Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Salmon Cream Cheese Bagel
A smoked salmon bagel has plenty to enjoy between its chewy halves. Cool cream cheese softens the salty fish and capers, while red onion and arugula add a sharper bite.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Original yield
- Serves 2
- Ingredients
- 6 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Breakfast · Brunch · Lunch
- Primary protein
- Fish
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Soften the cream cheese first
Give the cream cheese a little time to soften before spreading. It’ll glide over the bagel instead of tearing at the cut side, which makes assembly much easier.
2. Slice before you start stacking
Have the red onion and smoked salmon ready before the cream cheese goes on. Once the bagel is spread, the rest is just layering and finishing.
3. Keep the arugula for the top
The arugula goes on last, just before the top half of the bagel. That keeps the leaves from getting buried under the heavier ingredients.
Get to know the ingredients
Smoked salmon
Use the smoked salmon thinly sliced, as listed. It’s easier to layer over the cream cheese and gives you salmon in each bite without having to wrestle the bagel closed.
Capers
Capers bring the salty little pop that makes this bagel taste complete. Sprinkle them over the salmon and onion rather than mixing them into the cream cheese, so they stay distinct.
Arugula
Add arugula at the end of assembly for a fresh finish. Skip it if you're freezing the bagels, since they store better without it.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 2. Original quantities shown.
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How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Salmon Cream Cheese Bagel
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Once the top half is on, slice the bagel in half before serving. A clean cut makes the layers easier to handle and gives you that good cross-section of salmon, onion, capers, and greens.
A little more help as you go
For freezing or packing ahead
For freezing, leave out the arugula and wrap the assembled bagels tightly in plastic before putting them in a freezer bag. Spread cream cheese on both bagel halves before adding the rest of the filling.
Fridge timing
Keep assembled bagels in the fridge for about one day. After that, they may get soggy, especially with arugula inside.
A few questions you might have
Do I need to toast the bagels?
The steps only say to split the bagels and assemble them, so there’s no toasting built into this recipe. Use them split as directed.
Should the cream cheese go on one side or both?
For regular assembly, spread it on one bagel half. If you're freezing the bagels, spread cream cheese on both pieces before filling.
Where do the capers go?
Add them after the smoked salmon and red onion. That way they sit in the filling rather than rolling straight off the cream cheese.
Can I assemble these the night before?
Yes, assembled bagels can be kept in the fridge for about one day for the freshest taste. They store much better without the arugula.
Why add the arugula last?
The recipe finishes the filling with arugula before the top half goes on. It keeps the greens as the fresh final layer instead of pressing them under the salmon and onion.
Any more cooking tips?
Soften the block cream cheese a bit first and it will be easier to spread. This is the perfect food for hiking. The night before you leave, freeze your assembled bagels – without arugula, and tightly cover in plastic and then store in a freezer bag. Just before a long hike, bring the bagels with you and enjoy after a couple of hours as they will be completely thawed by then. For a change, add some fresh dill to the cream cheese as it goes well with the flavors of salmon. You can store the assembled bagels in the fridge for about 1 day for the freshest tasting. If longer, the bagel may get soggy. Also, it stores much better without the arugula. These Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Bagels can be frozen, but again, without the arugula. I would spread the cream cheese first on both pieces of the bagel, and then finish by filling with the rest of the ingredients. I prefer only freezing for up to 3-4 days, tightly covered in plastic and then stored in a freezer bag.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: jocooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.