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Smoked Salmon Pinwheels Appetizer

Overhead photo of smoked salmon appetizer bites on a wood serving board with dill and lemon wedges.
Make holiday entertaining easy with this fuss-free, 10-minute, no-cook smoked salmon appetizer. This Nova salmon roll is filled with caper, dill and lemon-flavored whipped cream cheese along with your favorite fresh veggies, like avocado and radishes. Served alone or atop cucumber rounds and crackers, my Salmon Pinwheels are the perfect 2-bite appetizer for any party!
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Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 14 pinwheels

Equipment

  • 1 Food Processor (for cream cheese filling)
  • 1 Plastic Wrap (for rolling smoked salmon)
  • 1 Sharp Knife (for slicing roll into pinwheels)

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces Block-Style Cream Cheese – softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 Lemon (2 tsp Juice + ½ heaping tsp Zest)
  • Pinch Flakey Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper
  • 3 TBS Chives – rough chopped
  • 2 TBS Fresh Dill Leaves – gently packed
  • 1 ½ TBS Capers – drained
  • 10-12 ounces Pre-Sliced Smoked Salmon SEE NOTES

Optional filling ingredients:

  • ¼ small Red Bell Pepper – stem and seeds removed: cut into long thin slices (julienne)
  • 1 whole Sweet Mini Pepper – stem and seeds removed: cut into long thin slices(julienne)
  • 1 small Radish – cut into long thin slices (julienne)
  • ¼ whole Seedless Cucumber – cut into long thin slices (julienne)
  • ¼ Ripe Avocado – cut into long thin slices (julienne)
  • 1 small Carrot – peeled & cut into long thin slices (julienne)

Optional for serving:

  • 1/2 whole Seedless Cucumber – sliced into thick rounds the same size as crackers
  • 14 Crackers or Toast Points (rye or pumpernickel)

Instructions

  • Make cream cheese filling: To the bowl of a food processor, add the cream cheese, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and a heaping ½ teaspoon lemon zest. Season with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Process until whipped and fully combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl. Process again for 30 seconds. Add the chives, dill, and capers to the bowl. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped and the cream cheese filling is well blended. Set aside in the refrigerator.
    (Make ahead: Cover and store in fridge up to 3 days.)
    (Optional: Set aside a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling if you plan on serving the pinwheels on crackers.)
  • Start smoked salmon roll: Place a piece of plastic wrap down on a clean work surface, making sure it’s at least 16 inches long. Lay the slices of smoked salmon on the plastic wrap, overlapping the pieces and arranging the salmon to form a long rectangle about 12-inches-long and 6 inches wide. Gently press down on the salmon to adhere the pieces together.
  • Add filling: Remove the cream cheese mixture from the fridge. Dollop it all over the center of the salmon. Use a rubber spatula to gently spread the mixture all over the salmon, leaving a small boarder around one long edge bare. If using vegetables in your filling, evenly lay the julienne slices of veggies on top of the cream cheese, along the long edge of the salmon closest to you.
    (Tip: The bare edge will act as your seal. Keep the bare long edge AWAY from you.)
  • Roll the appetizer: Starting at the long end with the avocado, start tightly rolling the salmon into a log, jellyroll style up and over the filling. Use the plastic wrap to help get the roll started, peeling the plastic away from the salmon as you roll - so the plastic wrap is always on the OUTSIDE of the roll.
    (Tip: Take your time and roll the salmon as tightly as you can, using your fingers and the plastic wrap to tuck the filling in while rolling the salmon up and over the cream cheese. The pinwheel must be tightly rolled to hold together.)
  • Wrap and refrigerate or freeze: Tightly wrap the log of smoked salmon and cream cheese in the plastic wrap. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 1 ½ hours to firm, or overnight. Alternatively, place the salmon roll in the freezer for 25-45 minutes.
    (Note: Chilling the roll is essential as it firms it up, making it MUCH easier to slice. I prefer the freezer method.)
  • Slice into pinwheels: Transfer the salmon roll to a clean cutting board. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Use a sharp slicing knife to cut the smoked salmon roll into thick ¾ to 1-inch-wide pinwheels.
  • Serve: Arrange the crackers on a serving tray and top with cucumber rounds. Place an individual smoked salmon pinwheel on top of each cucumber. Garnish each smoked salmon appetizer with a sprig of fresh dill and enjoy!

Notes

  • Salmon: Make sure you use cold smoked salmon for this recipe. Hot smoked salmon is much dried in texture and will not roll properly. I recommend Nova Smoked Salmon, which refers to the species and style of smoking – Nova Scotian cold-smoked salmon.
    • Substitution: You can use gravlax or lox, which is cured salmon; however cured salmon is much saltier than smoked salmon.
  • Storage: After rolling the salmon appetizer, you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw slightly before slicing.
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 14 servings. (The estimate does not include optional ingredients.) Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 42kcal    Carbohydrates: 2g    Protein: 6g    Fat: 1g    Saturated Fat: 0.3g    Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g    Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g    Cholesterol: 7mg    Sodium: 296mg    Potassium: 88mg    Fiber: 0.2g    Sugar: 1g    Vitamin A: 56IU    Vitamin C: 2mg    Calcium: 61mg    Iron: 0.3mg
Course: Appetizer, Snack, starter
Cuisine: American