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These tasty Lemon and Dill Pinwheel Sandwiches bring King Oscar Sardines to a whole new level. A wholesome option for a snack or lunch!

Striped dish towel underneath a serving plate with pinwheel appetizers on it, and a package of King Oscar sardines.

This post is sponsored by King Oscar | Thank you for supporting the brands I trust.

Fresh veggies and nutritious fish, all rolled up into a pretty package.

I love all of the snacking this time of year—the charcuterie boards, the cookies, and of course my caramel apple sangria—but sometimes healthier, cleaner nibbles are needed. But that doesn’t mean we have to suck the fun away from our plates! Not only are these pinwheel sandwiches incredibly pleasing to the eye with their vivid mixed greens, they’re also full of invigorating flavors. Fresh dill, tangy scallions, crisp cucumbers, and lemon zest are mixed into the cream cheese spread before being topped with leafy greens and meaty, lemony sardines from King Oscar’s expansive line of canned fish.

Pinwheel sandwiches on a wooden serving plate with lemon wedges on the side.

Wondering how to make pinwheel sandwiches?

There are endless varieties of pinwheel sandwiches out there, but they’re put together in the same simple fashion. All you have to do is create a spread as the base—usually made up with cream cheese, and spread it in an even layer over a soft tortilla shell leaving a bit of space around the edges. At this point, you can top the tortilla with whatever ingredients you’re using: deli meats, veggies, cheeses, etc. Then, start rolling the tortilla from the edge toward the center, rolling it very tightly. Wrap the rolled tortillas up in tin foil and pop them into the fridge for at least an hour. This helps them firm up, which will prevent them from falling apart when you slice into them.

Left: tortilla on a wooden board with mixture being spread onto it; Right: Tortilla topped with mixed greens and sardine fillets.
Close up of sardine fillets on top of greens on tortilla.
Hands rolling a tortilla, filled with greens and sardines, from the bottom up.

Here’s a list of what’s in these delicious roll-ups.

First, let’s get one thing straight: the brand of sardine does matter. The fact that King Oscar’s fillets are wood-smoked and hand-packed in extra virgin olive oil promises a tender and flavorful snack. Not to mention, this lemon variety is top-notch stuff! Here are the other ingredients needed to make these fresh bites:

  • Soft tortilla shells, or any kind of wrap measuring about 10″ wide
  • Plain cream cheese
  • Fresh dill
  • Cucumber
  • Scallions
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Sea salt and cracked pepper
  • Lemon zest
  • Mixed greens (baby spinach, arugula, spring mix, anything goes!)
Bowl of mixed greens next to a cutting board with scallions, spices, cucumbers, lemons, dill, sardines, and a bowl of cream cheese.
Opened can of King Oscar hand-packed sardines.

The gist on how to make Lemon and Dill Pinwheel Sandwiches with King Oscar Sardines.

I toyed with the idea of chopping the sardines and including them into the cream cheese mix, but King Oscar’s sardines are just too good to hide. So I gave these pinwheels a go by laying the fillets on top of the greens, and it worked out super well. They rolled up nicely and held together well. So, here’s how to bring these beauties together:

  1. Mix the cream cheese with the fresh dill, chopped cucumbers, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.
  2. Drop a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mix onto a soft tortilla. Using a spoon, spread the mixture out in an even layer.
  3. Place the mixed greens down the middle of the tortilla, and top the greens with 2-3 sardines.
  4. From the bottom edge, start rolling the tortilla upward, very tightly to make sure everything is packed in there nicely.
  5. Place the rolled tortilla onto a sheet of tin foil, and roll it up all nice and snug to secure it.
  6. Repeat with the other tortillas, and when done, place the covered rolls into the fridge for at least an hour.
  7. After an hour, take the rolls out of the fridge, unwrap them, and place them onto a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut the tortillas into 1/2-inch rounds by using a careful sawing motion. Don’t press down too hard when cutting, because you’ll squish the rolls!

Recipe tips + tricks:

  1. Wrap the tortillas in tin foil or plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting into them. This will firm them up and prevent them from falling apart.
  2. When slicing into the tortilla, it’s best to use a serrated knife; gently saw into the roll creating 1/2 inch-thick rounds. Don’t use a large knife and try to slice into the rolls by pressing down—you’ll squish the pinwheels!
  3. These are best eaten fresh, but will last in the fridge for a day before becoming soft and soggy.
  4. If you can’t find this particular lemon variety of King Oscar’s brisling sardines, you could use any of their other flavors, or try their mackerel!

Other delicious sardine recipes you need to try:

Hope you enjoy!

If you plan on making this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme.

5 from 1 vote

Lemon and Dill Pinwheel Sandwiches with King Oscar Sardines

These tasty Lemon and Dill Pinwheel Sandwiches bring King Oscar Sardines to a whole new level. A wholesome option for a snack or lunch!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill time:: 1 hour
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Ingredients 

  • 3 10" soft flour tortillas
  • 8 oz plain spreadable cream cheese
  • 1 can of King Oscar Brisling Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Lemon, drained
  • 4 cups mixed greens, like baby spinach, arugula, spring mix, etc.
  • 1/3 cup chopped scallions (about 3 scallions)
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped cucumbers
  • 2 TBSP fresh chopped dill
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
  • Zest of one lemon

Instructions 

  • Transfer the cream cheese to a mixing bowl. Add the dill, cucumbers, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Stir well, until everything is mixed. (To soften the cream cheese and make it easier to stir and mix, zap it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.)
  • Spread a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto a soft tortilla in an even layer.
  • Place the mixed greens down the middle of the tortilla, and top them with 2-3 sardine fillets.
  • To roll the tortilla, start from the bottom edge and roll upward, tightly, to ensure everything is packed in there nicely.
  • Place the rolled tortilla onto a sheet of tin foil and roll it up to secure it. Repeat this with the other tortillas, and when done, place the covered rolls into the fridge for at least an hour.
  • After an hour, remove the rolls from the fridge, unwrap them from the tin foil, and place them onto a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the tortilla into 1/2-inch rounds by using a careful sawing motion; you don't want to press down hard when cutting because you'll squish the rolls.
  • Serve with lemon wedges.
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5 from 1 vote

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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness! Killing Thyme has hit another one out of the park with Lemon & Dill Pinwheels. I fixed them for supper with a few modifications and mercy, were they good. First, I can’t get the King Oscar Lemon sardines here in Podunk but I did get the Mediterranean tin with olives, (I love these BTW) I used fresh spinach, poblano N jalapeno peppers, onions, garlic, cream cheese, coarse black pepper and San Saba, brown fig, balsamic vinegar all wrapped up in flour tortilla’s. I had a little bit of Alabama, sweet muscadine wine left over so I had that and it was perfect to take the edge off the vinegar. FWIW; I had one green and one red jalapeno pepper. The green one was warm and the red one?….Get outta’ here! I’ll be fixing this again it’s better than Fisherman’s eggs.

    1. Dave! I’m so glad you enjoyed these. Thanks so much for popping in with feedback :)
      I love your modifications. I want to try it your way! Jalapenos! Yum!