Smoked Salmon Bagel

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If I am going into a bagel shop, I am ordering a smoked salmon cream cheese bagel. It's my go-to! But I have been perfecting my own at-home version and I think it's pretty unbeatable. This Smoked Salmon Bagel has it all and it's so easy to adapt with your favourite bagel fillings too. Ready in under 10 minutes!

A bagel filled with cream cheese, slices of salmon, tomato, cucumber and avocado.

About this salmon bagel

Is this sandwich perfection? I think so!

You are going to start off with a homemade bagel (trust us, much easier to make then you might think). Then, you smother it with a cream cheese, lemon juice and dill mix, a generous amount of smoked salmon and then a few extras like avocado, cucumber and tomato.

But you can change this up to add your go-to sandwich fillings.

This bagel with smoked salmon is light and fresh and it packs up well for picnics too. If you have people over for lunch, or maybe you are hosting an afternoon tea, this smoked salmon bagel feels a bit more luxurious than a standard ham sandwich, and very little effort too.

Looking for more bagel recipes? Try our quick Bagel Crisps (the BEST snack) or our Pizza Bagels, which our kids love.

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About this salmon bagel
Ingredients and substitutions
How to make a smoked salmon bagel - Step by step
Variations
Serving suggestions
Extra tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More smoked salmon recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Ingredients and substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe each with a text overlay label.

Bagels - Can't have a salmon cream cheese bagel without these, right?! We make our own as often as we can and they are actually pretty easy to make with very little hands on time. The flavour and texture is un-beatable. So, why not try making Homemade Bagels or you can buy some bakery ones.
Cream cheese - We went with full fat, as it is the creamiest. However, you could use reduced fat in your smoked salmon bagels. You could also use a flavoured cream cheese like garlic and herb for extra flavour.
Lemon - This is mixed in with the cream cheese to add some freshness.
Dill - The perfect herb to go with salmon.
Tomato - A big slice of fresh tomato adds a pop of colour and extra freshness.
Smoked salmon - This really is the star of the dish and using the best quality product to make a salmon and cream cheese bagel is important. Go for natural smoked salmon with no added colour. You could use a cooked salmon fillet instead.
Avocado - Everything is better with avocado, right? This adds some extra creaminess.
Cucumber - Adds a nice crunch to the bagel.
Capers - These add a real burst of flavour. They are optional, but they go so well with the smoked salmon.
Black pepper - Finish the bagel off with a good pinch of pepper.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

How to make a smoked salmon bagel - Step by step

A small bowl with cream cheese and fresh dill in it.

One: In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, lemon juice and dill.

Two toasted bagel halves on a wooden board.

Two: Lightly toast the bagels.

Cream cheese and dill mixture spread over the bagel halved.

Three: Spread the cream cheese mixture over all the bagel halves.

A bagel half topped with cream cheese, tomato slices, salmon, avocado, cucumber slices and capers.

Four: Add the tomato slices, avocado, smoked salmon, cucumber, capers and black pepper.

Variations

The great thing about a smoked salmon cream cheese bagel is that, like any sandwich, it's so easy to adapt.

Feel free to swap and change for your favourite sandwich toppings, or whatever you have in the fridge that needs using up.

Some of the other ingredients we love to add are:

Bell peppers
Roasted peppers
Sun-dried tomatoes
Red onion
Boiled egg
Rocket lettuce (arugula)

A bagel sliced in half showing the filling of cream cheese, salmon, tomato and avocado.

Serving suggestions

This salmon bagel really does have it all and if you are looking for a filling and protein packed lunch then this is it. However, I always make these if we have people coming round for lunch and I put out lots of extra sides too.

Some crispy potatoes always go well with a sandwich, so why not try our Air Fryer Baby Potatoes, Homemade Oven Chips or Air Fryer Canned Potatoes?

Crisps and dips are a must too. Try our Baked Tortilla Chips with some Carrot Hummus or Butter Bean Hummus.

For something with a lot of flavour, why not serve with our Pickled Red Onions or Marinated Olives?

Extra tips

Make sure to toast your bagels before using. It really does make a difference.
Let the cream cheese soften for 10 minutes before mixing everything together. It will make it easier to spread too.
If you prefer a thicker cream cheese mixture in your salmon bagel, then use lemon zest instead of the juice from the lemon.
Why not try our Watercress Salad on the side?

Two filled bagels on a wooden board, one is cut in half.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store smoked salmon bagels.

These are best made fresh and eaten straight away because of the cream cheese and salmon. However, we often wrap them up well and take them on picnics or pack into lunch boxes. As long as they are wrapped up well and carried with an ice pack they will be fine for a couple of hours.

Can I make these in advance?

You can make the cream cheese mixture in advance and then store it in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. But we would recommend actually building the smoked salmon bagel just before serving.

More smoked salmon recipes

Check out our list of amazing salmon recipes, for more salmon ideas.

If you’ve tried this smoked salmon bagel recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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