Choosing what goes on your charcuterie board can feel daunting if you’re not familiar with the different meats, cheese, and accoutrements to choose from. While there are endless choices, we’ve put together our list of the best meats for a charcuterie board to help make the process as easy as possible.
One important note before you read through our recommendations: you truly can’t make a wrong choice. If you really love salami, go for three different varieties and don’t look back! There are no charcuterie police coming for you – just enjoy the process of creating a beautiful board that has all the flavors you love.
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How to Choose the Best Meats for a Charcuterie Board
The most important things to keep in mind when choosing the best meats for a charcuterie board – meats that complement one another – are flavors and textures. Picking meats that elevate each other is the trick to a well-rounded board.
For example, you could pair the richness of fattier meats with leaner ones, or the stronger flavors of aged meats with milder ones.
Texture also matters – think opposites here, too. A smooth pâté on the same board as beef jerky will give very different textures and flavors. Then you could add something like a classic prosciutto or an herbed salami. For a little spice, sliced chorizo is always a great choice, too.
But don’t forget that the most important factor in choosing your meats is to go with whatever you like best. You can, and probably should, keep flavors and textures in mind when making your choices, but ultimately the best board is the one that has all of your favorites on it.
Let’s start with a few of the more common choices and also the most popular (for a reason)!
- Prosciutto: Prosciutto is salty and a little sweet with a buttery texture that melts in your mouth. Aged for months to years, its wonderful flavor goes well with softer cheeses like Brie, ripe, sliced fruit, and a drizzle of honey.
- Serrano Ham: Serrano is firmer than prosciutto and is also saltier, which makes it perfect for pairing with juicy melon and Manchego.
- Iberico Ham: Iberico is slightly nutty and sweet with a nice marbling of fat. If you have the chance to add some to your board, don’t miss it.
Salami Varieties
- Genoa Salami: Genoa salami is widely available and relatively inexpensive. It has the flavors of garlic and pepper and has a firmer texture. It pairs well with soft cheeses but really goes with almost anything.
- Soppressata: Soppressata has a stronger flavor that sometimes includes hot peppers or fennel seeds. It’s a great choice for something a bit spicier.
- Chorizo Salami: Spanish Chorizo has a wonderfully smoky, slightly spicy flavor. It has a firm texture and a gorgeous red color that makes it perfect for a charcuterie board. We’ve given chorizo it’s own section a little further down, so go ahead and scroll for more details.
- Salami di Felino: This has a slightly sweet flavor due to the wine used in its curing process. It’s soft and is perfect with a crusty bread and pickles.
- Pepperoni: Pepperoni is an American creation, so you most likely already know what it tastes like (pepperoni pizza, anyone?). Just in case you don’t, it has a strong, almost smoky flavor with just a hint of spice. Serve it with some olives and mild cheeses. It’s technically not salami, but more of a cousin in the family, but it’s popular and tasty enough that it’s a solid choice. And if there are kids around your party, you might consider making a separate bowl just for them to snack on.
- Andouille: Andouille is a smoked sausage made with pork.. Garlic, pepper, onions, wine, and seasonings give it incredible flavor! I’ll often slice it and serve it with toothpicks nearby. It goes well with milder meats and cheeses.
- Finocchiona: If you love the flavor of fennel, this is a great choice for you. It has a slightly sweet flavor and its soft texture goes well with firmer meats.
Chacuterie Made From Beef
- Bresaola: This has a lean texture and an almost musty flavor (that doesn’t sound appetizing, but trust us on this one). It’s an air-dried, salted beef with a deep red color that will look gorgeous on your board. A little drizzle of high-quality olive oil and soft piece of cheese and bread is all this needs.
- Carpaccio: You’ve most likely seen carpaccio in an upscale restaurant as its own appetizer, but it’s also terrific added to a charcuterie board. It’s extremely delicate and just melts in the mouth. Try assembling it on crostini topped with capers, arugula, and shavings of Parmesan cheese. Assemble these at the last minute and place them on or around your board.
- Beef Jerky: Beef jerky might not seem like it belongs on a charcuterie board, but it’s chewy, flavorful and so good with a piece of soft cheese. You can find unusual flavor combinations from smaller shops, made with simple ingredients and are often are less chewy than those that are mass-produced.
- Smoked Beef: Smoked beef is just simple and good. It’s amazing with sharp cheddar or creamy gouda, and goes well with milder meats.
