Herbed Smoked Trout Dip

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When you need a simple yet elegant appetizer, it doesn’t get more perfect than this herbed smoked trout dip! Made with luscious mascarpone cheese, fresh tarragon and chives, and a bright pop of lemon, this creamy spread adds a gourmet touch to any appetizer table or charcuterie board. Plus, it comes together in about 10 quick minutes.

A white ramekin filled with the smoked trout dip against a black background on a wooden tray with lemon peel, chives and crostini.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Serve
Recipe FAQs
Substitutions and Variations
Expert Tips
Perfect Pairings
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📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Full of flavor: The smoked trout shows off earthy, nutty notes that are accentuated by the refreshing lemon. Throw in those fresh herbs and that creamy spread, and you have one irresistible dip.

Easy elegance: This smoked trout dip recipe may sound fancy and make you look like a gourmet chef, but it’s truly one of the easiest appetizers you’ll ever prepare. No advanced cooking skills are necessary here.

Make ahead of time: To give the flavors time to meld, I recommend making this dip ahead of serving time. That means you don’t have to worry about whipping up appetizers when you’re trying to host.

Related: For more dip recipes, try my everything bagel hummus and smoked queso.

Ingredients

Smoked trout: Since this is our star ingredient, I recommend getting the best smoked trout available. I much prefer the full smoked trout fillets rather than canned smoked trout. Rainbow trout and lake trout are common varieties. You can find it next to the smoked salmon, and it’s available online.

Mascarpone: This is similar to cream cheese. However, cream cheese is made from whole milk while mascarpone is made from heavy cream, which gives it a richer flavor.

Crème fraîche: Think of this as fancy sour cream. It’s made from heavy cream and either buttermilk or yogurt to give it an acidic kick. Typically, you can find this by the fine cheese and cured meats section in the grocery store.

Lemon juice and zest: Make sure you use freshly squeezed juice. Bottled juice won’t give you the same brightness and flavor.

Fresh herbs: We use tarragon and chives. For the best flavor, grab fresh herbs, not dried.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: The first step is to blend the mascarpone and crème fraîche until the mixture is well-combined (photo 1). We can use a food processor or a simple mixing bowl and wooden spoon to take care of the job.

The mascarpone and creme fraiche in a large glass mixing bowl after they've been combined together.

Step 2: Now we transfer the mascarpone mixture to a medium bowl and add the smoked trout, garlic cloves, lemon juice, lemon zest, chives, tarragon and a pinch of cayenne to the mascarpone mixture (photo 2).

The smoked trout and other mix-ins on top of the cream mixture in a large glass bowl before combining.

Step 3: For our last step, we use a sturdy wooden spoon to stir in the mix-ins until it becomes one cohesive dip (photo 3). We go ahead and spoon the dip into our serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours.

The dip after it's been mixed together in a large glass bowl on a white marble countertop.

In three easy steps, our smoked trout spread is ready. How good is that dip? Now pair it with some truffled deviled eggs, and you're ready for party snacking.

How to Serve

About 30 minutes before party time, pull the smoked trout dip from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature. This takes off the chill, which helps bring out the flavors as well as makes it easier to spread. Serve with your favorite accompaniments and you’re ready to devour. Here are a few serving suggestions.

Crostini
Bagel chips
Melba toast
Pita chips
Grilled baguette slices
Fresh-cut vegetables — think cucumber slices, celery sticks and baby carrots

Recipe FAQs

How do you store smoked trout dip?

Keep the dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If stored properly, it will last about three to four days.

Can you freeze smoked trout dip?

I do not recommend freezing this fish dip. The freezer will change the texture of the mascarpone and crème fraîche.

Do you eat smoked trout skin?

No, we just want the meat from the trout fillets. Since the trout is cooked, a fork will easily flake off the skin into small pieces.

Substitutions and Variations

Want to put your personal touch on this recipe? Here are a few ways you can put your own spin on this dip.

Make a smoked salmon dip instead by swapping the trout for salmon.
Substitute cream cheese for mascarpone.
Swap crème fraîche for sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Give it a kick with a little prepared horseradish, hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
Stir in finely chopped green onion.
Add some crunch with finely chopped celery or red onion.
Experiment with different herbs, such as fresh dill, basil, chervil and parsley.

Looking down on a wooden tray with a ramekin filled with the smoked trout dip with crostini around it.

Expert Tips

Soften the mascarpone and crème fraîche first: The mixture will be lumpy if it’s too cold when mixing. Simply leave them on the countertop at room temperature for 30 minutes before preparing, and you’ll be good to go.

Plan ahead: While you can serve it right away, it’s best if you refrigerate the dip for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Pick away any bones: As you flake the trout, make sure you don’t add any bones with the meat.

Use a food processor for the smoothest texture: You can certainly stir the mascarpone mixture if you don’t have a food processor, but a little mechanical help makes for a creamier base.

Perfect Pairings

With the rich, creamy mascarpone and crème fraîche and salty smoked trout, you’ll love a beer or wine that acts as a palate cleanser. Try a German-style weissbeer, which shows off an effervescent body and citrusy snap. Given its many lakes and rivers, Germany loves its trout recipes, so using a German beer as a nod to this trout-loving country makes the pairing extra fun.

If you're craving a glass of wine with this herbed smoked trout spread, you can't go wrong with a glass of bubbly. Champagne is the ultimate palate cleanser, and it cuts through the creamy base and smoky flavor easily. Plus, Champagne's minerality nicely complements the smoked trout. A German Alsace dry riesling is another good choice if you want to stick with the German theme.

For a nice cocktail, my French 76 is perfect. This is a Champagne cocktail with a pop of lemon. Similarly, you may also enjoy my French 77, which also includes elderflower to add some floral notes to those fresh herbs.

I hope you share this herbed smoked trout spread during your next gathering. Trust me — everyone will be happy you did.

Cheers!

A crostini topped with the smoked trout dip on a wooden tray with more bread and dip surrounding it.

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