Using a humble can of smoked herring along with some other flavourful ingredients, like cream cheese, sauerkraut, briny capers, onion and dill, you can whip up the most delicious smoked herring toast that’s perfect for a quick lunch or snack.

Smoked herring fish and cream cheese on toast with sauerkraut, onion, capers and dill.

Are you a fan of canned fish?

I know we are!

Canned fish is so versatile and tasty! And there’s a whole lotta options out there besides just canned salmon or tuna (not that those aren’t delicious too).

Like most canned fish, I often enjoy smoked herring straight out of the tin, especially with a few olives on the side. Love it!

When I’m not enjoying it that way, smoked herring on toast is simply divine.

The Inspiration

I remember a while back, hubby and I were watching one of those travel/food shows and the host visited Denmark. They went to a restaurant and picked up a bunch of sandwiches and enjoyed outside. Danish sandwiches, or Smørrebrød, is a popular dish over there (and I can totally see why).

At its core, it involves a hearty bread (often Danish rye) with a good layer of butter, fish (often pickled herring or it could be processed meat) and spreads/cheeses/toppings. Essentially, you can mix and match with a bunch of different things.

And, guess what? Danish open-faced sandwiches are traditionally enjoyed with a knife and fork … there is no picking up with your hands to eat (though I do).

I’m not saying my recipe is necessarily a traditional Danish sandwich (because I did take some liberties), but this herring toast was definitely inspired by it. Bottom line, it tastes delicious and that’s essentially the end goal for me.

You know how yummy smoked salmon is with cream cheese? Well, this herring recipe is something like that.

With this open face herring sandwich, you get the smoky flavour from the herring (which are often known as “kippers” when the herring is whole and smoked). Then, there’s a generous slathering of cream cheese, along with other punchy ingredients, like sauerkraut, capers, onion and fresh dill. I mean, what’s not to love?

Fan of fish on toast? Check out my sardines on toast recipe!

Do I Have To Use Cream Cheese?

I love cream cheese with smoked fish, but if you prefer to use something else, go for it!

As mentioned above, butter is quite popular for this type of fish sandwich. Slather on some good quality butter, instead of cream cheese, if you like.

The whole idea of the butter is that it gives a good (tasty) layer so your toppings don’t make the bread soggy. But I find that cream cheese does the job just fine. Plus, these don’t last long anyway!

For a non-dairy version, drizzle with some olive oil and pile on those toppings.

Side note: those chives and dill in the pictures were pulled straight from our garden. How awesome is that?

Tips and Variations

Toast your bread on both sides (unless you are lucky enough to get your hands on Danish rye, which is hearty enough not to be toasted). This makes for a sturdy base to hold all those toppings. Soft sandwich bread is not the thing to use here.
Unless you are using Danish rye, pick a nice artisanal bread from your local bakery. Kefir bread, pumpernickel, rye or sourdough are all great options.
Don’t be cheap with the cream cheese! Give your toast a good slather. It pairs beautifully with the smoked fish. I like to use a generous 2 tablespoons per slice (more if the slices are larger).
Ensure your cream cheese is softened so it’s nice and spreadable. You can even whip it, if you like, with a small food processor.
Squeeze your sauerkraut well of excess moisture. You don’t want soggy bread here.
This recipe yields about 3 smoked herring toasts. The quantity you yield may vary, depending on how large your slices of bread are.
Fresh dill was used, but if you don’t have on hand, try dried dill.
As a different pop of flavour, try mixing in a little horseradish into your cream cheese (and ditching the sauerkraut).

Two smoked herring and cream cheese toasts next to herbs and a knife with cream cheese on it.

More Easy Canned Fish Recipes

If you make this smoked herring on toast, be sure to leave a comment below!