Pâté and Terrines
If I could eat just one thing for the rest of my life, it would be some type of pâté. It’s smooth and spreadable, although there are more rustic, coarse types, too. I tend to gravitate toward the more mousse-like versions, but I’d never turn down any kind.
Adding a pâté or terrine to your charcuterie board makes it simple to choose your other meats, since you’ll want something much more firm and chewy for contrast. They also go really well with crispy crackers, fruit, and anything pickled.
- Pâté de Campagne: This is a more rustic, hearty pâté with a strong flavor. It’s usually made from ingredients like pork shoulder, chicken livers, duck confit, spices, and spirits like Cognac.
- Chicken Liver Pâté: And now we’ve reached one of my absolute favorites. Made with onions, garlic, and usually dash of brandy – and also very easy to make yourself – this one is always a winner.
- Duck Pâté: This is similar to chicken liver pâté with a slightly more gamey flavor. Flavors like orange zest, cognac and Grand Marnier are common.
- Beef Liver Pâté: Similar to chicken liver pâté but has a bolder, more earthy flavor that pairs well with mustard or onion confit.
Terrines, on the other hand, are similar to pâtés but they’re layered, usually with ground meats, livers, and other flavorings. And they’re gorgeous on a charcuterie board! Terrines have a gelatin or aspic outside layer and are usually served sliced.
- Pork Terrine: Pork terrine is commonly flavored with pistachios and apricots, making a fantastic flavor combo that’s a bit nutty and sweet.
- Vegetable Terrine: This is a great choice if you’d like to serve a vegetarian option on your board. It has layers of roasted vegetables and it’s just gorgeous – and tasty.
- Wild Game Terrine: Go with this choice if you’re a fan of the flavors of wild game. Duck is often used as well as a little whiskey to round out the flavors.
Chorizo
We mentioned chorizo above, but it’s worth mentioning again here with its own section. It’s just so gorgeously red and flavorful and pairs well with so many things. Make sure you get Spanish, dry-cured chorizo, that’s ready to be sliced and enjoyed. It’s made with pork, garlic and smoked paprika and can be anything from a little sweet to a lot spicy. The spiciness depends on whether the sweet or hot paprika was used when it was made.
If you go with a spicy chorizo, pair it with milder meats like prosciutto or mortadella and cooling accoutrements like crème fraîche. Or you can go the opposite direction and match its intensity with a grainy mustard and pickled anything. For booze, try bold red wines, hoppy beers, and hard cider.
Mortadella
Mortadella is a staple of Italian charcuterie. Made from finely ground pork with small pockets of fat, it’s made to just melt in your mouth. It has a mild flavor that includes things like myrtle berries, black pepper, and pistachios. It has a very smooth texture, making it a nice choice if you’ve got more firm meats planned.
Its creaminess also pairs well with the sharper, saltier flavors of aged cheeses. Its slices are also fairly large, making them much easier to style on a board. Try pairing it with a slice of crusty bread, a dab of mustard, or a nice chutney.
Whenever I pick up some Mortadella for my boards, I always grab a little extra. It’s wonderful on a sandwich or as a chunkier addition to salads. It makes such a great sandwich that I’ve assembled some ahead of time, with crostini in place of bread, and added it directly to my board.
Prosciutto di Parma & Jamón Ibérico
If you’re looking to splurge, definitely consider adding either Prosciutto di Parma (which is similar – but not identical to – prosciutto) or Jamón Ibérico to your board. They are, without a doubt, the best meats for a charcuterie board you can find, at least in our humble opinion.
Prosciutto di Parma has a delicate, sweet taste and a texture that is truly melt-in-your-mouth. It comes from the Parma region of Italy and is produced under strict regulations. It’s thinly sliced with a nice layere of fat, and is simply incredible when paired with juicy melons or rich cheeses.
Jamón Ibérico, on the other hand, is from Spain. It’s rich with a nutty flavor with textures ranging from tender to slightly chewy. It’s made from Iberian pigs that have fed on acorns in the Dehesa forests. Regarded as one of the finest hams in the world, Jamón Ibérico elevates any charcuterie board to something incredibly special.
If you choose either of these high-end meats, be sure to give them center stage on your charcuterie board. You may even consider putting them on their own small board so other flavors aren’t mingled in.
While these are our choices for the best meats for a charcuterie board, there are many more options to choose from. If you’re looking for even more ideas and inspiration, visit the section specifically for charcuterie board meats or check out our list of the best jams for a charcuterie board.
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