This board is for the salami lovers! Skip the prosciutto and capicola and build a gorgeous salami charcuterie board that everyone will love.
You don't need five kinds of cured meat to impress your friends and family. Just one meat, done well, is all you need for a board that looks beautiful and tastes fantastic. Salami is the perfect place to start!
Why salami makes a great charcuterie board
Salami is one of the easiest charcuterie meats to love. You can find it in almost every grocery store, there are dozens of types to choose from, and you can go as mild or as spicy as you like. It's also less expensive than most cured meats, especially if you grab a big variety pack from Costco (since it's a dry-cured meat, an unopened package keeps well so you can keep the extras on hand without worry).
If you're new to salami or just curious to learn more, our guide to everything you need to know about salami covers the different types and how they're made.
The salami we used
This salami charcuterie board has three different kinds of salami, each with different flavors so there's something for everyone:
- Genoa salami: This has a mild flavor and it's thin, which makes it the easiest to fold into roses and "rivers."
- Peppered salami: It's coated in cracked black pepper which adds a lot of flavor.
- Wine salami: It's cured with red wine, for a much deeper flavor.
If you'd rather keep it even simpler and use just one type, stick with Genoa. It's the easiest to fold and shape, and that variety of shapes is what makes a single-meat board look interesting. If you prefer beef, beef salami will work, too.
How we arranged the salami
We turned the Genoa salami into small salami roses and grouped most of them together in one area of the board, with one more toward the opposite side to balance it out. We also half-folded more Genoa slices and tucked them into one another to form a "river" (top left of the board).
The wine salami was simply placed in a row to fill some empty space. The peppered salami was folded and tucked together like the Genoa (bottom right). Keep in mind that peppered salami is a little trickier to fold because some of the pepper crust tends to flake off. Unless you leave it flat, that's unavoidable, but plenty stays on so we don't worry about it.
How to make a salami rose
The smaller the opening is on the glass, the tighter and smaller your salami rose will be.
- Grab a small, narrow drinking glass or a champagne flute.
- Fold a slice of salami in half over the rim so half sits inside the glass and half hangs outside.
- Add the next slice the same way, overlapping the first by about half. Keep going around the rim, pressing each one down as you go.
- Make 3 to 4 layers, depending on how full you want the rose. Thinner salami works best.
- Press down gently, then flip the glass upside down onto your board and lift it away. Fluff the "petals" with your fingers until it's just how you like it.
What goes on a salami charcuterie board?
Anything you'd put on a classic board works here! Think jams, fresh and dried fruit, cheese, pâté, olives or caperberries, veggies, and crackers. Keep it to a few favorites or go all-out for loads of flavor combinations. (Take a look through our guide to the best cheeses for a charcuterie board.)
Everything we used is listed below. We numbered the items that might not be obvious at a glance, so you can recreate this board more easily at home.
What's on this Salami Charcuterie board (Numbered Items)
- Genoa salami, half-folded and tucked into a "river" (Costco)
- Dried oranges (Trader Joe's)
- Fig jam (World Market)
- Wafer crackers (World Market)
- Cranberry cheddar (Trader Joe's)
- Duck liver pâté (Lidl)
- Caperberries (Amazon)
- Fig crackers (World Market)
- Triple crème brie (Trader Joe's)
- Genoa salami roses
- Cheddar cubes (Lidl)
Everything else
- Wine salami and peppered salami
- Black grapes, fresh figs, kiwi, blackberries, and blueberries
- Halved baby bell peppers and sliced baby cucumbers
- Blue cheese
- Green olives
- Honeycomb
You might notice there are no nuts on this board. We almost always add them at the end to fill small gaps, but we had a guest with a nut allergy that day. If nuts aren't a concern for your crowd, tuck them into the nooks and crannies. They'd fit perfectly right under the honeycomb:
More Ingredient ideas
Try dried apricots or dates, a pepperoni rose, sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme, or another type of cracker. Goat cheese, a flavored cream cheese, or a bowl of whipped honey would also be delicious. If you want something homemade, bacon fig jam is delicious with salami.
Tips for the best salami board
- Can't find it pre-packaged? Check your store's deli counter. Most will slice salami to order, and you can ask for it thin to make folding your roses and rivers easier.
- Take a shortcut. If you're pressed for time, pick up a pre-assembled cheese tray, then just arrange your salami and extras around it for a fast, easy board. This works especially well if you're transporting it since you can just discard the tray after the party.
- Make it ahead. You can assemble most of the board up to a day in advance, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Add the cut fruits and veggies (like kiwi and cucumber) just before serving so they stay fresh. Take the board out about 30 minutes before you plan to serve it so the meat and cheese have a chance to lose some of their chill.
Suggested wine pairings
Salami is salty, fatty, and sometimes a little spicy, so look for wines with bright acidity and soft tannins:
- Chianti or another Sangiovese: A classic Italian wine and great with Genoa.
- Lambrusco: Lightly sparkling and fruity.
- Pinot Noir (my personal favorite) or Beaujolais: A light red that pairs well with every salami on the board.
- Zinfandel: A more peppery red that pairs especially well with the peppered salami.
- Prosecco: If you're looking for something with bubbles, this is a fine choice to pair with your salami charcuterie board!
For more pairing ideas, see our guide to cheese and wine pairings for prosciutto, since many of the same principles apply.
📖 Recipe
Salami Charcuterie Board
Don't break the bank buying an assortment of charcuterie meats; salami is the way to go! Buy an assorted pack or even in bulk to keep the flavors up and the costs down.
Ingredients
Meat
- Genoa salami
- Wine salami
- Peppered Salami
Cheese
- Cranberry cheddar cheese from Trader Joe's
- Triple crème brie from Trader Joe's
- Cheddar cubes from Lidl
- Blue cheese
Crackers
- Wafer crackers from World Market
- Fig crackers from World Market
Produce
- Black grapes
- Fresh figs
- Kiwi
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Halved baby bell peppers
- Sliced baby cucumbers
Accoutrements
- Dried oranges (Trader Joe's)
- Fig jam (World Market)
- Duck liver pâté (Lidl)
- Caperberries (Amazon)
- Green olives
- Honeycomb (Amazon)
Instructions
- Slice your cheeses first and arrange on your platter. Add any small dishes of jam, olives, etc.
- Make your salami roses (see the steps above) and fold the remaining salami into "rivers", then place them on the board.
- Add your sliced vegetables and fresh fruits.
- Fill in the rest of the board with the remaining ingredients, taking care to add smaller items (such as berries or olives) to the nooks and crannies so that every spot on the board is filled.
- Serve immediately.*
Notes
*You can also cover the board with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to one day before serving, but don't add the cut fruits and veggies until just before serving. Remove the board from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 147Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 229mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 5g
The nutrition information is HIGHLY estimated as we don't typically provide exact amounts for our charcuterie boards. For more accurate information, we suggest using an online nutrition calculator and entering the exact amounts you use for your particular board.
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