Grilled Mortadella Skewers with Burrata & Italian Herb Sauce

Think mortadella's just for sandwiches? These charred skewers with creamy burrata prove it's the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer you've been sleeping on.

Creamy burrata, smoky charred meat, and crusty grilled bread that makes you wonder why you haven't been doing this your whole life!

Although mortadella tastes amazing on its own, if you throw it on a hot grill, brush it with herb-spiked Italian salsa verde, and let the edges char just enough to get crispy, you'll have a rich and hearty transformation that's difficult to beat! You've now got something that tastes wildly expensive, deeply savory, and almost aggressively satisfying.

This isn't complicated at all. You're folding thin deli slices of mortadella, sliding them onto skewers, and grilling them for four minutes or so while basting with a bright, herby sauce.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

• Super simple to make
• The taste transformation alone is stunning
• It can be a phenomenal appetizer or even a simple but pleasing main course!
• They take very little time
• Great hot or at room temperature, so timing isn't very important!

History and Origin

Mortadella comes from Bologna, Italy, where it's been a staple since at least the 1600s. It's not the stuff you remember from cheap lunch meat trays. The real deal is studded with peppercorns, pistachios, and sometimes myrtle berries, giving it a delicate spice and creamy fat that melts when heated. Italians have always known that mortadella gets better with warmth, whether draped over fresh focaccia or quickly crisped in a hot pan.

The addition of burrata and an Italian herb sauce is a tip of the hat to classic Italian antipasto spreads, but the fire element truly elevates this humble dish. It's a technique that honors tradition while making the ingredient feel completely new. The herb sauce is a variation of the Sicilian salmoriglio, which is an herbaceous Italian condiment based on olive oil, lemon and herbs.

This dish works because it takes an underestimated ingredient and applies heat, fat, and acid in perfect proportions. The result is something that feels both rustic and refined, casual enough for a backyard grill but impressive enough to lead off a dinner party.

Why This Recipe Works

The magic here is in the fold. When you accordion mortadella into thick, matchbook-sized stacks, you create layers that crisp on the outside while staying tender and fatty inside. Thin slices grilled flat would burn and dry out. But folded slices? They get beautifully charred edges with pockets of melted fat that stay juicy.

The Italian herb sauce does double duty. It's acidic and herby enough to cut through the richness of the mortadella. You're not just seasoning the meat after the fact, but building flavor with every turn of the skewer.

Burrata is the anchor. It's mild, creamy, and luxurious in a way that balances the smokiness and salt from the grill. You're not drowning it in sauce or overcomplicating the presentation. It sits there, torn open, ready to be scooped with charred meat and grilled bread. That contrast between cool cream and hot, crispy meat is what makes this special.

The bread is grilled until toasted and lightly charred, becoming the vehicle for scooping burrata and bits of mortadella, as well as soaking up any leftover sauce on the plate.

How to Make Mortadella Skewers

These simple skewers will be a new grilling staple! Make them as an appetizer anytime you fire up the grill and you'll have some happy guests. Making the Italian salsa verde is quite simple. You're just adding the ingredients and blitzing with an immersion blender (or in a blender). This is what will be painted onto the skewers of folded mortadella. The bread is just brushed with olive oil and grilled for a nice toasty flavor. The burrata just needs to be cut open and drizzled with a bit of great olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and it's time to eat! 

Ingredients

For the Italian Herb Sauce:

• Extra virgin olive oil: This is the base of your sauce. It carries flavor and helps the herbs emulsify. Use good olive oil. You'll taste it.
• Fresh lemon juice: Brightness and acidity that cuts through the fat of the mortadella and balances the richness of the burrata.
• Hot water: Helps the sauce blend smoothly and loosens it just enough to brush onto the skewers without it being too thick or oily.
• Garlic: One garlic clove adds great flavor, sharpness, and a little heat. 
• Dried oregano: Brings an herby, slightly floral note that feels distinctly Italian. 
• Fresh parsley: It's grassy, fresh, and slightly peppery.
• Fresh mint: Adds a cool, aromatic lift that keeps the sauce from feeling heavy. If you don't have mint, add more parsley, but you'll lose some complexity.
• Pinch red pepper flakes: Just enough heat to wake everything up without making it spicy.

For the Mortadella Skewers and Final Dish:

• Good bread: Sourdough, ciabatta, or any crusty bread with structure. It needs to hold up to grilling and soaking up the burrata and sauce without falling apart (so sandwich bread and brioche are poor candidates here).
• Olive oil for brushing bread: Helps it toast evenly and adds richness. Don't skimp here or the bread will dry out.
• Mortadella slices: Look for imported Italian mortadella if you can find it. It should be pale pink, finely ground, and speckled with white fat and maybe pistachios and/or black peppercorns. A quality deli counter is your best bet. You want it sliced very thin!
• Burrata: This is the creamy cheese that oozes when you tear it open. It's different from fresh mozzarella. Burrata has a soft outer shell and a cream-and-curd center. Buy it the day you plan to serve it for the best texture.If you can't find burrata, use fresh mozzarella, but know that you're losing the creamy interior that makes this dish feel special.
• Extra virgin olive oil for the burrata: Dresses the cheese and adds a glossy, luxurious finish.
• Pinch of sea salt and black pepper: Seasons the burrata simply so it doesn't compete with the other flavors.

Equipment

• Grill (gas or charcoal): You need high, direct heat to char the mortadella quickly without drying it out. A grill pan indoors works in a pinch, but you lose that smokiness from the grill.
• Metal skewers: Metal skewers conduct heat, which helps warm the inside layers of mortadella while the outside crisps. Flat skewers work best because they prevent the meat from spinning too much when you flip them.
• Immersion blender or small blender: The Italian herb sauce needs to be emulsified, not chunky. An immersion blender in a tall cup gives you control and makes cleanup easier. A regular blender works, but you might need to scrape down the sides a few times.
• Silicone basting brush: You'll be brushing the skewers multiple times on the grill. Silicone brushes handle high heat better and don't shed bristles into your food.
• Tongs: For flipping skewers and pulling bread off the grill without burning your hands.

