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Smørrebrød

Dense rye bread piled high with herring, roast beef, or shrimp and arranged like edible art — Denmark’s famous open-faced sandwich.

⏱ 25 minPrep time
🔥 5 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
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Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød are Denmark’s legendary open-faced sandwiches: dark rugbrød buttered edge to edge and piled high with a single, carefully composed topping — herring with onion and egg, roast beef with remoulade and crispy onions, or shrimp with lemon and dill.

They are eaten with knife and fork, not fingers, and traditionally enjoyed with snaps or beer. A proper smørrebrød is architecture on bread: each layer chosen for texture, color and contrast.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Butter each slice of rye bread generously, edge to edge — this seals the bread against the toppings.
  2. Build the herring toasts: curls of herring topped with egg slices and red onion rings.
  3. Build the beef toasts: roast beef folded into ribbons, topped with remoulade and crispy onions.
  4. Build the shrimp toasts: shrimp tossed with mayonnaise, finished with a lemon wedge and dill.
  5. Arrange all on a platter and serve immediately, with knife and fork — smørrebrød is eaten with utensils, never fingers.

💡 Chef tips & storage

One topping per toast is the rule — smørrebrød is about composition, not overload. Prepare the toasts just before serving so the bread stays crisp.

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Recipe details

Prep25 min
Cook5 min
Servings4
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →