How to Make a Charcuterie Board (Step-by-Step Guide)

Finished charcuterie board on a wooden board with brie, sharp cheddar, Manchego, Genoa salami, soppressata, prosciutto, red grapes, crackers, olives, fig jam, honey, dried apricots and almonds

To make a charcuterie board, set out a few small bowls first, add the cheeses, fold the meats in between, then fill the rest of the board with crackers, fruit and nuts until almost no wood shows. There is no cooking and no special equipment: a wooden board or a large cutting board and a small knife are all you need.

This guide covers what to buy, how much you need per person and the seven steps behind every board idea on this site, with a photo of each stage. The board in the photos uses only classic grocery-store foods: three cheeses, three meats, two kinds of crackers, grapes, olives, jam, honey, dried apricots and almonds.

From my kitchen

I've made charcuterie boards before, and I keep the shopping simple. I usually go to Aldi, Publix or Walmart, and between those three I can find everything I need. Aldi has a really good selection of cheeses and meats. If I can't find a meat there, Publix usually has it, and Walmart covers the small things: crackers, pickles, jams, sauces, chips and pretzels. (Publix is a Southeast chain, so if there isn't one near you, check another big grocery store.)

I build on a plain wood board. It's simple, easy to clean, cheap to buy and easy to store, and one board works for all kinds of charcuterie boards and platters.

My advice for your first board: keep it simple and don't try to overdo it. The more boards you make, the more your creative side comes out, and you'll get a feel for how a board goes together.

What to put on a charcuterie board

A good board mixes something salty, something creamy, something crunchy and something sweet. Pick a few things from each group:

Cured meats: Genoa or hard salami, soppressata, prosciutto or pepperoni. Buy them already sliced.
Cheeses: one soft (brie), one firm (sharp cheddar, gouda or pepper jack) and one hard or aged (Manchego or an aged cheddar).
Crackers and bread: two kinds, such as round crackers and square crackers, or a sliced baguette.
Fruit: red or green grapes, berries, dried apricots or dried figs.
Something briny: green olives, cornichons or dill pickles.
Something sweet to spread: fig jam, honey or pepper jelly.
Something small for the gaps: almonds, pecans or a few pieces of dark chocolate.

Not sure which cheeses to choose? See the best cheese for a charcuterie board.

How much charcuterie per person?

For an appetizer, plan on about 2 ounces of meat and 1 to 2 ounces of cheese per person. If the board is the meal, double it. Round up when you shop, especially for a crowd.

Guests	Meat	Cheese
4	8 oz	4 to 8 oz
8	1 lb	8 oz to 1 lb
12	1 1/2 lb	12 oz to 1 1/2 lb
20	2 1/2 lb	1 1/4 to 2 1/2 lb

Amounts are for an appetizer board. Double them when the board is dinner.

How to build a charcuterie board, step by step

Here is the board in the photos below. It serves 8 to 10 people as an appetizer.

What's on the board

1 wooden board, about 14 x 20 inches.
3 small bowls.
8 oz brie (a small round), left whole.
8 oz sharp cheddar (a block), sliced (about 15 slices).
5 oz Manchego (a wedge), cut into triangles (about 6).
8 oz sliced Genoa salami (about 20 slices), folded.
4 oz sliced soppressata (about 12 slices).
3 oz prosciutto (about 6 slices).
1 lb red grapes, snipped into 4 small bunches.
12 green olives, in a bowl.
1/4 cup fig jam, in a bowl.
1/4 cup honey, in a bowl.
40 round crackers and 14 square crackers.
12 dried apricots.
2 oz almonds.

Step 1: Pick the board

Empty rectangular wooden board on a white marble counter, ready for building a charcuterie board

Use a wooden board, a large cutting board or a platter. A board about 12 x 16 inches holds a spread for 4 to 6 people. For 8 to 10, go up to about 14 x 20 inches, or line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

Pick a board the food will just about cover. A board that is too big looks sparse, even with plenty of food on it.

Step 2: Set out the bowls

Wooden board with three small bowls of fig jam, honey and green olives spread apart, the first step of a charcuterie board

Fill two or three small bowls with anything wet, sticky or likely to roll: jam, honey, olives, pickles or a dip. Set them down first, spread apart in a loose triangle.

The bowls anchor the layout, and they keep juice and honey away from the crackers.

Step 3: Add the cheeses

Charcuterie board in progress with a whole brie, sliced sharp cheddar and Manchego triangles placed between three small bowls

Place the cheeses next, spaced apart so each area of the board has one. Leave a brie whole, shingle slices of cheddar in a row, and cut a wedge of Manchego into thin triangles.

Cutting each cheese a different way makes the board look fuller and tells guests how to take a piece.

Step 4: Add the meats

Charcuterie board in progress with a winding river of folded Genoa salami, soppressata and prosciutto added between the cheeses

Fold the salami in half and in half again, then run it in a winding river through the middle of the board, between the cheeses. Shingle the soppressata in a short overlapping row, and drape the prosciutto in loose ribbons so the slices don't stick together.

