This smoked salmon and cream cheese pintxo is typical in the Basque Country and is absolutely delicious. This is such a simple and amazing appetizer that you'll want to make it all the time!
If you love tasty Spanish tapas, try these recipes for fried goat cheese with honey and shrimp in whiskey sauce.
Introduction
Pintxos are Basque appetizers with style. Every tapas bar in the PaÃs Vasco, from San Sebastian to Bilbao, has counters filled with these tasty morsels and hordes of locals chowing down.
In their most simple form, a pintxo is a slice of crusty baguette topped with something savory. It can be as easy as a piece of tortilla with mayo, or as creative as a piece of foodie art! The beauty of pintxos is their versatility. One of them can be a snack, and a plate can make a meal. When locals hit the town, they do a classic pintxo crawl and hit up a few different bars, sampling the best bite at each one.
But back at home, pintxos are perfect for guests. When you have people coming over and need to feed them quickly, these bites are your best friend. They're quick to make, taste great, and always impress!
Ingredients
This smoked salmon and cream cheese pintxo is a Basque classic. All you need is a handful of simple ingredients.
- Bread: You can experiment with different kinds of bread here, but in Basque Country, a hearty baguette is the most commonly used.
- Salmon: If you can't find smoked salmon (or it's too pricey) try smoked trout. It's a common substitute in Spain, and you can barely tell the difference. Other smoked fish, such as cod, could also work.
- Cream Cheese: If you prefer, try another creamy spreadable cheese, such as mascarpone.
- Toppings: You can get creative here! From the black sesame seeds (pictured) to a skewer with pickled vegetables, hard-boiled egg, and more -- feel free to experiment.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Salmon & Cream Cheese Pintxo
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Slice a baguette and lightly toast the slices in the oven. (image 1)
- Spread a generous amount of cream cheese on each slice. (image 2)
- Top with the thinly sliced, cold smoked salmon. (image 3)
- Garnish as desired with lemon slices, fresh parsley, or any other Basque-inspired topping you want to try. Enjoy immediately! (image 4)
Recipe FAQs
Pintxos is the Basque equivalent of the Spanish word pincho, which means "toothpick." This refers to the toothpicks used to hold these small, bite-sized appetizers together.
Tapas are simply a small plate or serving of what could be a larger meal, while pintxos are small slices of bread decorated with simple or complex toppings often held in place with a toothpick. It's possible that a pintxo could be a tapa if you eat enough of them!
I wouldn't recommend assembling the pintxos in advance, as the bread will quickly get soggy from the cream cheese on top. However, you can definitely slice and toast the bread in advance, and prep the salmon and garnishes to make assembly quick and easy.
Serve
You can make this smoked salmon and cream cheese pintxo as a snack, an easy appetizer, or serve it with some of my other authentic pintxo recipes for a night of Basque cuisine! Some of my favorites are goat cheese and caramelized onion pintxo, gambas al ajillo pintxo, and piquillo stuffed peppers.
Expert Tips
- Use good, cold-smoked smoked salmon (also called Nova lox). The slices are usually layered on top of each other, so peel them apart gently. If you buy the fillet whole, use a sharp knife to slice it horizontally when it's cold from the fridge.
- If you can't find smoked salmon or it's too pricey, here in Spain we often substitute smoked trout. It's delicious!
- Pintxos in Basque Country are often as beautiful as they are delicious. To make this simple pintxo exciting, you can put some optional toppings on a decorative toothpick and spear the skewer into the center of the pintxo.
- Optional toppings: I love making a skewer with a couple of olives, a good quality anchovy, a hard-boiled quail egg (or a quarter of a hard-boiled chicken egg), and a small piece of pickle. Options that are popular in the Basque country include salted anchovies, caviar, pickles, and capers.
More Easy Pintxos Recipes
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Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Pintxo
Ingredients
For the Pintxos
- 1 baguette
- 1 pound cold-smoked salmon also called Nova Lox
- 1 pound cream cheese
Optional Garnishes
- 1 lemon sliced into thin wedges
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (160°C).
- Slice the baguette into â…“-inch thick pieces and arrange them on a baking tray. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
- Generously spread the cream cheese on each slice of baguette. Cut the slices or fillet of salmon into pieces the size of the bread slices, and layer over the cream cheese.
- Garnish each pintxo with a few fresh parsley leaves and a thin slice of lemon and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use good, cold-smoked smoked salmon (also called Nova lox). The slices are usually layered on top of each other, so peel them apart gently. If you buy the fillet whole, use a sharp knife to slice it horizontally when it's cold from the fridge.
- If you can't find smoked salmon or it's too pricey, here in Spain we often substitute smoked trout. It's delicious!
- Pintxos in Basque Country are often as beautiful as they are delicious. To make this simple pintxo exciting, you can put some optional toppings on a decorative toothpick and spear the skewer into the center of the pintxo.Â
- Optional toppings: I love making a skewer with a couple of olives, a good quality anchovy, a hard-boiled quail egg (or a quarter of a hard-boiled chicken egg), and a small piece of pickle. Options that are popular in the Basque country include salted anchovies, caviar, pickles, and capers.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
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