Do you love jerky and can’t get enough? Ever considered adding them to your favorite meals? Check out these delicious ways of using jerky to cook.

Any jerky lover will stand by the fact that it tastes outstanding as a standalone snack. But jerky can be so much more than just a snack. This chewy and flavorsome treat can work great as an ingredient for many savory dishes. In addition, Mahogany Smoked Meats can teach you how to store your favorite jerky after opening.

Cooking with jerky has a lot to do with creativity. For any recipe where you want to enhance the flavor, jerky can be the friend you are looking for. So keep an open mind and see where this jerky journey takes you.

To gently push you into the right direction, here are a few tried and true jerky recipes that have worked well for us.

Jerky Pizza

This jerky recipe will simply blow you away. The recipe is super simple. First, imagine a pepperoni pizza. Then use chopped pieces of jerky instead of pepperoni.

Jerky is even more flavor intense than pepperoni and works well with cheese. The plus is that you don’t have to specifically use beef jerky for this recipe. You can use turkey, pork, or pretty much any variety.

You can use store-bought pizza dough or make it at home. Spread a layer of marinara or any other pizza sauce. Tomatoes tend to go well with jerky, so using marinara makes more sense.

After the sauce, add your sliced jerky pieces on top, just as you might add pepperoni. You can also add other toppings like mushrooms, onion, capsicum, etc. Add a layer of shredded mozzarella on top. Pop it into the oven, preheated to 450°F. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted into gooey golden goodness.

Jerky Salad

This is the simplest way to add jerky to your cooking. People add shredded chicken and cold cuts to salads all the time. Instead of doing that, you can just add jerky.

Not only is jerky more protein-packed, but it is also more flavorful. Salads often taste bland without any overpowering flavors. This makes people who are on diets get tired of eating salads.

If you are one of them, jerky might be just what you need to turn your mundane lunches and suppers into delicious meals bursting with flavor.

Get creative with any salad or try out the following recipe. Mix lettuce, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese. Throw in broken jerky bits into the mix. Drizzle in your favorite vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste.

Any salad can become a jerky salad. Just use beef or any other type of jerky instead of regular meat. Find the widest selection of jerky at https://www.fatcatjerky.com/

Grilled Cheese & Jerky Sandwich

This grilled cheese and jerky sandwich will make you forget all your favorite cold cuts. We would suggest using soft jerky for this.

The following recipe will make you forget every other grilled cheese sandwich you ever had. The flavor of jerky paired with butter and gooey cheese is the best comfort food you can ask for.

Butter one side of each slice of bread. On a nonstick pan, place one slice of bread, buttered side down. On the plain side, put one layer of cheese slices and a layer of jerky, topping it with another layer of cheese. Cover the nonstick pan until the cheese melts a little.

Top it with the other bread slice with the buttered side up. Softly press it down a little with your spatula, then flip the entire sandwich carefully. Cover the pan and cook slowly. Flip as desired until the sandwich is golden and the cheese has melted completely.

Beef Jerky Stew

Jerky is derived from a meat item that originated in South America. The Quechua tribe were the founders of Ch’arki, the early version of modern-day jerky. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that stews like the Chilean Valdiviano and Ecuadorian Locro have beef jerky as one of their key ingredients.

If these traditional recipes are too much work for you, try adding healthy beef jerky to any stew you like. The following recipe brings a flavorsome twist to the classic beef stew. 

Toss thick slices of jerky into a tablespoon of butter and add a splash of red wine. Add cubed potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, and any other chunky veggies you like. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, and bay leaves to boost the flavor.

You can thicken the broth by mixing flour or cornflour with water, and gradually adding and mixing the slurry into the broth while it cooks.

Jerky Casserole

Do you love Mexican Beef & Corn Casserole? Then you will love this jerky casserole. This take on the classic homemade casserole replaces Mexican beef with beef jerky and creates something sensational.

Place a deep skillet on medium heat and add some butter. Add shredded jerky and stir fry until it releases the flavors. Add canned corn and beans. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and cook for a minute or two, until everything is mixed and the flavors have melded together.

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Add the content of the skillet into your baking tin and top it with a layer of beef jerky. Then add a moderately thick layer of salsa and sour cream. Top it with shredded cheddar or mozzarella.

Place your baking tin into the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the casserole as you would only want to cook it until the cheese has wholly melted. Try this recipe for a delicious dinner.

Final Thoughts

Jerky is incredibly versatile when used as an ingredient. You can add it to many dishes, so keep your mind open and get creative. These recipes can help you understand how using jerky in recipes works. So which one of your favorite dishes would you like to enhance with jerky?