Smoked Tuna Dip
This quick and easy smoked tuna dip is bursting with smoky yet fresh flavors. Made with smoked, canned tuna for convenience, cream cheese, smoked paprika, and fresh lemon juice, it’s perfect for tuna sandwiches, bagels, crackers, or vegetable sticks. Enjoy this seafood dip as a high-protein side or serve it as a quick and easy appetizer at holiday parties, or during football season.
I came up with this recipe as I was looking for a way to meal prep tuna for the week to add to salads, sandwiches, and lunch wraps. Smoked canned tuna gave me head start in terms of flavor and convenience for sure. I added a few staple ingredients and flavorings and I’m thrilled to share this super versatile recipe wit you.
And just like my egg salad with cottage cheese or smoked chicken salad, it’s a tasty way to get some extra protein in.
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Smoked Tuna Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces smoked tuna in water drained, yellowfin or albacore tuna
- 1/4 cup cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 shallot minced
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Drain the smoked tuna thoroughly and place it in a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to break up the tuna into small flakes.8 ounces smoked tuna in water
- Add softened cream cheese and sour cream to the tuna. Mix well until the ingredients are combined and the mixture becomes smooth.1/4 cup cream cheese, 1/4 cup sour cream
- Stir in the minced shallot, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, finely chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Mix until the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the dip and it is smooth.1 shallot, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- Season to taste. You can add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dip for at least 1 hour, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Just before serving, add a light sprinkling of smoked paprika and some freshly chopped parsley for a burst of color and freshness. Serve the dip with crackers, bread slices, or fresh vegetable sticks.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Tuna – For this recipe, I use smoked ahi / yellowfin tuna or albacore tuna in a tin for convenience. Drain out any excess water or oil. I opted for pre-smoked, tinned tuna as a time-saving choice but you can also infuse fresh tuna with liquid smoke or go all out and smoke your own tuna at home to tailor the smokiness and flavor to your taste.
- Cream cheese – Before making this recipe make sure to soften the cream cheese.
- Sour cream – Mixed with the softened cream cheese, this gives a great creamy texture to the dip and adds a sharp flavor that pairs great with the tuna. The sour cream allows the dip to be spreadable. You can use cottage cheese as well to increase the protein content of this dip.
- Veggies – Mince the shallot before adding to the dip. You can also use finely diced red onion or green onions. Capers, green olives, or pickled gherkins would make tasty additions as well.
- Smoked paprika – Add an extra layer of smokiness to this spread with smoked paprika. You can use sweet paprika if needed.
- Garlic powder – I use garlic powder instead of minced garlic for this recipe so the flavor incorporates well with the creamy dip.
- Seasoning: I simply use salt and ground black pepper to round out the flavor. Add crushed red pepper flakes, thinly sliced jalapeño pepper, hot sauce such as siracha, or a dash of cayenne pepper to spice up the dip.
- Lemon juice – Use either freshly squeezed lemon juice or from the bottle. It brightens the flavor of fish dishes. Use some lemon zest for some extra freshness.
- Parsley – Freshly chopped parsley adds to both, taste and appearance. Fresh chives or dill also make tasty additions.
Serving ideas
Dip: Crackers, pita chips, or my cottage cheese flatbread turn this dip into an easy seafood appetizer – perfect for game day. Or simply serve it with carrots, cucumbers, sliced bell peppers, or celery sticks as a low-carb snack.
Sandwich filling: If you love tuna melts, this smoky tuna sandwich filling will hit the spot. Try it on pretzel bagels or my rye sandwich bread as a hearty lunch alternative.
