These Danish open-faced sandwiches, or Smørrebrød, are probably the best sandwiches you will ever eat; easy to put together yet impressive in appearance, so versatile, and incredibly delicious!
Featured comment:
Doris Strachman: I grew up in a Danish and Norwegian home. I remember a house full of company for over thee holidays, especially christmas eve. Bow I want to serve a Smorgasbord for friends and family near Christmas like the ones we had so long ago. These recipes will be perfect along with my mother's fruit soup and Danish butter cookies and a few other things, maybe some hot glug for good measure. It all brings back some wonderful memories of over 75 years ago.
What is smørrebrød?
Smørrebrød, which means buttered bread in Danish or Danish open-faced sandwich, starts with rye bread, buttered and topped with a variety of delicious ingredients. While just buttered bread is simple, smørrebrød takes it further with a never-ending list of toppings.
It's probably the most iconic Danish dish for me, the first I think of when mentioning Danish food. Of course, there are also cheeses like Havarti, Danablu, or Esrom, pickled herring, and liver pâté, but beyond that, not many other Danish foods come to mind.
And if you like open sandwiches, have a look at the Zapiekanka, the Eggs and Asparagus on Toast, the Pork Belly Sandwich, or the Poached Eggs and Tomatoes Sourdough Toast.
History of smørrebrød
The story of smørrebrød dates back to the Middle Ages when field workers packed their lunch on a piece of stale bread, known as a "trencher," topped with leftovers. Initially discarded, the trencher became part of the meal as people realized it absorbed the flavors. By the 19th century, smørrebrød became a popular lunch for factory workers, who piled leftovers on rye bread for a filling meal that kept them satisfied until evening.
Rules of eating a smørrebrød
Surprisingly, there are rules for eating smørrebrød. First, always use a knife and fork - there are too many toppings to hold in your hand without making a mess.
When eating multiple smørrebrød, start with pickled herring, then move on to seafood like salmon or shrimp, followed by meats, and finish with cheese.
When topping the bread, start with butter and thin ingredients, then add the bulkier toppings.
Also, avoid mixing proteins like ham and cheese on the same slice, as it’s considered a no-go for smørrebrød.
How to make smørrebrød?
Choose the right bread
Smørrebrød is traditionally made with Danish rye bread, known as rugbrød. It’s a dense, dark, whole-grain sourdough bread that’s slightly sour and very filling.
While it’s hard to find outside Denmark, you can use similar breads like dark rye bread, often available in supermarkets like Lidl or Aldi in the UK. Pumpernickel is another good substitute.
Avoid soft, sweet sandwich bread, which is too different from the traditional rye bread.
Use real butter
Generously butter the rye bread, ensuring the butter is thick enough that you can see the marks of your teeth when you bite in.
The butter balances the sourness of the rye bread, making it milder and more enjoyable. It also prevents the bread from becoming soggy from moist toppings and helps other ingredients stick.
Choose the topping
For the topping, stick to one protein per slice - don’t mix ham or salami with cheese or eggs.
Match sauces to the protein, like horseradish sauce or mayonnaise for salmon or mustard for roast beef.
Add crunch with lettuce, raw onions, radishes, gherkins, or pickled vegetables, and finish with fresh herbs on top.
Smørrebrød topping ideas
Traditional pickled herring smørrebrød: I used Danish remoulade instead of butter, but butter works too. Top with pickled herrings, red onion rings, diced gherkins, and herbs.
Smoked salmon and cucumber: A thin layer of mayonnaise, topped with crunchy cucumber slices, smoked salmon, spring onion rings, cayenne pepper, and a lemon slice to sprinkle before serving. This variation is my husband's favorite. Check out the Smoked Salmon Sandwich, too.
Salami smørrebrød: Thickly buttered rye bread topped with rolled salami slices, cherry tomato wedges, fresh parsley, red onion rings, and diced gherkins. This is my son's favorite combination.
Avocado and egg: My favorite combination: mashed avocado topped with boiled egg slices, fresh coriander or parsley leaves, and spring onion rings. A sprinkle of freshly ground smoked black pepper makes it perfect.
Havarti cheese and tomato: The simplest version, which my daughter loves, is bread with butter, topped with cheese and tomato slices. You can also use Gouda, Cheddar, Esrom, or whatever you prefer. Lettuce and crunchy spring onion rings make this basic cheese sandwich feel more special.
Make ahead and store
Smørrebrød is best enjoyed fresh, as the bread can become soggy if stored for too long, especially with moist toppings.
However, if you need to store it, you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day. To prevent the bread from getting soggy, you can separate the bread from the toppings and assemble it just before serving.
