The Best Smoked Fish Dip (South Florida Recipe)

Get a true taste of the Florida coast with this delicious Florida smoked fish dip recipe!

Salty, creamy and smoky, one bite of this Florida fish dip will transport you right to the beach. 

There are some foods that embody the whole vibe of a place – jerk chicken and rum punch in Jamaica, key lime pie in Key West, hummus and tzatziki in Santorini and smoked fish dip in South Florida.

If you visit, you’ll see fish dip on the menu at many local restaurants. 

My parents lived in South Florida for many years. Every time we’d visit, they’d take us to the same little restaurant on the intercoastal, where we would watch the big yachts go by while enjoying deliciously salty and creamy smoked fish dip. The perfect old Florida vibe! 

Now, it’s easy to bring those vibes home with this simple, authentic recipe. 

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to create this Florida Keys favorite:

• Smoked fish. Look for an oily fish like mullet, Spanish mackerel, trout or any other white fish. The hardest part about making fish dip is actually smoking the fish, so we’re skipping it and buying smoked fish from the grocery store or seafood market.
• Cream cheese. Be sure to start with room temperature cream cheese, it will make things much easier. 
• Mayonnaise
• Celery
• Red bell peppers
• Pickled jalapeño peppers
• Fresh lemon juice
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Hot sauce

How to Make Florida Smoked Fish Dip

Flake the Fish

Since we’re skipping the work of smoking our own fish filets, all we’ll have to do is flake our smoked fish with a fork to make smaller pieces. 

Chop the Veggies

Now, dice up the celery, bell pepper and jalapeño peppers. Set them aside for now. 

Combine all Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice and Old Bay seasoning. Add a few shakes of hot sauce to taste.

Hot sauce is an essential ingredient in classic fish dip, but if you don’t like the heat, you could substitute Worcestershire sauce. It will add a little umami and depth of flavor without the heat of hot pepper sauce. 

Once your mixture is smooth and creamy, gently fold in the flaked fish and diced vegetables. All done! 

Watch how to make South Florida Smoked Fish Dip!

Serving Suggestions

For an authentic South Florida experience, serve this creamy dip with plain crackers that don’t have a lot of seasoning. Think saltine crackers, club crackers or even plain water crackers. 

Less authentic but still good, you could also try raw vegetables or tortilla chips for dipping. 

For a pretty presentation, garnish your fish dip with additional diced jalapeño peppers or chopped fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro.

You could also add a few lemon wedges and chopped green onions for pops of color. 

What is the Best Fish for Fish Dip? 

The most popular types of fish used in Florida fish dips are mullet, mackerel, mahi mahi and wahoo. 

If you’re buying your fish already smoked, you may be limited to the type of fish you can find. For example, grocery stores near me only sell smoked trout, so that’s what I use. And it’s delicious!

If you have a local fish market nearby, you might have more options.

Really, any smoked white fish will taste great in this dip recipe.

What are the best crackers for Fish dip? 

Because smoked fish is already going to be salty, the best crackers are ones that don’t have too much salt.

Look for plain water crackers, saltine crackers or even low-salt tortilla chips. 

Storage Instructions

Store this fish dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It tastes even better the next day, and it will stay fresh for 3-5 days. 

When you make this Florida smoked fish dip recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy! 

For more summer appetizer recipes, try these:

• Southern Pimento Cheese Recipe
• Grilled Peach Bruschetta Recipe with Blue Cheese
• Greek Feta Dip with Pepperoncini Peppers

For more pescatarian recipes, try these:

• Ahi Tuna Sushi Tower with Avocado
• Miso Salmon with Sake Butter
• One Pan Roasted Fish with Cherry Tomatoes