These Charcuterie Skewers are a super fun Appetizer for parties and for the Holidays. They're hand held, bite sized antipasto and they combine meat, cheese and veggies-all on a stick. Plus, no cooking involved!
I recently made these for a Christmas party and everyone was obsessed with them. They're great for a holiday appetizer, because they're light and they don't fill everyone up with carbs before dinner.
I found the cute gingerbread skewers at Hobby Lobby for just a few dollars. These Antipasto skewers are great for the Holidays, but also year round for parties, baby showers, etc.
If you love Italian appetizers, don't miss out on this Goat Cheese Crostini, Mini Meatballs, and Caprese Burrata.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Easy Prep. Most of the prep work is opening jars, cans and peeling plastic. No heavy chopping required!
- No Cooking or Baking. This appetizer involves fresh meats, cheese and veggies with no cooking or baking required.
- Prep it ahead. If you have a busy day planned, prep it ahead and wrap it in plastic wrap. Right before the party, pull it from the fridge and serve.
- Great for parties. It's fantastic to feed a crowd and everyone can grab a skewer while chatting. These Charcuterie kabobs feature bite sized meats, cheese and veggies that are easy for everyone to eat.
For more no bake appetizers, try this Green Onion Dip, Turkey and Cheese Roll Ups, and Mango Pico de Gallo.
Ingredients:
Meats: Salami and Prosciutto are great for this recipe. One slice of salami folds really well to fit on the skewer and I use about ⅓ piece of prosciutto on each one. I like the mix of both because I always expect to see those two on a Classic Charcuterie board.
Artichokes: Canned artichokes have a tangy taste that pairs really well with these other ingredients. I suggest buying the quartered artichoke hearts because they're already the perfect size to fit onto these Charcuterie sticks.
Roasted Red Peppers: Bring in a slight smoky taste and so much flavor without any heat. Look for roasted red bell peppers in a jar or roasted piquillo peppers in a can. Both pack really nice sweet flavors and are similar in size and texture.
Olives: Salty, sometimes bitter and a must have addition for antipasto and charcuterie boards.
Mozzarella: An Italian semi-soft cheese with a mild creamy flavor. The mozzarella balls work wonders in this recipe. I used the BelGioioso Brand, which was delicious and tastes very authentic. If you can't find the balls, just chop a block into bite sized pieces.
Balsamic Glaze: Thick sweet and acidic glaze that finishes off each skewer in the best way!
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
You can use any of your favorite meats for these skewers. Prosciutto and Salami are my personal favorites, but Sopressata or Capocollo would be great too.
Want some heat? Substitute the roasted red peppers with a spicier version, like peppadews or hot cherry peppers.
Not big on Mozzarella? Slide on a cube of brie or cheddar cheese.
For the olives, substitute the green olives with your favorite olives. Black, kalamata, marinated, these are all fine, just make sure the olives have no pits and are whole to fit easily on the skewers.
Love tomatoes? Add some small bite sized tomatoes on too.
How to Make Charcuterie Skewers:
Step 1: Slice the roasted red peppers into small bite size squares.
Step 2: Drain the liquid from the roasted red peppers, olives, artichokes and mozzarella and pat dry, making sure nothing is soaked in juices.
Step 3: Take a skewer and alternate between salami and prosciutto. Then, slide on the artichoke, mozzarella cheese, olive, and finally the roasted red pepper.
Step 4: Optional: Arrange in a circular shape to form a wreath. Place the balsamic glaze in a bowl in the center or on the side. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Make sure the ingredients are all really drained and dry before starting the skewers. Also, you want everything bite size, so cut the ingredients accordingly.
- I like making the same pattern on each stick and shape them in a circular shape to form wreath, but that's up to you and not entirely necessary.
- Place the mozzarella between the olives and artichokes, so they don't turn red from the peppers.
- Either serve the balsamic separately or drizzle on right before serving. When it soaks into the cheese, it looks unpleasant to me, so I serve it on the side and guests can drizzle it on themselves before eating.
Looking for main courses to pair with this appetizer? Try this Spaghetti with Alfredo Sauce, Crusted Chicken Romano, Pizza with Same Day Pizza Dough and Garlic Risotto.
Recipe FAQs:
I always avoid using fruits that can turn brown, like apples. Also, it's incredibly important to get the liquids out of the ingredients. Olives, artichokes, etc. all have a lot of juice and you don't want it flooding the other ingredients. Don't put anything really spicy on the board without letting people know and avoid pungent cheeses that might throw people off or smell a little funky.
Absolutely! Don't pour over the balsamic glaze until serving or just serve it on the side. Wrap the tray in plastic wrap up to a day ahead and keep it in the fridge until serving.
Store the leftovers in the fridge and eat as a snack for the next few days or throw all the ingredients into a salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
More Easy Appetizers You Will Love:
If you tried this Charcuterie Skewers Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Charcuterie Skewers
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 30 skewers 1x
Description
These Charcuterie Skewers are a super fun Appetizer for parties and for the Holidays. They're hand held, bite sized antipasto and they combine meat, cheese and veggies-all on one stick. Plus, no cooking involved!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces of thinly sliced salami, about 15 slices
- 3 ounces of prosciutto slices, tear each slice into about 3 pieces and use 1 piece per skewer
- 1 cup whole olives with no pits (green, black or kalamata)
- 14 ounce can of quartered artichokes, drained
- 10-12 ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained
- 8 ounces of small mozzarella cheese balls or block cut into bite size cubes
- ¼ cup of balsamic glaze for serving
- Wooden Skewers
Instructions
- Slice the roasted red peppers into small bite size squares.
- Drain the liquid from the roasted red peppers, olives, artichokes and mozzarella and pat dry, making sure nothing is soaked in juices.
- Take a skewer and alternate between salami and prosciutto. Then, slide on the artichoke, mozzarella cheese, olive, and finally the roasted red pepper.
- Optional: Arrange in a circular shape to form a wreath. Place the balsamic glaze in a bowl in the center or on the side.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure the ingredients are all really drained and dry before starting the skewers. Also, you want everything bite size, so cut the ingredients accordingly.
- I like making the same pattern on each stick and shape them in a circular shape to form wreath, but that's up to you and not entirely necessary.
- Place the mozzarella between the olives and artichokes, so they don't turn red from the peppers.
- Either serve the balsamic separately or drizzle on right before serving. When it soaks into the cheese, it looks unpleasant to me, so I serve it on the side and guests can drizzle it on themselves before eating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Holly
This are so yummy and went over so well at our party! Thank you!
Tara Smithson
Yay! They are really great at parties! I almost like them better than charcuterie boards because they're a lot more approachable. People just grab them and go.