Danish Open-Faced Sandwiches – Smørrebrød Recipe
Ingredients
Traditional pickled herring smørrebrød (Note 1):
- 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel, Note 2
- 2 teaspoons Danish remoulade or butter
- 2-3 pickled herrings depending on size
- a few rings red onion thinly sliced
- 1-2 small gherkins
- fresh dill or thyme
- a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or paprika powder, optional
Smoked salmon and cucumber smørrebrød:
- 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel
- 1-2 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 2 slices smoked salmon
- 8 thin slices of cucumber
- 1 slice lemon
- a few thin slices green onion
- a sprinkle of cayenne pepper optional
Salami smørrebrød:
- 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 3 thin slices salami
- 1 small tomato
- 1-2 small gherkins
- a few thin slices of red onion
- fresh parsley
- a sprinkle of cayenne pepper optional
Avocado and egg smørrebrød:
- 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel
- 1 egg
- ½ avocado or a very small whole one
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- a few thin slices of green onion
- 2-3 tomato wedges
- fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
- freshly ground black pepper smoked would be great if you have it
Havarti cheese and tomato smørrebrød:
- 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1-2 lettuce leaves
- 3 slices Havarti or another sliced cheese you like
- 1 small tomato
- a few thin slices green onion
- cayenne pepper
Instructions
Traditional pickled herring smørrebrød:
- Spread the Danish remoulade or the butter on the slice of bread. Arrange the pickled herrings, onion rings, and diced gherkins on top. Garnish with fresh dill or thyme and sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper or paprika, if desired.1 slice rye bread + 2 teaspoons Danish remoulade + 2-3 pickled herrings + a few rings red onion + 1-2 small gherkins + fresh dill + a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Smoked salmon and cucumber smørrebrød:
- Spread the mayonnaise on the bread. Arrange the thinly cut cucumber and the smoked salmon slices on top. Add the lemon slice, garnish with green onion rings, and some cayenne pepper, if desired.1 slice rye bread + 1-2 teaspoons mayonnaise + 2 slices smoked salmon + 8 thin slices of cucumber + 1 slice lemon + a few thin slices green onion + a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Salami smørrebrød:
- Butter the bread. Arrange the salami, tomato wedges, red onion rings, and diced gherkins on top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and a dash of cayenne pepper.1 slice rye bread + 1 teaspoon butter + 3 thin slices salami + 1 small tomato + 1-2 small gherkins + a few thin slices of red onion + fresh parsley + a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Avocado and egg smørrebrød:
- Cook eggs: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the egg and cook it for 6 minutes. Immediately transfer the cooked egg to a bowl full of ice water. 1 egg
- Mash the avocado in a small bowl. Add some lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Spread the avocado mash on the slice of rye bread.½ avocado + 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice + salt and pepper + 1 slice rye bread
- Peel and slice the egg directly over the bread. It is a bit messy, but this way, no precious runny yolk will get lost. Sprinkle with green onion rings, freshly ground smoked pepper (or regular pepper), cilantro, or parsley leaves. Add two or three wedges of tomato.a few thin slices of green onion + 2-3 tomato wedges + fresh cilantro + freshly ground black pepper
Havarti cheese and tomato smørrebrød:
- Butter the bread generously. Add the lettuce leaves, cheese slices, and tomato slices. Salt and pepper the tomato slices. Sprinkle with spring onion rings and some cayenne pepper.1 slice rye bread + 1 teaspoon butter + 1-2 lettuce leaves + 3 slices Havarti + 1 small tomato + a few thin slices green onion + cayenne pepper
Notes
- You can easily scale each version to make as many sandwiches as you like.
- Bread: Choose dense whole-grain rye bread. If you cannot find it, use pumpernickel instead. Do not use regular soft sandwich bread.
Willa M. says
Wonderful!👌
Montatip Schmidt says
Thank you for your suggestions. I will make them for my German husband in Thailand. We visited Copenhagen a few years ago We love to eat Smoerrebroed accompanied by Akvavit.
Montatip
Adina says
Hi Montatip. Thank you for the feedback, I am happy you liked the sandwiches.
Doris Strachman says
I grew up in a Danish and Norwegian home. I remember a house full of company for over thee holidays, especially christmas eve. Bow I want to serve a Smorgasbord for friends and family near Christmas like the ones we had so long ago. These recipes will be perfect along with my mother's fruit soup and Danish butter cookies and a few other things, maybe some hot glug for good measure. It all brings back some wonderful memories of over 75 years ago.
Adina says
Doris, it is so nice to read your comment. Thank you very much. I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas!
Laura says
Thank you for the lovely photos and recipes. I have had some wonderful open faced sandwiches in Sweden and Norway. I have a group of Finnish visitors coming this weekend for a poolside lunch, and I was looking for some sandwich ideas. These look perfect. Thank you.
Adina says
Thank you, Laura. Have a great time at the weekend, a poolside lunch sounds so exotic, nobody around here has a pool. 🙂 Way too cold for it!
Weather says
I wonder how you find all these recipes from all over the world. Even you know zapiekanka from Poland 😉
Sissi says
Danish open sandwiches are all the rage now, but whenever I see them they remind me how popular open sandwiches used to be in Poland (maybe it's changed now). It was the most frequent choice for the last meal of the day and students used to make open sandwiches as the main party food; some were extremely creative with both ingredients and the visual side! (Though the Polish open sandwiches are not piled so high and can be eaten with hands only). I still sometimes make open sandwiches when I want a quick snack or quick small meal... Thank you for all these great sandwich ideas!
Adina says
I was thinking of making zapiekanka for this football food series. 🙂 Polish recipe for baguettes with mushrooms, apparently quite popular in Poland.
Sissi says
Do you know zapiekanka??? It was my first fast food when I was a teenager... well before Mc Donald's opened; I sometimes make different versions of zapiekanka at home with sliced wheat bread.... always very satisfying and quick to prepare!
Anca says
I've been looking at vegetarian recipes from Denmark and I thought smørrebrød is a great option, but it seems all of them have fish/seafood. It's nice to see a vegetarian option in your recipe, it makes want to try it.
Adina says
You would love them, Anca, especially the avocado one, I could eat them every day.
Daniela Anderson says
What a lovely selection of sandwiches, so colourful, a real feast for the eyes. They all look so healthy and delicious! I think l’d go first for the smoked salmon one, it’s one of my favourite.
Eliana says
Your recipes are great, Adina, thank you ?
Adina says
Mersi, Eliana. ??