5 Best Smoked Salmon Appetizers for your next Holiday Gathering [2022]

We’re not sure about you, but the holiday season sure snuck up on us this year. We can hardly believe November is here as we’re really feeling the need to be prepared for the upcoming holidays!

In order to help you answer the annual “what should I make for my holiday gatherings this year?” question, we’ve compiled five of the best smoked salmon recipes that should be on your cooking list this year!

Why appetizers with smoked salmon specifically? For starters, it’s a versatile delicacy! Smoked salmon can take any meal and dress it up for any occasion while also remaining simple and casual, should you want to make your guests feel well-nourished right at home.

Not to mention, smoked salmon has recently become a popular protein option for those looking for a more sustainable and healthy option. In essence, it’s a great way to weave some quality flavor and major nutrition into your holiday feasting!

And while the holiday season can oftentimes be quite stressful and expensive when it comes to gifts, travel and other gathering expenses, we here at Wild For Salmon want to make it easy on you.

Our wild-caught, fishermen-direct smoked salmon products can be shipped anywhere in the contiguous US for an affordable price. After all, serving up a plate of top quality smoked salmon sourced directly from the fisherman (without breaking the bank) is one heck of a conversation starter!

Check out these 5 Best Smoked Salmon Holiday Appetizers this year below:

1. Smoked Salmon Charcuterie Board

Originally a staple in casual french gatherings, the charcuterie board has recently taken the world by storm. It is now a popular way to serve cured meats, cheeses, nuts and dried fruits for any occasion ranging from fancy dinner parties, to birthdays, to a simple “night in” with friends.

While many charcuterie boards will include an array of dried meats like salami, adding a healthy alternative like smoked salmon is a great way to dress up or diversify your charcuterie board from the rest. Using an array of smoked salmon from online wild seafood sources like Wild For Salmon is a convenient and affordable option that also gives you peace of mind knowing where the ingredients in your smoked salmon platters comes from!

Whether you keep it simple with a unique smoked salmon option like smoked Coho Salmon bellies or lean into a classic Nova style charcuterie board complete with bagels and cream cheese, the options for delicious smoked salmon appetizer platters are endless!  

Want to put your own Smoked Salmon charcuterie board together? Shop a variety of smoked salmon products to be delivered to your door here!

2. Holiday Smoked Salmon Spread Ball

Nothing says it's the holiday season like adding cranberries to your cooking! From cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving to cranberry-covered desserts for the December holidays season, these festive, red colored fruits add so much flavor to holiday cooking. 

One of our favorite ways to add cranberries into a seafood-centered holiday is to combine them with our version of a traditional cheese ball appetizer. Using Wild For Salmon’s cream cheese-based smoked salmon spread, this holiday appetizer recipe is simple, filling and sure to be a flavorful hit at any holiday gathering!

Simply round your smoked salmon spread into a ball, roll it in some dried cranberries and pistachios (for a little bit of extra crunch!) and voila!

Get this simple Holiday Spread Ball here.

Ready to make this recipe? Shop wild-caught Smoked Salmon Spread here. 

3. Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

In our books, Pinwheel sandwiches are the definition of a simple appetizer. To tailor it to the holidays, we’re following Gina Homolka of Skinny Taste’s lead and swapping tortillas for smoked salmon!

Thanks to the simplicity of this recipe and the abundance of health benefits wild salmon has to offer, these pinwheels make for light, delicious, keto-friendly appetizers for the holidays that’ll you’ll want to make plenty of!

How do you “cook” a salmon pinwheel? Easy, as there’s no cooking involved! Order Nova style smoked salmon from Wild For Salmon delivered directly to your door and roll it up with some cream cheese, cucumbers, red onions and other fitting vegetables. That’s it!

Get this easy Pinwheel recipe here.

Ready to make this recipe? Shop wild-caught Smoked Salmon Spread here. 

4. Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

A holiday favorite for generations, Deviled Eggs have been around since the 13th century - and for good reason. Every family member seems to have their own secret ingredient when it comes to whipping this dish up. These Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs provide just that - a secret weapon!

Whether you’re entering in your family’s annual deviled egg competition or attempting to impress your future in-laws, this easy holiday appetizer is sure to help you take home the gold!

In addition to using cream cheese as one of the key components, this recipe calls for a small amount of smoked salmon to be added into the filling. The result is a perfectly salty bite-sized appetizer that’s also packed with a delicious source of protein - something both adults and kids will benefit from during the busy holidays. Egg-cellent!

Get the complete Deviled Eggs recipe here.

Ready to make this recipe? Skip the grocery store and shop 4 oz Traditional Smoked Salmon portions here.

5. Easy Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Tart

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it once last time - there’s truly no better combination than a cream cheese and salmon appetizer! Puff pastry is another ingredient commonly used for holiday appetizers as it can be the base for any type of finger food you want to serve at your gathering.

Put them all together and what do you get? An easy, filling appetizer that takes less than 30 minutes to complete!

In this recipe - created by Nicole Gaffney of Coley Cooks - the puff pastry acts as the base of the tart. While this recipe keeps things simple by folding up and trimming the edges of the pastry, you can also crimp the edges for a more put-together look.

However you serve your Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Tarts, you can leave your worries behind knowing that the incredible flavor combination of cream cheese and Wild For Salmon’s Traditional smoked salmon will take care of the rest! 

Get the full recipe here.

Ready to make this recipe? Shop Traditional Smoked Salmon portions here.