Smoked Salmon Platter

Through my client work, I have experience building platters of all kinds. Putting together a smoked salmon platter is like painting a blank canvas and creating a work of art. It’s not just about piling ingredients onto a tray, but about balancing flavors, colors, and textures. The best part is it’s a lot easier than it sounds!

My platter uses a few from-scratch elements such as homemade bagel chips, easy pickled onions, and homemade crème fraîche. If you want to make them, great! If not, use any of the other suggestions listed below. I’ll teach you how to use my formula to make it your own and arrange it to look gorgeous. So whether you’re planning a brunch, throwing a party, or you want a pretty snack, you can easily create your own feast for the eyes.

Ingredients & Formula For A Smoked Salmon Platter

I created the measurements for this formula to serve two people. Feel free to halve the recipe for one person or double or triple it to serve more. For exact measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

This formula is not set in stone. It’s a guide, a starting point for creating your own smoked salmon platter. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients (suggested below) and find what works best for you.

• One Main Protein: Smoked salmon is the star of the show. The ingredient catches the eye and sets the tone for the rest of the platter. I like to use cold smoked salmon because I love the flavor and texture, but you can also use hot smoked salmon, gravlax, or lox.
• One Secondary Protein: I like to include a secondary protein that complements the main protein. It adds another layer of flavor and texture to the platter. I used a boiled egg; however, you could make these Sriracha deviled eggs or serve a milder, harder cheese like Gruyère or Manchego.
• Two Creamy Elements: Creamy spreadable elements add a rich, smooth contrast to the other elements on the platter. Here, I used cream cheese and homemade crème fraîche with dill, but you could also consider options like Boursin cheese, goat cheese, bang bang sauce, or something lighter in flavor like this homemade pesto mayo.
• Two Pickled Elements: Pickled items bring a tangy kick to the platter, and cut through the richness of the other elements. I chose easy pickled onions and gherkin pickles, but other great options include pickled cucumbers, pickled beets, or even pickled jalapeños for a spicy twist.
• Three Crunchy Elements: For me, crunchy elements usually include vegetables and crackers of some sort. I added cucumber, radishes (sliced paper thin on my mandolin), and homemade bagel chips. You could use carrot sticks, celery, sweet peppers, any cracker, pretzels, or anything else you like to give a satisfying crunch.
• One Salty Element: I like to include one salty element to enhance all of the other flavors on the board, and I love capers for their unique flavor and texture. Other options include olives, feta cheese, or anchovies.
• One Condiment: The condiment ties everything together. It’s the finishing touch that completes the platter. I chose whole-grain mustard for its tangy flavor and beautiful texture. You could also use horseradish sauce, Dijon mustard, honey, red pepper jelly, chutney, homemade basil pesto, guacamole, or anything else.

How To Make A Smoked Salmon Platter

STEP 1: Choose your platter and place the salmon on first. Smoked salmon has a beautiful pinky coral hue that looks terrific with pink, orange, or melon-colored platters, or it can be contrasted with cool blue or green tones. White is always a safe choice, but don’t be afraid to play with color to make your platter pop. I love the contrast of a blueish-green platter. I like to cut slices of smoked salmon into smaller, more manageable pieces and arrange them slightly off to the side. I also like to layer the salmon and fold the edges to make it look abundant and pretty.

STEP 2: Small dishes are next. I have a collection of handmade ceramic dishes and ramekins, and I put anything spreadable in them. You can use any number of dishes you want, but note they look best when they are all around the same size and height. Bonus points if they are different shapes! Don’t choose anything too tall, as tall dishes will cast shadows on the board.

STEP 3: Next, add the elements you have in quantity. For me here, it’s bagel chips and cucumber slices. Arrange them in sections around the board, ensuring different colors are distributed evenly (for example, don’t place two kinds of brown crackers side-by-side). I didn’t have to worry in this example because my two larger quantity elements are golden bagel chips and bright green cucumber slices.

STEP 4: Now, it’s time to add smaller elements not served in dishes. For me, this is the hard-boiled egg and Gherkin pickles. Place them in any larger empty spots that remain.

STEP 5: Fill in the gaps. On this platter, radishes pull double duty: They are both one of the crunchy elements and a garnish. If I weren’t using radishes, I would use a smaller crunchy element like nuts, pretzels, or slices of pear or apple. You can also use fresh berries or dried fruit to fill the gaps. Dried apricots look gorgeous on a smoked salmon platter! Tuck them in randomly all over wherever the platter is still showing through.

STEP 6: Finish with your salty element and garnishes. Scatter the salty element randomly over the platter. My salty element here is capers, but you could also scatter chopped anchovies randomly over the platter, tuck in some olives, or even add a small bowl of feta cheese if you have room. I love using fresh dill and pea shoots to decorate smoked salmon dishes. Dill fronds are so feathery and beautiful and taste amazing, and pea shoots are gorgeous with their curling tendrils. They both make a really lovely finishing touch! Remember, this is your platter. Feel free to experiment with different arrangements and ingredients. The most important thing is to have fun, create a platter you’re excited to share, and enjoy eating it!

Expert Tips

1. A good platter mixes textures and colors, so look for ingredients that complement each other in both ways.
2. Don’t let my formula stop you from creating your own showstopping board. Just because it’s not on the list doesn’t mean you can’t add it.
3. If making your platter ahead of time, add the garnishes just before serving to prevent wilting.

Recipe Notes

• A typical serving size for smoked salmon is about 2 ounces per person, however, if you’re making a large platter, you may need less.
• If you like heat, add some spicy elements to your platter. These could be spicy mustard, hot pepper jelly, or pepperoncini peppers.
• If you’re not serving the platter immediately, drape it gently with a lightly damp tea towel and keep it in the fridge to stay fresh. Remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off and bring out the flavors.

More Light Summery Recipes