla cups with kitchen shears before baking them in a mini muffin tin.

Add the filling to a piping bag. Next, you’ll want to place a star piping tip into a pastry bag and fill it with the smoked salmon appetizer filling.
Pipe the filling into the cups. Then, fill each tortilla cup with the smoked salmon spread and garnish with your choice of herbs.

Steps to make Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups: add the filling to a pastry bag and pipe it into the cups.

Recipe Tips

Use room temperature softened cream cheese– This is because it will blend with the smoked salmon a lot more easily than cold cream cheese.
Cut the cups with a guide- In order to get similarly shaped circles out of your tortilla, use a biscuit cutter or an opened can to make an indent in the tortillas as a guide for where to cut.
Use kitchen shears- Cut the circles out using kitchen shears as this will make it easier to follow the guide line than using a knife.
Garnish for looks and flavor. Garnish with your choice of herbs for a prettier finished look. I like to use chopped dill, but chives also work well.

FAQs

What cheese goes with smoked salmon?

The best cheeses for smoked salmon are soft ones, such as cream cheese, goat cheese, Neufchatel cheese, and brie. Their flavors are also complementary with the smoky flavor of the salmon.

Is smoked salmon best served hot or cold?

These Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups can be served cold or at room temperature. Because the filling is mixed with cream cheese, any leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.

Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups on a red placemat.

Serving Suggestions

These Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups are perfect for any party or get-together. Serve them with other appetizers, salads, dips, and even sushi.

Appetizers: Serve them with Eggplant Appetizers (Roll-ups), Mushroom Puff Pastry Appetizers, Teriyaki Chicken Wings, or Smoked Salmon Appetizer (VIDEO).
Salads: Enjoy it alongside a Smoked Salmon Salad, Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad, Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Cheese, or Spinach Salad.
Dips: Pair these Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups with some chips and dip, like this Crab Artichoke Dip, 7 Layer Taco Dip, Hot Artichoke Dip, or Easy BLT Dip.
Sushi: Serve this dish with a Shrimp Tempura Roll, Salmon Skin Roll, Dynamite Roll, or Spicy Salmon Roll.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can prepare the filling and the cups ahead of time. Just store the cooled cups in an airtight container at room temperature and the filling in a pastry bag in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble.

Storing: Store these Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The cups will get softer as they sit though, so try to only make what you plan to eat.

Freeze: While smoked salmon can be frozen, the cream cheese added to the filling will not thaw well. It’s best to make these appetizer cups fresh.

More Tasty Smoked Salmon Dishes!

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