This Smoked Fish Dip Recipe served with crackers and hot sauce is an addictive appetizer you'll love making for your next party! All you need is smoked fish and a few additional ingredients.
Smoked fish dip reminds me of my days living in southwest Florida. I worked at a restaurant 6 days a week, but my one day off was spent spoiling myself in the saltwater fisherman's paradise. I'd wake up at dawn and head down to the calm waters to chase snook, redfish, and spotted seatrout. Then I'd head over to a nearby fish smoking shack for some smoked shrimp and a big helping of smoked fish dip.
Smoked Fish Dip
The well-known Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish makes their smoked fish dip with mayonnaise, onion, celery, and sweet relish. But my favorite little roadside fish smoking shack, that no longer exists, served up a smoked fish spread with a combination of smoked fish, mayonnaise, cream cheese, hot sauce, and their secret combination of seasonings.
Nothing brings out all the natural flavors of fish like some time in a good smoker. Hot smoked fish requires some extra effort but it's definitely worth your time and effort. Mullet has been a Florida local favorite fish for smoking, but now that I live up here in Fargo, North Dakota I use whatever fish I can catch locally. I've made this smoked fish dip recipe with salmon, bass, catfish, and even paddlefish. It's not difficult to do yourself right at home. Here is my recipe for How to Smoke Fish.
Old Bay Seasoning
You can experiment with different spices and seasonings, but when I was developing this smoked fish spread recipe, my wife insisted that I use her favorite Old Bay Seasoning.
Smoked fish dips vary based on the restaurant, but here is the best version I've ever come across you can try on your own!
Smoked Fish Dip Recipe
1. Whisk together mayonnaise, cream cheese, parsley, red onion, celery, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and Old Bay in a medium bowl.
2. Place smoked fish on a cutting board and finely chop using a sharp knife. Add chopped fish to mayonnaise mixture and fold to combine. If you have the time, cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Season with additional Old Bay and/or hot sauce, if desired. Serve with crackers and hot sauce.
More Of Our Favorite Fish Recipes
Fish is one of my wife's favorite dishes, and I love preparing it for her when she comes home from work to join me for lunch. If you’re looking for another delicious fish recipe from Wild Game & Fish, check out some of our favorites below:
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The Best Smoked Fish Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Tablespoons diced red onion
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (½ lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon creamy style horseradish
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 8 ounces skinless, boneless smoked fish
Instructions
- Smoke some fish, then gather the rest of your ingredients.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, cream cheese, parsley, red onion, celery, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and Old Bay in a medium bowl.
- Place smoked fish on a cutting board and finely chop using a sharp knife. Add chopped fish to mayonnaise mixture and fold to combine. If you have the time, cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Season with additional Old Bay and/or hot sauce, if desired. Serve with crackers and hot sauce.
Chris says
Came out great.
I did a mixed batch of haddock and salmon. Pulled haddock at 4 hours/ salmon at 6
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Chris. So glad you liked it and shared that it works well with haddock and salmon too.
Ronnie Day says
Had to adjust and triple the recipe as I had 4 cups of smoked mullet,added roasted red peppers,paprika,jalapeños and just a touch of Ancho chili powder as thisnis for poker nite and my group likes their food to bite back a little. Turned out pretty dang good with just the perfect afterburn.
Tim says
This is the BEST smoked fish dip I've ever had! Great recipe!
Mary says
Delicious! Everybody should make this one
Wade Paffenroth says
Making this with some smoked Whitefish from last years ice fishing on Lake Michigan. Can’t wait to try it!
Jeff Benda says
That's great Wade. Let me know how it turns out!
Sam says
Everybody in our house loves this dip. Thanks Jeff!
Cindy says
My husband caught fresh trout, I smoked it and made this dip exactly as the recipe called for. I usually can't do that!!! I made it the night before I had company over and EVERYONE said it was the BEST fish dip they'd ever had. I will be making this a lot more! Thank you.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Cindy! I'm so glad to hear the recipe worked for you and that everyone enjoyed it.
Anna Mae says
This recipe was so easy to make. Everyone loved it.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Anna Mae. Glad everyone loved the Smoked Fish Dip as much as we do!
Dory Tanner says
I used smoked crappie it turned out fantastic. Thank you for the recipe.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Dory! Great idea using smoked crappie. Glad you liked it!
Chuck says
This was very good, and will be my go-to base recipe. This will make you the star of any potluck or party! The crunchy veggies are key. Another good recipe has diced red pepper, which I expect will sub for celery, if you’re out. I used cold-smoked Marlin, which didn’t want to flake very much. My only nit is that the flavors were almost too complicated or salty/spicy. I’m convinced that omitting the horseradish sauce would actually improve this- don’t run for the store for just that. Never saw it in other recipes.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks for the input Chuck! The cold-smoked Marlin is definitely something I've never had, but so glad you used it to try this smoked fish dip recipe.
