7 easy Irish smoked salmon recipe ideas to bring a taste of Ireland to your table

Easy, smoked salmon recipe ideas to bring Irish-style breakfast and appetizers to your table, wherever you are!

Smoked salmon is readily available in Ireland and so delicious, it makes its appearance on many dishes both in Irish homes and restaurants.

Growing up in Italy, I used to consider smoked salmon a bit of a luxury, something you have at Christmas, usually with a guilty slice of bread and the thinnest veil of butter.

However, now that I am 15+ years in Ireland, I have truly embraced smoked salmon as a pretty regular menu item and I have selected a handful of tried and tested recipe ideas that work every time, for our own dinners and for entertaining.

These are my favorite smoked salmon recipes, both traditional and not so traditional!

Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon breakfast

Smoked salmon is way too posh a food to qualify as a staple of a traditional Irish breakfast, however, it is now very common in cafes around the country and goes amazingly well with eggs, an absolute Irish breakfast favorite.

A delicious and simple way to present this salmon breakfast is to prepare a slice of brown toast or soda bread and gently lay on top scrambled eggs (not too loose or they will make the toast soggy), smoked salmon and chopped chives or parsley for taste and look!

Eggs Benedicts with Irish smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce

The combination of eggs and smoked salmon works well also in the salmon variation of eggs Benedict which sees the salmon complement poached eggs dressed with hollandaise sauce.

I first tasted this interpretation of eggs Benedicts in Waterford, where I got them served over the famous Waterford Blaa (a special type of bun typical of the area) and it is a breakfast I remember so fondly, I now always look for it on the many whenever out for brunch!

If you want to try and make your own Hollandaise, try this super easy recipe here

Smoked salmon tartine on Irish wholemeal bread

Smoked salmon makes for a wonderful appetizer and a very easy one to serve too. Smoked salmon tartines come in all shapes and sized and you can mix and match several styles to suit different types of guests and make an impression with very little work needed.

Some of my favorite ways to present salmon tartines are on Irish brown soda bread with a veil of butter or on tops of multigrain crackers with or without creme fresh or cream cheese.

If you want to go carb or gluten-free, you can also leave the crackers aside and create small rolls of salmon with spreadable cream cheese inside. Make them small so they can be eaten as one bite: delicious!

Sper spreadable salmon pate

Another lovely and easy way to use smoked salmon as an appetizer is to serve in as a pate. Easy to make and super tasty, it works great on crackers or small crostini and can look remarkably sophisticated, despite being super easy to make (find the recipe here)!

Spaghetti and smoked salmon pasta main

Ok so with this one we are moving very far away from traditional Irish recipes, however, Irish smoked salmon works exceptionally well with pasta so if you have it in your kitchen, I highly recommend you give this recipe a shot!

There are several ways to make pasta and smoked salmon and many involve cream. However, I prefer the version that does without, as I feel it gives more justice to the flavor of this delicious fish.

Simply sautee finely chopped onion, smoked salmon shredded into small pieces and cherry tomatoes cut in half into a large pan and use this as a sauce for your pasta. Super easy to make, quick and delicious: sprinkle with fresh parsley for an extra touch!

Smoked salmon slices with fresh lemon and dill

The easiest way to serve smoked salmon is to serve it plain, with the addition of some lemon slices, a sprinkle to dill or chopped chives and capers, should you want to add and extra salty kick.

While simple and so easy to make we cannot even call it a recipe, a plate of pain salmon can look amazing and is a perfect appetizer in all seasons as well as a great idea for a light lunch.

The two things to be careful with, when preparing this smoked salmon appetizer, is the slices being too thick too dry or both.

To prevent this from happening, make sure you use a very sharp knife for slicing (even better, choose salmon already sliced to the thickness you like) and keep covered until the very last moment. Opt for cling film for the best result.

Irish smoked salmon quiche

I opened this list with an egg and salmon combination and I also want to finish with one, this time in the form of quiche. Quiche is a popular dish in Irish cafes, but you can also make it at home by combining it with your favorite ingredients (in my case, that would be goat cheese. Together, they are amazing!).

If you have bever made quiche, you can find the basic recipe you can adapt to your taste here

I hope you enjoyed these easy ideas to prepare Irish smoked salmon and you will enjoy an Ireland inspired meal very soon. Happy eating!