Smoked Salmon Canapés

Mini phyllo tart shells filled with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and capers are arranged on a white plate.

Course: Appetizer, Party Food, Snacks, Tapas

Cuisine: European, North American

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: canapes

Calories: 80kcal

Author: Dini Kodippili

Easy, impressive smoked salmon appetizer for entertaining that uses smoked salmon in the filling, plus as a garnish. This is a lighter and more flavorful canapé filling, and I show you how to serve these with phyllo or puff pastry, or multiple other ways as well.

EASY - Super easy and adaptable recipe that you can easily customize to use whatever is more easily accessible to you.

Print Recipe

Metric - US Customary

Ingredients

100 g smoked salmon for the filling
100 g smoked salmon to garnish
115 g cream cheese softened (use block cream cheese, not spreadable)
240 g sour cream about 1 cup
1 ½ tbsp chives finely chopped
2 tbsp dill chopped
1 ¼ tbsp whole grain mustard or dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice or more to taste
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
30 mini phyllo tart shells see recipe notes for other alternatives
Capers to garnish

Instructions

Make the filling

Finely chop the salmon for the filling. I chop the salmon with a knife, but you can use a small food processor too. But make sure not to turn the salmon into a puree.
100 g smoked salmon
Chop and prepare the other ingredients and make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature.
In a bowl, place the cream cheese, finely chopped salmon, chives, dill, mustard, and lemon zest. Use a spatula to mix all the ingredients together. The mixture should be dense and spreadable.
115 g cream cheese, 1 ½ tbsp chives, 2 tbsp dill, 1 ¼ tbsp whole grain mustard or dijon mustard, 2 tsp lemon zest
Add the lemon juice, and salt, and pepper to taste and mix it all in well.
1 tbsp lemon juice, salt, black pepper
Add about ⅓ of the sour cream and mix it into the cream cheese mix. Then add the remaining sour cream and fold it in to combine.
240 g sour cream
Once the filling is well mixed, cover and keep it in the fridge to chill. If you’re piping the filling into cases, transfer the mixture into a piping bag (without cutting a hole) and twist the bag to close and keep the filling in the fridge.

Make the canape base (optional)

Make the phyllo cases. You can make homemade phyllo tart shells as I have here, or buy from the store. You can also use puff pastry vol-au-vents or even choux pastry cases. Check recipe notes below for more easy options.
30 mini phyllo tart shells

Assemble the canapes

Cut a hole in the piping bag that's about ½ - ¾ inch wide. Alternatively, you can use a small spoon to spoon the filling into the cases, OR use a small cookie scoop.
Add about 15 g of the filling per canape (which is about 1 tbsp).
Top each canape with a piece of smoked salmon (if using), and 2 - 3 pieces of capers or sliced cornichon or pickle, and serve.
100 g smoked salmon, Capers

Notes

You can skip the salmon for the garnish if you'd prefer to (especially since smoked salmon is pricey!).

You can also use smoked trout instead.

You can use other types of protein too, but they will obviously change the flavor profile.

Instead of cream cheese and sour cream, you can use labneh and Greek yogurt, OR strained Greek yogurt.

Easy substitutions for the mini tart shells

Melba toast
Crostini
Crackers
Roasted potato slices
Roasted sweet potato slices
Cucumber slices

Nutrition