Smoked Salmon Pinwheels with Everything Bagel Crust
On January 17, 2025
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Flaky salmon and rich cream cheese, crusted with everything bagel seasoning, and smoked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, these Salmon Pinwheels make an indulgent app or main dish.
Everything Bagel Crusted Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
If you and your family love bagels and lox, then boy, do I have a recipe for you. These Smoked Salmon Pinwheels let you put a creative spin on this classic combo that’ll have your guests doing a double-take. All the beloved flavors are here: rich cream cheese, fresh dill, briny capers, and that iconic everything bagel seasoning, all wrapped up in a silky, smoky salmon fillet. The result is a show-stopping appetizer or main dish that’s surprisingly easy to pull off, yet impressive enough for your fanciest gatherings. Let’s get started.
Cream Cheese Bagel Filling
To help you achieve the experience of eating a bagel and lox without the bagel, I created a filling with some staple flavors. You only need 5 ingredients, but each one packs a serious flavor punch:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill
- 1 Tablespoon capers
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Everything Bagel Seasoning
I’ve got an awesome recipe for Everything Bagel Seasoning you can make right at home. It only takes a couple minutes and uses just 6 common herbs and spices. You can use store-bought seasoning if you like, but there’s nothing like making your own from scratch. Check out the recipe post if you want to learn more. Here’s what you need to throw this blend together:
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Assembling Your Salmon Pinwheels
These Smoked Salmon Pinwheels may seem intimidating, but they’re super easy to put together. Just follow these simple steps (and check out the picture below for a visual guide):
- Prepare the salmon. You’ll want individually-portioned salmon fillets. If you have a whole salmon, you can cut it into 3-4 portions. Next, carefully slice your fillets thin using a sharp knife. You want thin, even strips so they roll up nicely.
- Add the filling. Using a rubber spatula, spread your cream cheese filling over the fillets in a nice, even layer. You’ll be happy you softened the cream cheese once you get to this stage.
- Roll the pinwheels. Roll your salmon fillets up lengthwise, then tie each one with some butcher’s twine.
- Crust the salmon. After you tie your pinwheels, season them on the top and bottom with a heavy coating of everything bagel seasoning. The seasoning not only brings some serious bagel flavor, but also provides a crusty exterior that complements the salmon and cream cheese beautifully.
How Long to Smoke Salmon
One awesome part about smoking salmon is how fast it cooks compared to meats. I made these on my smoker, but you could also use the same instructions for your oven or grill. You want to give your pinwheels 40-45 minutes at 275 degrees F so the cream cheese just starts to melt and your salmon develops a depth of smoky flavor. Once your salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F with a reliable food thermometer, transfer it to your serving platter. You can follow the same steps for your oven, but you’ll lose that smoky goodness.
How to Make Salmon Pinwheels on the Smoker
- Make the seasoning. You can skip ahead if you’re using a premixed seasoning. If you’re making your own everything bagel seasoning, you’ll want to do that before moving forward. Make sure to use a fork or whisk so you have an even blend without any clumps.
- Prepare the salmon. If you have a whole salmon, start by cutting it into smaller fillets. Next. slice the fillets in the thickest part, then fold it out so you have thin, flat, even pieces. You want to wait to remove the skin until after slicing your fillets so you have a little extra support.
- Make the filling. In a medium-size bowl, combine your softened cream cheese with some fresh dill and capers, then hit it with some fresh lemon juice and zest. Give everything a gentle stir with a rubber spatula, so all your ingredients are incorporated.
- Assemble the pinwheels. Give each fillet a generous coating of the filling, then roll them up lengthwise. Tie each piece together with some twine, then coat heavily on the top and bottom with your seasoning. Remember, you want to capture that bagel essence without the bagel. This seasoning crust helps in the absence of a toasted bagel. Get these bad boys on a baking sheet, and they’re ready for the smoker.
- Smoke the salmon pinwheels. Place the baking sheet on the grates of your preheated smoker, then close the lid. Give your salmon 40-45 minutes to take in that rich smoke, then remove once it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Cool, serve, and enjoy. After you get your pinwheels on a serving platter, let them rest on serving platter for a few minutes. Once the cream cheese cools to a safe eating temperature, dig in.
More Salmon Recipes
After your family sink their teeth into these salmon pinwheels, they’ll be requesting smoked salmon all the time. Luckily for you my family loves salmon as well, so I’ve got all kinds of salmon and seafood recipes you make in your own backyard. You can find them all in the Hey Grill Hey App, but for now, here are some of my favorite salmon recipes:
Smoked Salmon Pinwheels Recipe
Follow the recipe card below so you can devour these Smoked Salmon Pinwheels with the people you love. I don’t want to beg(el), but I’d love to hear how you enjoyed yours. Head to the comments section below to share your thoughts, and while you’re there, might as well give this recipe a 5-star review. You can also share some pictures of your perfect pinwheels by tagging @heygrillhey on Instagram and Facebook.
Everything Bagel Crusted Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillet portions skin removed
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill
- 1 Tablespoon capers
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Everything Bagel Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon minced onion
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker. Set your smoker to 275 degrees F. You can also do this in your oven following the same directions.
- Make the seasoning. Combine all the ingredients for your everything bagel seasoning in a small bowl, then mix until you have an even mixture. I recommend using a whisk or fork so you can break up any clumps. You can also use a premade seasoning if that’s what you have on hand.1 Tablespoon Kosher salt, 1 Tablespoon dried minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon minced onion, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- Prepare the salmon. If you have a whole salmon, start by cutting it into smaller fillets. Next. slice the fillets in the thickest part, then fold it out so you have thin, flat, even pieces. You want to wait to remove the skin until after slicing your fillets so you have a little extra support.4 salmon fillet portions
- Make the filling. In a medium-size bowl, combine the cream cheese, dill, capers, with your lemon zest and juice. Stir gently with a rubber spatula so everything is incorporated8 ounces cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, 1 Tablespoon capers, 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Assemble the pinwheels. Spread your cream cheese filling on each sliced salmon fillet. Once every piece has an even layer, roll them up lengthwise into pinwheels. Tie some butcher’s twine around each pinwheel, then coat the top and bottom with your seasoning. You want to form a crust on both ends, so press the seasoning in gently by hand.
- Smoke the salmon pinwheels. Place your tied and crusted pinwheels on a baking sheet, then place the sheet on your smoker grates. Close the lid, and allow your salmon to smoke for 40-45 minutes. You can flip the pinwheels once in between if you like. I tend to avoid this as the salmon is delicate and the smoke penetrates everything anyway. When your salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F with a reliable meat thermometer, transfer to a serving platter.
- Cool, serve, and enjoy. Allow your salmon pinwheels to cool for 5 minutes so the cream cheese can settle a little. Next, remove the butcher’s twine and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve as an over-the-top appetizer or indulgent main course with some grilled veggies, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
