Quick answer: A Spanish charcuterie board is built on jamón, two or three cured sausages (chorizo, salchichón, lomo), Manchego cut in thin wedges, olives, picos (crunchy breadsticks) and one tin of conservas. Plan about 2 oz of jamón per guest when it is one of several starters, and 3 to 4 oz when it is the star. Serve everything at room temperature, ham first, sausages next, cheese last. Cheese and sliced ham are Florida only; whole sausages, olives, picos, tinned fish and oil ship nationwide.
Americans already know how to build a board. What changes in Spain is the logic: fewer things, better things, and nothing hidden under jam and crackers. A Spanish board is not decoration. It is the aperitivo before a meal, or the whole meal on a night when nobody wants to cook. In my family’s Christmas, jamón, cheese and embutidos with picos come out first, before anything else touches the table.
What goes on a Spanish charcuterie board?
Six groups, and you do not need all of them:
| Group | What to put | Spanish idea |
|---|---|---|
| Jamón | Hand-carved slices, laid loosely | The center of the board. Ibérico if you can, Serrano is fine |
| Embutidos (cured sausages) | Chorizo, salchichón, lomo | Sliced thin, a little thicker than jamón |
| Cheese | Manchego DOP, 3 to 6 months, in thin wedges | One cheese, not five |
| Olives and pickles | Olives (stuffed or plain), maybe a few pickled guindillas | Salt and acid between the fat |
| Bread | Picos, regañás, or sliced baguette with tomato | Something crunchy and neutral |
| Conservas (tinned fish) | Mussels in escabeche, sardines, cockles | One tin, opened and set on the board in its tin |
Skip the jam, the honey and the six kinds of crackers. Olive oil goes in a small bowl for the bread, and that is all the sauce a Spanish board needs.
In what order do you eat a Spanish board?
Lightest first, heaviest last, the same way you would taste wine.
- Olives and picos, while people sit down.
- Jamón, because it is delicate and the flavor disappears next to strong sausage. The first slice goes straight from the plate to the mouth, with nothing on it.
- Lomo, salchichón, then chorizo. Chorizo is the strongest, and it stays for last among the meats.
- Cheese. Manchego closes the meat, with a few almonds if you have them.
- A tin of conservas wherever it fits: mussels with a toothpick, a sardine on a pico.
How do you cut and arrange everything?
- Jamón. Lay the slices overlapping loosely, not rolled and not stacked. Jamón is cut thin enough that you can almost see the plate through it, and it breaks if you pile it. If it comes in a vacuum pouch, take it out of the fridge about 15 to 20 minutes before serving: cold fat is hard and has no taste; at room temperature it melts on the tongue.
- Chorizo and salchichón. Slices about as thick as a coin. For a whole piece, peel the casing before you cut.
- Manchego. Cut the wedge into thin triangles, starting at the point, so everyone gets rind and paste. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before. A cold cheese tastes of nothing.
- Olives. In a small bowl with a second bowl next to it for the pits. Always.
- Picos. In a basket or a tall glass, so they do not get soft.
- Conservas. Open the tin and put it on the board. The tin is part of the look.
To learn the cuts of a whole leg, see how to carve Spanish ham. For the cheese, our Manchego guide explains the ages.
How much charcuterie do you need per person?
The number everyone asks for. For jamón we use the same planning figure as in our guide on how to buy Spanish ham: about 2 oz (55 g) per person when the ham is one of several starters, and 3 to 4 oz when it is the star of the table.
For the rest, this is what I plan:
| Item | Per person, as one of several starters |
|---|---|
| Jamón | 2 oz |
| Cured sausages (all kinds together) | 1.5 to 2 oz |
| Manchego | 1.5 to 2 oz |
| Olives | A handful, about 6 to 8 olives |
| Picos | 4 to 5 sticks |
If the board is the whole dinner, double the meat and cheese. A bocadillo of jamón with tomato later in the evening is always a good idea.
What goes on a Christmas or New Year’s Eve board?
The board is the same, with the holidays on top. For Nochebuena, December 24, we start with the aperitivo: jamón, cheese and embutidos with picos and regañás, and langostinos. For a holiday charcuterie board, I would add:
- A tin of conservas you do not usually serve: Conservas de Cambados Zamburiñas ($12.95) or Paco Lafuente cockles ($14.95).
- Piquillo peppers, red and sweet: La Catedral de Navarra whole piquillos ($18.95).
- Turrón at the end, on the same board or next to it: Alemany Soft Jijona ($24.95). Our guide to Spanish Christmas food explains the rest of the table.
- On New Year’s Eve, the board is the thing people pick at while they wait for midnight. Keep it easy to eat with the fingers, nothing messy, and leave the dishes for after the twelve grapes.
