Smoked Tuna Dip
If you need a festive recipe and something elegant at your table, then look no further — this is all you need!
Rich and creamy, this smoked tuna dip is an easy yet elegant appetizer and a very sophisticated and indulgent treat to serve for your next party.
I love this recipe as there is a lot of room for adaptation here, mostly because this recipe is as simple as it gets!
Plenty of similar recipes use overpowering ingredients, such as horseradish, to mask the nuanced flavor of the fish, but to me, those are just beside the point. The smoked tuna should be the star of this dip!
Basic Elements Of Smoked Tuna Dip
If you want this dip to be a true success, make sure you have quality ingredients! It all starts with smoked tuna. When buying smoked tuna, go for the best stuff you can find! There are plenty of options available in stores and online.
Besides smoked tuna, there are some other ingredients you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise
- Capers
- Cream cheese
- Smoked paprika
- Lemon juice and zest
- Hot sauce (just a splash)
I’ll cover this in more detail below, but here are the basic steps for making any tuna dip:
- Beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer until fluffy — it will ease the mixing process.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir thoroughly until combined well. Add more lemon juice, hot sauce, or paprika to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This is a dip you can prepare in advance and keep chilled!
As you can see, making smoked tuna dip is super easy and within a few minutes, you will have an amazing appetizer.
All these ingredients create a wonderful blend of flavors and an amazing dip, but feel free to add some desired herbs or adjust the level of spiciness.
Can I Make This Recipe Differently?
You can always customize your tuna dip to fit your taste or available ingredients. This recipe has another variation made with much simpler ingredients. Of course, it will not have the same exquisite flavor, but it will be close to it!
To make this easier version, you will have to combine creamy ingredients like mayonnaise and cream cheese along with lemon juice, lemon zest, and capers.
The only difference is that you will be using high-quality canned tuna and some liquid smoke. Nothing compares to the real smoked tuna, but this will provide a similar flavor.
You can also make a chunkier texture by adding diced celery, red onions, or bell peppers.
Why I Love This Recipe
There are a ton of recipes I like, but there are fewer recipes I truly love — this is one of them!
Here are my reasons:
- This dip can be made in 10 minutes and will save the day when you are in a hurry
- This dip is perfect for small or large gatherings — you can easily double it or scale it down to meet your needs!
- When you make food from scratch, you know exactly what’s in your food. You can avoid artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
- The beauty of homemade meals is that you can adjust the flavors and seasonings to your liking. Add more or less hot sauce, or lemon juice for a burst of freshness.
- Get the certified gluten-free mayonnaise and make an amazing GF appetizer that you can serve with GF crackers.
Smoked Tuna Dip
Now that your interest and tastebuds are suitably piqued, here’s how to make smoked tuna dip! It won’t be long until you can feast to your heart’s content.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
- 4 oz smoked tuna
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp capers, drained
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
1. Beat cream cheese until softened.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the smoked tuna) and stir to combine.
3. Add the smoked tuna and stir to combine. Optional — process the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
4. Adjust the lemon, salt, and pepper to taste.
5. Transfer the dip into a bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.
6. Chill briefly before serving.
Smoked Tuna Dip
Rich and creamy, this smoked tuna dip is an easy yet elegant appetizer and a very sophisticated and indulgent treat to serve for your next party.
Ingredients
- 4 oz smoked tuna
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp capers, drained
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese until softened.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the smoked tuna) and stir to combine.
- Add the smoked tuna and stir to combine. Optional — process the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- Adjust the lemon, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the dip into a bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.
- Chill briefly before serving.
