Salmon Bagel Sandwiches

This salmon bagel sandwich is made with slow-cooked salmon, not lox, and it's combined with a seasoned cream cheese on a chewy bagel. So it's similar to bagel and lox, but just different enough.

While you might think of a bagel as breakfast food, this savory salmon bagel makes an amazing brunch option, as well as a great weekday lunch. It feels a little rich and indulgent with the salmon and cream cheese without going overboard with the ingredients.

Learn how to make salmon bagel sandwiches. They're simple, flavorful, and unique—exactly what we're always on the look out for!

What Is Bagel and Lox?

Bagel and lox is a classic breakfast food. Lox is another name for brined or smoked salmon. This salmon is often sharper, a bit brighter, and certainly has a stronger fish flavor.

Our salmon bagel sandwich isn't bagel and lox. We use slow-cooked salmon, not smoked salmon, but it's inspired by the classic combo.

Ingredients for Salmon Bagel Sandwiches

This savory salmon bagel sandwich uses our favorite slow-cooked salmon, seasoned with an aromatic blend of lemongrass, fennel, scallions, and dry white wine instead of smoked salmon.

Also, instead of serving this dish open-faced, we layer toasted everything bagels with a cream cheese mixture flavored with chives, radishes, dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice for a fresh, light taste.

How To Make Salmon Bagel Sandwiches

The longest wait for these sandwiches is cooking the salmon. Everything else comes together quickly. Here's a brief outline of the process:

• Step 1. To start, you're going to cook a salmon filet in the slow cooker. A slow cooker is great for cooking salmon because you reduce the risk of overcooking the fish, and the moisture of a slow cooker's crock helps keep the fish delicate and flaky.
• Step 2. Once the fish is finished, it's time to build the salmon bagel: Combine cream cheese with herbs and lemon zest and juice.
• Step 3. Spread a hearty amount of the cream cheese mixture on the bagel, then top with sliced salmon, fresh arugula, thinly sliced red onions, and cucumber.

Variations for Salmon Bagel Sandwiches

These bagel sandwiches are ripe for adjustments and substitutions. We have a few ideas to get you started:

• Lay up with leftovers: If you have leftover salmon from dinner, you can use it here instead of cooking the salmon fresh. If the leftover salmon has any marinades or breading, you may want to adjust the herbs and cream cheese mixture a bit, but there's really no reason to not use the salmon here.
• Swap for smoked: Likewise, if you want to make these sandwiches even faster, skip the step of making your own salmon, and reach for smoked salmon. You'll usually find it in the refrigerated section of the seafood aisle at the grocery store.
• Change cheeses: Double down on the salmon flavor, and use salmon-flavored cream cheese instead of plain cream cheese for the bagel spread.

More Salmon Recipes

If you have leftover salmon or just want to add more fish to your diet, consider these favorite salmon recipes:

• Cast-Iron Salmon With Baby Kale Salad
• Salmon Patties
• Baked Lemon-Thyme Salmon
• Bourbon Glazed Salmon
• Pan-Seared Salmon