Easy Smoked Salmon Tart

This easy Smoked Salmon Tart will add a touch of sophistication to your lunch, brunch, or any celebration! A light and flaky puff pastry crust gets layered with a lemon caper cream cheese and buttery smoked salmon for a simple yet elegant tart that's perfect for special occasions and is ready in 30 minutes!

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This simple puff pastry tart is a crowd-pleasing recipe that can be served as a light meal, snack, or fancy hors d'oeuvres.

Light and flaky puff pastry gets topped with a tangy cream cheese mixture and salty smoked salmon for a simple, yet elegant tart that's guaranteed to impress.

This smoked salmon tart is super versatile and easy to prepare thanks to frozen puff pastry. It's a killer recipe to keep in your back pocket for easy entertaining.

I love serving this smoked salmon puff pastry tart at Sunday brunch, baby showers or bridal showers and other special occasions, like Mother's Day, Easter and Christmas (maybe with a mug of hot buttered rum?)!

If you're a salmon lover too, try my easy recipe for cedar planked salmon, this breadcrumb crusted Sicilian Baked Salmon, or this Slow Roasted Salmon with Orange and Fennel. 

Why this recipe works

• Made in less than 30 minutes!
• No homemade dough thanks to frozen puff pastry.
• A beautiful balance of flavors and textures.
• Can be prepared in advanced and assembled right before serving.
• Elegant and impressive!

Ingredient Notes

• Frozen puff pastry - make sure to bring it out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to thaw but keep it cold. You can find this in the n the frozen dessert section of the grocery store near the other pie crusts. You can also use homemade pie crust as an alternative. 
• Cream cheese - softened at room temperature. Cream cheese and smoked salmon are a match made in heaven for sure! It is mixed with lemon zest, lemon juice, scallions, parsley, and capers to give it layers of flavors that are still subtle enough to let the salmon taste come through. 
• Sour cream - This gives the spread a tangy flavor and a creamier, more luxurious mouthfeel. 
• Smoked Salmon - I used a traditional hot smoked wild salmon since that's what I had on hand. You can also use cold smoked salmon or Nova lox. Any type of smoked salmon will work great!

*Full ingredient list in the recipe card below.

Helpful Equipment

• Rubber spatula - I always use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are well combined.
• Rolling pin - I prefer my French rolling pin with no handles because it's lightweight and gives you more control. You can also use any cylindrical object - like a wine bottle - as a rolling pin in a pinch!
• Bench scraper - I always use a bench scraper when working with any kind of pastry dough, even frozen puff pastry.
• Paring knife - You'll need this to trim off just the outer edge of the pastry to help it puff up evenly.
• Fork - to prick the dough all over so it cooks into crisp golden perfection. You can also use a pastry docker.

Step by step instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Roll out the puff pastry with a rolling pin so that it's roughly 15 inches long and 10 inches wide (it doesn't have to be exact), then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Lightly dampen the edges with water, then fold them over about 1 inch to form an outer crust.

5. Use a very sharp paring knife to trim off just the outer edge of the pastry, being careful to remove as little dough as possible. This will help the crust puff up evenly.
6. Use a fork to prick the inside of the dough all over, then bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
7. While the pastry bakes, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, scallions, parsley, and capers in a medium bowl.

8. Once the pastry shell has cooled completely, spread the cream cheese mixture all over the center.
9. Top the cream cheese mixture with large pieces of smoked salmon, then sprinkle with more scallions. Cut into wedges, then serve.

Tips for Success

• Keep the puff pastry cold. It consists of layers of dough separated by butter. The butter should be intact when baking so it turns into steam, creating pockets of air and causing the layers to puff up and create crisp flakes. 
• Handle the puff pastry dough with care. Flour the surface so it does not stick when you roll and make sure to not overwork it. 
• Taste the cream cheese mixture before spreading it on the pastry. Adjust the amounts of scallions, capers, lemon, parsley, salt, and pepper according to your preferences.
• Prickling the puff pastry dough will allow steam to escape, preventing it from puffing too much and creating an excessively airy or unstable structure. This will result in a crisp and golden finish. 
• Make sure the puff pastry tart shell is cooled completely before spreading the cream cheese mixture on top so it doesn't melt.
• Distribute the salmon evenly on top of the cream cheese mixture to ensure each slice gets the same amount.

Serving Suggestions

This tart can be cut into small portions and served as an appetizer together with Roasted Shrimp Cocktails and Roasted Mushroom Goat Cheese Crostini.

You can also cut into larger pieces and serve with a simple green salad or this warm spinach salad or a traditional French Lyonnaise salad.

This tart transports really well so it's great for bringing to parties and potlucks!

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