Want to create a mouthwatering snack table for your friends without the stress? Your search ends now. Elevate outdoor entertaining with these easy, flavor-forward snack and drink pairings! Find out how to make mouthwatering snacks that look like they took hours to prepare, all while keeping your get-togethers enjoyable and, most importantly – extraordinarily delicious. Go on a culinary adventure that will leave your guests full and happy. Each recipe serves six! Let’s dig in.

5) Summer Skewers

Eating food on a stick is sure to make summer even better.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Red bell pepper, cut into two-inch pieces
• Pineapple, cut into two-inch chunks
• Golden Island Pork Snack Bites

To make:

• Preheat grill to 400 degrees
• In a medium bowl, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, a dash of salt, and red pepper flakes
• Add pepper and pineapple and toss! Set snack bites aside
• Place directly onto grill for 1-2 minutes on each side
• Remove, grab your skewers and thread your ingredients, alternating between peppers, pineapple, and Golden Island snack bites

Best paired with sangria. Non-boozy alternative – iced green tea. (Bonus points if you add fresh fruit and a little simple syrup!)

 

4) Soy Sauce Popcorn

Change up your popcorn routine.

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• A dash of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of Sriracha (optional but we really recommend it!)
• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

To make:

• Pop your popcorn using your favorite method. Pan-popped is our favorite.
• Melt together butter and coconut oil
• Whisk in the soy sauce
• Whisk in garlic powder and sriracha
• Pour the well whisked mix over popcorn and toss to coat
• If you want, top with sesame seeds – then you’re ready to serve!

Best paired with a bourbon lemonade. Add some pineapple juice and you got yourself the ideal summer cocktail. Non-boozy version – good old-fashioned lemonade.

 

3) Fresh Guacamole

Pure avocado bliss.

Ingredients:

• 2 large avocados
• ½ of a large tomato, diced
• ⅓ of a white onion, diced
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
• A generous squeeze of lime juice, to taste
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

To make:

• Grab a medium bowl, cut both avocados in half, de-pit them, and mash them up
• Add garlic powder and throw in diced tomatoes, diced onions, and chopped jalapeño
• Mix, then squeeze lime juice in. Mix again
• Try it! Then add salt and pepper to taste
• Bam. Transfer your guacamole to a pretty bowl and serve with your favorite tortilla chips

Best paired with a jalapeño margarita. Non-boozy alternative – fresh fruit juice. Watermelon is our favorite!

 

2) Jerky-fied Lettuce Wraps

Chef’s kiss. Seriously so good!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 oz of Golden Island Jerky, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
• 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 head butter lettuce or 2 romaine hearts

To make:

• In a large skillet, heat oil and add onion, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and sriracha until onions have become translucent (about two minutes)
• Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, (about two minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste
• Let mixture cool down, just until a point where it stops steaming! While you wait, chop a two servings of Golden Island Pork Jerky on a cutting board
• Once mixture is warm (not hot), mix in jerky pieces
• Scoop several tablespoons of the delicious mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, and you’re done! Just plate and serve

Best paired with a cranberry mojito. Non-boozy alternative – hibiscus tea! Both make for a good palate cleanser.

 

1) Crispy Brussels

Whoever says they hate brussels sprouts hasn’t tried the right recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 oz of Golden Island Pork Jerky, chopped
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• ½ tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

To make:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heatproof parchment paper for easy cleanup
• Place the Brussels sprouts in the pan. Using a large spoon or your hands, toss them with the oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and crushed red peppers
• Arrange the seasoned Brussels sprouts, cut side down, in a single layer on the baking sheet
• Roast them until browned and caramelized, for about 30 minutes. While you wait, chop one serving of Golden Island Jerky on a cutting board
• After the brussels are done cooking, place them on a serving dish and sprinkle the chopped jerky (you can lightly mix or just keep it as a garnish!)
• Garnish with sesame seeds (optional) and serve

Best paired with an Aperol Spritz. Non-boozy alternative – Southern-style sweet tea. So refreshing.

 

And just like that – mission accomplished. Let’s face it, finding that perfect recipe can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. I mean, there’s so much out there on the internet – how are we supposed to narrow things down? And if you’re a fellow foodie, it’s even more tedious. Need a solution? Come back to the Golden Island blog! No longer will you wander aimlessly through the labyrinth of recipe websites. We’ll be here, carefully curating more recipes to entice your taste buds with flavors that motivate you to stop whatever you’re doing and run to the kitchen.