In Florida, the easiest shortcut is the Spanish Christmas Tapas Box with Ibérico Ham & Olive Oil ($149, Florida only): hand-carved Ibérico ham, cheese, olive oil and turrón, already put together. Outside Florida, build the board below from what travels.
A Spanish board for 8, with today’s prices
This is the board I would put together for 8 people as one of several starters. Quantities are at 2 oz of jamón per guest; the rest follow the table above.
| Item | Product | Price | Where it ships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamón, 5 plates (17.5 oz) | Cortijo de Canata Serrano Ham, Ready-to-Serve Plate 3.5 oz, 5 × $14.95 | $74.75 | Florida only |
| Jamón, an Ibérico step up | Beher Ibérico Cebo de Campo Hand-Carved 3 oz ($34.95) or Cinco Jotas Hand-Carved 3 oz ($64.95), for a few special plates | $34.95 / $64.95 each | Florida only |
| Chorizo | Goikoa Chorizo, Not Spicy, 7.4 oz | $14.95 | Nationwide |
| Salchichón | Covap 100% Ibérico de Bellota Salchichón, 6 oz | $29.95 | Nationwide |
| Manchego | Vega Mancha Manchego DOP, 6 Months, 1 lb Wedge | $31.95 | Florida only |
| Olives | Jolca Pitted Seville Olives, 12.3 oz ($6.49) and Jolca Olives Stuffed with Anchovy ($6.95) | $13.44 | Nationwide |
| Picos | Obando Picos Utreranos, 4.9 oz | $7.95 | Nationwide |
| Conservas | Ramón Peña Small Sardines in Olive Oil ($8.95) and Paco Lafuente Mussels in Escabeche ($10.95) | $19.90 | Nationwide |
| Oil for the bread | Palacio de los Olivos Picual, 500 ml | $29.95 | Nationwide |
In Florida: all of the above, about $193 without the oil and the Ibérico step up. Outside Florida: chorizo, salchichón, olives, picos, tinned fish and oil, about $116 with the oil. Serve it with ham carved from a whole leg (the Serrano Ham Starter Kit with Stand & Knife, $289, ships nationwide) and a Manchego DOP bought in a shop near you.
For one splurge piece, the Cinco Jotas Lomo (1 lb, $139) and the Beher Ibérico de Bellota Chorizo Cular (1 lb, $56.95) are whole pieces that ship nationwide. See all our chorizo and embutidos, Spanish cheese and olives and pickles.
How should you store the pieces?
A whole sausage that is closed and uncut does not need the fridge; keep it in a cool, dry place. Once you cut it, wrap the cut end. Sliced packs of jamón or sausage go in the fridge until 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Cheese lives in the fridge, in its paper or a container, and comes out half an hour before the board. A ham on its stand stays in the kitchen, covered with baking paper and a cloth, for 3 to 6 weeks. The ham storage guide has the details.
What do you drink with a Spanish board?
We do not sell alcohol, but I will tell you what I would pour. With jamón and cheese: a dry fino sherry, served cold, or a young Spanish red such as a Rioja joven. A cold sidra (Spanish cider) goes with everything on the board and is how we start dinner at home. For New Year’s Eve, a glass of sparkling wine is the usual choice. For anyone not drinking, a cold sparkling water with a slice of orange, and for the morning after, thick hot chocolate: the Marcos Tonda drinking chocolate ($9.95) ships nationwide.
Frequently asked questions
What is on a Spanish charcuterie board?
Jamón, cured sausages (chorizo, salchichón, lomo), Manchego, olives, picos and a tin of conservas. No jam and no soft cheese.
How much charcuterie per person?
About 2 oz of jamón per person when it is one of several starters, 3 to 4 oz when it is the main event, plus about 1.5 to 2 oz each of sausages and cheese. Double the meat and cheese if the board replaces dinner.
What order should I eat a charcuterie board?
Olives first, then jamón, then lomo, salchichón and chorizo, then cheese. Lightest to strongest.
Does a Spanish board need to be in the fridge?
No. A whole cured sausage, closed, needs no fridge, and a ham on its stand is kept in the kitchen. Sliced packs and cheese do need the fridge; take them out 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Can I order the board’s meats and cheese anywhere in the US?
Whole ham, whole cured sausages, olives, picos, oil and tinned fish ship to the US except Alaska and Hawaii. Cheese, sliced ham and the Christmas Tapas Box are Florida only for now.
What easy tapas can I add to the board?
Piquillo peppers, a tin of mussels, olives stuffed with anchovy and slices of bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil take five minutes and need no cooking.
Can I make a Christmas charcuterie board in advance?
Cut the cheese and the sausage a couple of hours before, cover them with a damp cloth and keep the jamón for the last moment, on the table at room temperature.
