Swedish Shrimp Sandwich (Räksmörgås)
By Middagsarkivet
- Easy
- 4 servings
The räksmörgås is what a Swedish café serves when someone wants lunch and not just coffee. It sits in the glass case next to the cinnamon buns, piled so high that the bread underneath is a formality, and it costs about as much as a plate of hot food. Train station kiosks, hotel breakfast buffets and archipelago boat cafés all make a version, and the shrimp are always cold, never warm.
The shrimp in Sweden are small cold-water shrimp, hand-peeled and sold by the bag. In an American supermarket the closest match is the small cooked bay shrimp in the freezer case or at the fish counter, sometimes labeled salad shrimp. Thaw them in the refrigerator and drain them well, because waterlogged shrimp will turn the mayonnaise into soup.
The bread is a matter of local habit. Many cafés use a soft light rye or a slice of white sourdough; purists want a dense dark rye. Whatever you use, it gets a thick layer of cold butter, which keeps the bread from going soggy and is not negotiable.
How to make it
- 1
Boil the eggs
Lower the eggs into boiling water and cook for 8 minutes, then move them to cold water until completely cool. Peel and slice.
- 2
Drain the shrimp
Tip the shrimp into a sieve and press gently with your hand to squeeze out the water. Let them sit in the sieve for a few minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.
- 3
Mix the dressing
Stir the mayonnaise with the sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the chopped dill. Season with salt and black pepper.
- 4
Dress the shrimp
Fold about two thirds of the shrimp into the dressing, keeping the rest aside for the top. Taste and add more lemon juice if it needs it.
- 5
Butter the bread
Spread each slice of rye bread with a thick layer of cold butter, all the way to the edges.
- 6
Build the sandwiches
Lay a lettuce leaf on each slice, then shingle the cucumber slices over it and arrange the egg slices on top.
- 7
Pile on the shrimp
Spoon the dressed shrimp over the egg in a high mound, then scatter the reserved plain shrimp over the top.
- 8
Finish
Grind black pepper over each sandwich, tuck in a few dill sprigs and serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
A couple of tips
Drain the shrimp harder than feels necessary. Cold-water shrimp hold a surprising amount of liquid, and it all ends up in the bread.
Use the butter cold and thick. It is the waterproof layer between the bread and everything on top of it.
Build the sandwiches right before serving. Assembled and refrigerated, they go limp within the hour.
Serving
Serve as lunch with a glass of cold beer or sparkling water, with the lemon wedge squeezed over at the table. A bowl of soup alongside makes it a full meal.
Storing it
Räksmörgås is made to order and does not keep once assembled. The shrimp mixture can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 day, and the boiled eggs for up to 3 days in their shells.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 540 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 35 g |
| of which saturated | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| of which sugars | 2 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 31 g |
| Salt | 2 g |
Questions and answers
- Can you freeze shrimp sandwiches?
- No. Mayonnaise splits and lettuce collapses after freezing. Buy the shrimp frozen and thaw only what you need.
- What kind of shrimp should I use?
- Small cooked cold-water shrimp, sold in American stores as bay shrimp or salad shrimp. Large shrimp can be used if you chop them, but the texture is coarser than the Swedish original.
- Can I make it ahead for a party?
- Mix the shrimp dressing and boil the eggs a day ahead, then assemble just before serving. Buttered bread left standing with wet toppings turns soggy fast.
- What bread works if I cannot find Swedish rye?
- Any dense dark rye from the bakery aisle works, as does a sturdy slice of white sourdough. Avoid soft sandwich bread, which cannot hold the weight.
- Can I skip the sour cream?
- Yes, use all mayonnaise. The sour cream is there to loosen the dressing and cut the richness slightly.
This dish belongs to
Collections
Similar recipes
How it was made
This recipe was written by a language model. Below is what it cost, how long it took and when each step ran, so you can see how the archive comes about.
- $0.235
- 1 min 32 sec
- 5
- Passed
| Date | Step | Model | Usage | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2026 | Wrote the recipe | anthropic/claude-opus-5 | 8,134 in · 2,929 out tokens | 38.4 sec | $0.114 |
| Oct 21, 2026 | Checked food safety | anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 | 2,215 in · 107 out tokens | 2.1 sec | $0.006 |
| Oct 21, 2026 | Made the picture | bfl/flux-2-max | 1 image | 25.9 sec | $0.070 |
| Oct 21, 2026 | Worked out the nutrition | anthropic/claude-opus-5 | 1,568 in · 1,391 out tokens | 19.4 sec | $0.043 |
| Oct 21, 2026 | Set the collections | anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 | 1,479 in · 33 out tokens | 1.5 sec | $0.003 |