How to Make Meat Roses for a Charcuterie Board

Learn how to make gorgeous meat roses for a charcuterie board in 5 minutes! Using a glass & some sliced charcuterie meat, I’ll walk you through how to make a salami rose or pepperoni rose at home. (Or try it with other deli meats, too!) An easy but impressive element to elevate your ultimate charcuterie board.

What is the best meat for meat roses?

Salami & large pepperoni are 2 of the best options for charcuterie meat roses, but you can really use any deli meat—as long as the slices are round!
Deli meat flowers won’t hold together as well, so choose sturdier options like pre-sliced deli turkey or ham, or ask for thicker-cut slices at the deli counter. If needed, use a 3-4-inch biscuit cutter to cut deli meats into round slices.

What size glass should I use for meat roses?

You can make pepperoni or salami roses with any drinking glass you want, depending on how big or small you want the roses to be. Making a few different sizes of meat flowers can make your board look even more appealing!

• For a larger meat rose, use a wider-brim glass (3-4”) like a wine glass or a drinking glass.
• For smaller charcuterie roses, use a narrower glass (1.5-2.5”) like a champagne flute, a juice glass, or even a shot glass.

How many pieces of salami does it take to make a salami rose?

The exact number of slices will vary based on the diameter of your meat slices, the glass size, & how full you want the rose to be. Using a wine glass, you can make a salami rose with anywhere from 12-24+ slices of salami. The more layers you add, the more intricate your rose will look! Here’s the approximate # of slices I use:

• Salami Roses: ~20 slices for a large rose in a wine glass, ~8-10 slices in a champagne flute or shot glass.
• Pepperoni Roses: ~12 large slices (3”) for a large rose in a wine glass, ~12 standard slices (1.75”) for a small rose in a shot glass.
• Deli Meat Roses: +/10 slices for a large rose in a wine glass. (Will vary based on the size of your slices.)

How to Make a Pepperoni or Salami Rose Using a Glass

1. Fold a slice of pepperoni or salami over the rim of the glass, so half is inside & half is outside the glass. Press & hold to crease each meat slice, so it takes the shape of the glass.
2. Add the next slice so ¼-½” overlaps the first and press firmly to crease. Repeat with 1-2 more overlapping slices until the rim of the glass is covered. (Each layer will have 3-4+ slices of salami or pepperoni.)
3. To start the second layer, place the next meat slice where 2 slices overlap & crease firmly. Add 2-4 more overlapping slices to complete the second layer.
4. Complete anywhere from 3-5+ layers, until your pepperoni or salami rose is as full as you’d like. The smaller the hole in the middle of your flower gets, the fuller your meat flower will look when you flip it over!
5. When you’re done layering, gently palm the top of the glass, flip it over onto a flat surface, and lift the glass to reveal the rose.
6. If you’re prepping meat roses for a charcuterie board ahead of time, leave the glass in place after you flip to hold the flower together until you’re ready to serve. If you’re prepping them a few hours or days ahead of time, wrap everything in plastic & store it in the fridge.

How to Arrange Meat Flowers on a Charcuterie Board

Add salami roses & pepperoni roses to your charcuterie board first, as focal points you’ll build around. I included these meat roses on my Ultimate Charcuterie Board for a party—but they can also work on a simpler or smaller charcuterie board, or even on a budget charcuterie board to make it feel fancier!