Anonymous says
I used Tuna and Grouper! Awesome! You need fish that has a “fishy” flavor. I would not use Mahi
John malinski says
Made the fish dip out of smoked tuna. It was excellent.
Jeff Benda says
Great idea using smoked tuna! So glad you liked it as much as we do.
Michele Boykin says
I used to live in St. Pete so know of Ted Peters very well! I love that every restaurant has their own variation, as well as what they serve with it (saltines, Club crackers, crostini!) I made rosemary crackers from sourdough starter, and had a beautiful piece of fresh swordfish leftover from grilling the night before. I did use Liquid Smoke since I didn't smoke the fish, and it was great!
Jerry says
This dip is awesome!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks! Glad you like it.
Ellen says
I made this for my in laws at Christmas and they absolutely loved it! We all did. Definitely making it again.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Ellen. Glad to hear you and your in-laws enjoyed the smoked fish dip!
Gaby says
Everyone one in my family loved this recipe it was sooooooo good super easy to make thank you
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Gaby! So glad you liked it. This Smoked Fish Dip has been our most popular recipe for the last two months!
Kevin says
Tangy, fresh complement to the smokes marlin, don't skip anything from the recipe
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Kevin! So glad you liked the smoked fish recipe!
JACK says
lOVE THIS RECIPE. IT IS MY GO TO. I TWEAK IT ACCORDING TO MY MOOD AND GUESTS
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Jack! So glad to hear you love this smoked fish dip recipe as much as we do!
Kathy says
Great dip! Everyone loves it
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Kathy! So glad everyone loved the dip as much as we do!
Kathy A Fair says
What kind of fish did you use?
Jeff Benda says
I used paddlefish for this version you see on the website, but I've also used seatrout, walleye, and catfish in the past.
Charlotte says
Thanks for finally talking about > The Best Smoked Fish Dip Recipe - Wild Game &
Fish < Loved it!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Charlotte. So glad you loved the smoked fish dip as much as we do!
Diana Williams says
Easy and delicious!! Used smoked Wahoo; served with pita chips and pickled red onions. We will definitely be making this again! Thanks for the great recipe.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Diana! Great use of smoked Wahoo!
Theresa says
Best fish dip! Great recipe!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Theresa. It's always a favorite!
Christy Bassett says
Holy smokes! This was fabulous!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Christy. So glad you liked it.
Penny says
This is delicious! how long would this stay good in the fridge for
Jeff Benda says
Great question Penny! Just like leftovers after cooking, the smoked fish dip should be eaten within 3 to 4 days after putting in the refrigerator.
Anonymous says
I used leftover blackened amber jack fish. It made a great dip the next day!!
Jeff Benda says
Great to hear! Glad you enjoyed the dip. It's our most popular recipe.
Aaron says
Fantastic. As always I went a little crazy. Tripled the amount and added some shredded fresh horseradish, chipotle & ancho powder, garlic, dill, a homegrown habanero, anchovies and several green olives.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Aaron. Glad you liked the smoked fish dip recipe and added your own touches.
Bill Campbell says
Wow! Chef, I love a good smoked fish spread. Here in sunny Florida, they serve it pretty bland with onion and jalapenos on the side. Your recipe has everything in it already. I smoked up some spade fish according to your instructions. It's a dark meat fish that not many people like. But smoked and used in your recipe? OMG. Over the top. Thanks!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Bill! So glad you got a great result with the spade fish! Thanks for letting us know how much you enjoyed the smoked fish.
Amanda Bowen says
For some reason our local store was out of lemon can you use lime
Jeff Benda says
Hope it turned out with the different citrus.
Erin Sanchez says
This was easy to make and so so so so so so good!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Erin! Glad you enjoyed it so so so much!
Theresa says
We love this fish dip!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Theresa. Great to hear you love the fish dip as much as we do.
Rebecca Cooper says
Went to the Florida Keys, my son caught a huge King Mackerel. The deck hand said to put it on a cedar plank, smoke it, and then throw the fish away and eat the plank. My son still wanted to take it home. We smoked it with a Cherry competition blend on a pellet smoker, low, 160 degrees, for six hours, and used this recipe. It was fantastic! I love the horseradish and dijon flavors! Best fish dip we've ever had!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Rebecca! So glad you and the family enjoyed the fish dip using your son's King Mackeral!
Beth Pelham says
All of my family loves smoked mullet dip. a family favorite since I was a little girl. Didn't have the recipe since my father passed away. Tried this recipe and it's closest one so far.It's amazing thank you so much.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Beth! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. My mom and her family is from Tampa and Bradenton in Florida so we have a long history with smoked mullet!