For a party, a salami rose makes a pretty centerpiece, but plain folded salami is all an everyday board needs.

Step 5: Add the crackers

Charcuterie board in progress with rows of round and square crackers added along the edges

Line two kinds of crackers in short rows along the edges and next to the cheeses. Keep them away from the bowls so they stay crisp.

You don't need to fit every cracker on the board. Keep the rest in the box and refill as people eat.

Step 6: Add the fruit

Charcuterie board in progress with small bunches of red grapes tucked into the open spaces

Snip the grapes into small bunches and tuck them into the biggest open spaces. Small bunches are easier to grab than one big pile, and they spread color across the board.

Step 7: Fill the gaps

Finished charcuterie board with brie, cheddar, Manchego, salami, soppressata, prosciutto, grapes, crackers, olives, jam, honey, dried apricots and almonds

Tuck dried apricots and almonds into every small gap until almost no board shows. Then step back and look: if one side looks bare, move a few crackers or grapes there.

That's it. Set out a cheese knife for the brie and the board is ready.

How to arrange a charcuterie board

A board looks full and is easy to eat from when each food is spread around it, not grouped in one corner. A few simple rules do most of the work:

Big things first, small things last. Bowls and cheeses set the layout, and crackers, fruit and nuts fill in around them.
Spread each food around. Put the cheeses in different areas and repeat colors, like grapes on both ends, so the board looks balanced.
Use odd numbers. Three cheeses or three bowls look more natural than two or four.
Make a salami river. One winding line of folded meat through the middle ties the whole board together.
Keep dry foods next to dry foods. Crackers go beside cheese and meat, never against olives, jam or juicy fruit.
Make every piece easy to grab. Slice firm cheeses, fold the meats and snip the grapes, so nobody has to cut anything except the brie.

A simple charcuterie board layout. The numbers match the steps above.

The board.
Bowls, spread apart in a loose triangle.
Cheeses, one in each area of the board.
A winding river of salami, with the other meats beside it.
Crackers in short rows along the edges, away from the bowls.
Grape bunches in the biggest open spaces.
Apricots and almonds in the last small gaps.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for charcuterie?

The 3-3-3 rule means three meats, three cheeses and three accompaniments, such as crackers, fruit and a spread. Some guides add a fourth group of three carbs and call it the 3-3-3-3 rule. It's a guideline, not a requirement: a small board can use two of each.

The board in this guide follows it: Genoa salami, soppressata and prosciutto; brie, sharp cheddar and Manchego; and crackers, grapes, olives, jam, honey, apricots and almonds as the extras.

How far ahead can you make a charcuterie board?

Build everything except the crackers up to 3 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. Add the crackers right before serving so they stay crisp.

Take the board out of the fridge about 30 minutes before guests arrive so the cheese softens and tastes its best.

The USDA's food-safety rule is that perishable food like meat and cheese shouldn't sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F (USDA FSIS). Count the 30 minutes before guests arrive as part of that time, and refill from the fridge instead of leaving one board out all night.

What not to put on a charcuterie board

Loose wet foods. Olives, pickles, jam and dips belong in bowls, or their juice soaks into the crackers and bread.
Apples and pears cut too early. They turn brown after they're cut, so slice them right before serving.
Foods that need a fork. Saucy meatballs, salads and anything runny are hard to eat standing up.
Too much of the same thing. Three kinds of salami taste alike. Pair one salami with a softer meat like prosciutto instead.

Charcuterie board ideas for every occasion

Once you know the basic steps, every board on this site uses the same method with a different theme. Pick one for your next get-together:

Everyday boards

Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving

Christmas and winter

New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day

Charcuterie board FAQ

What is the difference between a charcuterie board and a cheese board?

Charcuterie is the French word for cured and prepared meats, such as ham, sausage and pâté, so a true charcuterie board is built around meat, and a cheese board is built around cheese. Most boards in the US mix both, with crackers, fruit and spreads, and people call that a charcuterie board too.

What kind of board is best for charcuterie?

A wooden board is the most common choice: it's affordable, easy to wash by hand and works for any kind of board. Marble and slate look nice, but they're heavier and can chip. A large cutting board or a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper works too.

How do you keep crackers from getting soggy on a charcuterie board?

Keep wet foods like olives, jam and pickles in small bowls, set the crackers next to dry foods like cheese and salami, and add the crackers right before serving. Keep extra crackers in the box and refill as they run low.

Should you cut the cheese before putting it on the board?

Slice or cube firm cheeses like cheddar and Manchego ahead so they're easy to grab. A soft cheese like brie can stay whole with a small knife beside it, so guests cut their own.

How many items should be on a charcuterie board?

A good starting point is two or three cheeses, two or three meats, one or two kinds of crackers and two to four extras like fruit, olives, jam and nuts. That's about 8 to 12 items: plenty of variety without overdoing it.

Spot something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it. See how we check our content.

How to Make a Charcuterie Board