If you don't have metal skewers, you can soak bamboo or wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before skewering and grilling the meat. They will likely still burn a bit on the ends, but they will work.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Italian Herb Sauce

• To make the Italian salsa verde, add the olive oil, lemon juice, hot water, garlic, oregano, parsley, mint, and red pepper flakes to a cup that you can use your immersion blender in or add the ingredients to a blender. Thoroughly blend, then place the sauce into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The sauce should be quite thin but will thicken a bit in the fridge.

Prep the Grill and Toast the Bread

• Start the grill. It should be on medium-high to high heat. Add the oiled bread to the grill and let it toast for about a minute per side. Remove and set aside. 

Fold and Skewer the Mortadella Slices:

• Fold the thin mortadella slices into a matchbook sized piece with several folds. Slide them onto skewers (we like 3 skewers of 8 pieces each).
• Remove the salsa verde from the refrigerator and give it another blast with the immersion blender or blender. Brush all sides of the mortadella with the salsa verde.

Grill the Skewers:

• Place the skewers on the grill and brush with the salsa verde. Turn the skewers after about a minute and note the color. The mortadella should be charred on the edges but not burned. Each time you turn the skewers, brush with more herb sauce. Turn a total of three times brushing each time and when they come off the grill, brush again generously with the sauce.

Plate and Serve:

• Place the burrata on a plate and dress with the remaining extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Place the skewers on the plate, or remove (if desired) the mortadella from the skewers and plate around the burrata and with the grilled bread. Serve with a side of extra Italian Herb Sauce.

How to Know When It's Done

The mortadella is ready when the edges are charred and slightly crispy, but the interior still looks juicy and soft. If it starts to look dried out or uniformly brown without any char, you've gone too far. The goal is contrast: crispy outside, tender inside.

The burrata should be at room temperature or just slightly cool. If it's straight from the fridge, it won't have that creamy, spreadable texture you're after. Let it sit out for 20 minutes before serving. When you tear it open, the interior should ooze out like thick cream, not hold its shape like mozzarella.

The grilled bread should have visible char marks and a crispy surface, but when you press on it, there should still be some give. 

Variations and Substitutions

• Add pistachios to the salsa verde. Blend in a tablespoon of toasted pistachios for texture and a nutty richness that mirrors the pistachios often found in good mortadella.
• Use fresh mozzarella instead of burrata. It's not as creamy, but it still works. Tear it into chunks and drizzle with olive oil and salt just like you would with burrata.
• Grill stone fruit alongside the skewers. Halved peaches or nectarines get caramelized and sweet on the grill, and they pair beautifully with the savory mortadella and creamy cheese.
• Make it a full meal. Serve the skewers over a bed of dressed greens or with a side of creamy polenta. The richness plays well with something starchy and comforting.

Storage

How to store leftover mortadella skewers:

• This dish is best eaten immediately, but if you have leftovers, store the grilled mortadella and burrata separately. The mortadella will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, but it won't be crispy anymore. The burrata should be eaten within 24 hours or it starts to lose its creamy texture and turns rubbery.
• The Italian herb sauce stores beautifully. Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. The flavors actually get better after a day or two. Just give it a stir or quick blend before using.

How to serve leftover mortadella skewers:

• To reheat the mortadella, throw it back on a hot grill or in a screaming hot cast iron skillet for a minute per side. 

Can you freeze leftover mortadella skewers?

• Freezing leftovers is not recommended for this recipe.

Leftover Transformations

This isn't the kind of dish you plan to have leftovers from, but if you do, the components are versatile enough to show up in completely different meals without feeling like you're eating the same thing twice. The smoky, herby, creamy flavors adapt to almost anything.

Breakfast upgrade. Chop the leftover mortadella and toss it into scrambled eggs with a spoonful of the herb sauce. 

Build a sandwich. Layer the mortadella, burrata, arugula, and herb sauce on crusty bread. It's an elevated deli sandwich that feels restaurant-quality.

Add it to pasta. Toss hot pasta with torn burrata, chopped mortadella, salsa verde, and a splash of pasta water. The cheese melts into a creamy sauce and the mortadella adds texture and salt.

Top a pizza. Use the mortadella and burrata as toppings on a simple pizza with olive oil, garlic, and arugula. The char from the grill adds a smoky depth that you can't get from raw deli meat.

What to serve with Mortadella Skewers

Serve this with a simple arugula salad dressed in lemon and olive oil, or roasted cherry tomatoes that you can smash onto the grilled bread. Both add brightness and acidity that complement the smoky, fatty skewers without competing for attention.

This is a great summertime party recipe that you can throw together in a flash if needed. It's rich and filling and can stand on its own, or serve it with an appetizer spread or as the centerpiece of a charcuterie board. 

What Wines To Drink with Mortadella Skewers

This appetizer screams for sparkling wine. Prosecco or Spanish cava both have enough acidity to cut through the richness of the mortadella and burrata without overwhelming the delicate flavors. If you want something still, go with a crisp white like Vermentino or a light-bodied rosé. The fruit and acidity balance the char and fat beautifully.

Beer works too. A pilsner or Italian lager keeps things refreshing and doesn't compete with the herbs in the salsa verde. Avoid anything too hoppy or heavy. You want something clean that resets your palate between bites.

For non-alcoholic options, try a sparkling lemonade with fresh herbs or iced tea. The tartness mimics what wine would do, cutting through the richness and keeping your mouth from feeling coated.