Elaine says
Excellent fish dip is the best we have ever had!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Elaine! So glad you enjoyed it.
Elaine says
Excellent Smoked Fish Dip. My family was thrilled with it! Simple to make & so delicious!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Elaine. This is definitely everyone's favorite fish recipe on the website.
Mark says
Delicious. I added a few capers because I like it salty.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Mark! Glad you enjoyed it. And I like your idea of adding capers!
Piper says
Seriously the best fish dip I’ve had!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Piper! It's great to hear you love the dip as much as we do.
Matt says
SOOOO Good! We've made a lot of your fish recipes but this one is our favorite to share with friends when they come over.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Matt. This is our most popular fish recipe! I'm so happy to hear when it gets shared with friends!
Pat says
Made it per spec with smoked lake trout from Lake Superior. Fantastic recipe!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Pat! Great to hear the Smoked Fish Dip turned out great using lake trout!
Michael says
By far best dip recipe I have found
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Michael! Glad you enjoyed the smoked fish dip!
Maria says
We made this for Superbowl party and everyone loved it! Best fish dip ever!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Maria! Glad you enjoyed it.
Marcia says
Excellent recipe. We smoked red fish for this recipe and it was so good! Will definitely make again.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Marcia! So glad you liked it. And great to hear you used redfish! I'm heading down to Texas to chase redfish in a few weeks!
Karen says
I made this as written (minus the horseradish) with smoked trout for a party. It was delicious and a hit. Several folks asked for the recipe.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Karen! So glad you and your party guests enjoyed the smoked fish dip!
Al says
I used some white trout from the gulf. Excellent.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Al! Glad it turned out using trout!
Mi says
Quick, easy, and tasty 😋
Jeff Benda says
Thanks for sharing! Glad you enjoyed it.
Bobby Malbrough says
Easy to put together and easy to adjust to your own tastes.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Bobby! Great to hear you enjoyed this recipe.
Trevor says
We used Jeff's smoked fish recipe first over Memorial Day weekend, then made this with it for our friends and everyone devoured it and asked us for more. Definitely making it again.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Trevor! Glad everyone enjoyed it.
Bruce says
Great stuff! Everyone loved it.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Bruce. Glad everybody enjoyed it. It's our most popular recipe by far.
Kelly Vberg says
We’ve lived in Alaska for two decades and smoked a lot of fish-salmon and halibut. This is by far the BEST smoked halibut recipe I’ve ever used! Thank you!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Kelly! That's high praise from an Alaskan! I really appreciate it and so happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Bobby Malbrough says
Best smoked salmon dip I ever made!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Bobby! So glad you enjoyed the dip using salmon!
Anonymous says
Best I ever made!,
Jeff Benda says
Thanks! It's great to hear you enjoyed it as much as we do!
C.N. Rickett says
Best I ever made!,
Jeff Benda says
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the dip.
Chris Klinefelter says
I’ve made it a few times and it’s always a hit. I add a little garlic salt and dill to the recipe and make a sandwich garnished with fresh tomato slices and high quality balsamic. Great way to use leftover fish and get a few more refrigerator days out of it.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Chris! Great to hear you enjoyed it, put your own little twist on it with the garlic salt and dill, and made it into a sandwich.
Cindie says
Made this with some leftover fish. I had never made fish dip before.I wasn't expecting it to be so good. It was a hit. So I'm making more today. I think I'll add some capers. I love this recipe. Thank you
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Cindie!
Cindie says
This was awesome. I made it with some leftover fish. Wasn't sure if I'd like it. Had never made fish dip before. Loved it so much I'm making it again. I think today I'll add some capers. Love this recipe.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Cindie! Glad you like the fish dip. And I hope you enjoy it with the addition of capers!
Andy says
It was a very Pleasant-smoked white fish spread recipe with a little spice.
I had the family over for a BBQ and they devoured it
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Andy! Glad you and the family enjoyed it!
Debralee says
Perfect smoked catfish dip. Thanks for sharing.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Debralee! Glad you enjoyed it.
Kara says
Best dip every.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Kara. So glad you enjoyed it.
Jeff says
Delicious! Smoked some freshly caught barracuda that we caught off of the San Diego coast and plan to serve it at a party tomorrow.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Jeff! Great to hear you are using barracuda for the dip! I hope everyone enjoys it at the party.
Mike Garris says
Delicious!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Mike! Glad you liked it as much as we do!
Brandy says
I have to agree with the other reviews, first time making it. It was sooo good. I did add extra smoked fish more like 1.5 - 2 cups of fish, but beyond that. Perfection.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks, Brandy. Glad you enjoyed it. And And glad to hear it worked with the extra fish.