The quick version:
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Beef jerky makes high-protein salads easy, adding protein, chew and plenty of flavour without cooking another protein from scratch.
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Jerky and biltong bring different textures, with jerky offering more chew and biltong a softer, meatier bite.
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Build beyond the meat with ingredients like quinoa, beans, eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds for more substantial salads.
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Pair flavours thoughtfully, from Smokey jerky with Tex-Mex ingredients to Garlic biltong with quinoa, sweet potato and tahini.
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These high protein salad ideas are meal-prep friendly, with dressings and crunchy ingredients best kept separate until closer to eating.
You’ve made the salad, packed the dressing, and somehow lunch still looks a bit sad. A handful of leaves can only do so much heavy lifting.
These high protein salad ideas bring beef jerky and biltong into the mix for proper savoury flavour, plenty of protein and five lunches actually worth looking forward to.
1. Peppery biltong and parmesan salad
Quick note: Each recipe makes roughly one lunch, but the quantities are flexible. Adjust to suit your appetite.
What we’d use: Traditional Beef Biltong
Think antipasto plate with a bit more green involved.
What you’ll need:
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2 big handfuls of rocket
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½ punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
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A handful of shaved parmesan
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40–50g Traditional Beef Biltong, thinly sliced
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Juice of ½ lemon
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1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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Cracked black pepper
Throw the rocket, tomatoes and parmesan into a bowl, then scatter the thinly sliced biltong over the top. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil, drizzle it over everything and finish with plenty of cracked pepper.
Peppery rocket, salty parmesan and sweet tomato already know what they’re doing together. Traditional biltong brings the rich, savoury bite, and if you want a little extra crunch, toasted pine nuts would go nicely here too.
2. Smokey Tex-Mex jerky bowl
Our pick: Smokey Beef Jerky
Big smoky flavour without firing up the barbecue. We’ll take it.
What you’ll need:
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2 handfuls of chopped cos or baby gem lettuce
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½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
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½ cup corn
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A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
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½ avocado, sliced
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40–50g Smokey Beef Jerky, sliced into strips
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A squeeze of lime
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Your favourite chipotle dressing
Start with the lettuce, beans, corn and tomatoes, then fold through strips of Smokey beef jerky. Add the avocado, drizzle over the chipotle dressing and give it a decent squeeze of fresh lime.
The jerky brings the smoky, savoury flavour you’d usually chase from grilled meat, while the beans, corn and avocado make the bowl more filling. Got leftover charred corn from the barbecue? Even better.
3. Zesty Vietnamese-style jerky salad
We reckon this works best: Traditional Beef Jerky
Fresh, crunchy and definitely not shy on flavour. This one wakes up a lunchbox.
What you’ll need:
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2 cups shredded cabbage or slaw mix
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A handful of blanched green beans
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A handful of fresh basil, mint or both
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40–50g Traditional Beef Jerky, thinly sliced
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2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
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Juice of 1 lime
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1 tbsp fish sauce
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A small pinch of sugar
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Fresh red chilli, to taste
Toss the cabbage, green beans and herbs together, then add thin strips of jerky and a good scatter of crushed peanuts. Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chilli separately and pour it over just before eating.
You get sharp lime, fresh herbs, plenty of crunch and a proper beefy bite from the Traditional jerky. Taking it to work? Keep the dressing separate unless soggy slaw is somehow your thing.
Want more heat? Swap in Chilli Beef Jerky and turn things up a notch.
4. Sweet BBQ jerky, apple and toasted nut salad
The flavour we’d go for: Sweet BBQ Beef Jerky
A little sweet, plenty savoury and just fancy enough to look like you made an effort.
What you’ll need:
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2 big handfuls of mixed greens
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½ green apple, thinly sliced
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½ small fennel bulb, finely shaved, or 1 stick of sliced celery
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40–50g Sweet BBQ Beef Jerky, sliced
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A small handful of toasted walnuts or almonds
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1 tsp wholegrain mustard
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1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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A splash of apple cider vinegar
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A small drizzle of honey
Toss the greens, apple and fennel together before adding the toasted nuts and sliced Sweet BBQ jerky. Shake the mustard, olive oil, vinegar and honey together in a jar, then drizzle it over.
Sweet BBQ and crisp apple take care of the sweeter side, while mustard and fennel bring enough bite to balance it out. Making it ahead? Give the apple a squeeze of lemon to help keep it fresh until lunch.
5. Garlicky biltong and quinoa power bowl
We’d go with: Garlic Beef Biltong
For the days when a few leaves absolutely aren’t going to cut it.
What you’ll need:
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¾ cup cooked quinoa
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½ small roasted sweet potato, roughly chopped
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2 handfuls of baby spinach
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40–50g Garlic Beef Biltong, thinly sliced
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1 tbsp pepitas or toasted seeds
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1 tbsp tahini
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Juice of ½ lemon
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A splash of water
Layer the spinach, quinoa and roasted sweet potato, then tuck the Garlic biltong through the bowl. Stir the tahini and lemon juice together with enough water to loosen it, drizzle over the top and finish with the pepitas.
The sweet potato and quinoa make this the heartier one of the bunch, while the garlicky biltong and creamy tahini bring plenty of savoury flavour. Meal prepping? Let the cooked ingredients cool first and keep the dressing separate until lunch.
Why put beef jerky in a salad?
Because cooking another chicken breast just to make lunch is sometimes asking a bit much.
Beef jerky is already packed with flavour and ready to go. Slice it into strips, throw it over your salad and you’ve added protein, chew and a beefy hit without another pan hitting the sink. It’s also handy when you want high protein salad ideas that don’t involve cooking another protein from scratch.
Biltong works a treat too, especially if you prefer that softer, meatier bite. It goes particularly well with grains, sharp cheeses, crunchy veg and simple dressings. Basically, if your salad needs a bit more substance, you’ve got options.
And when the jerky itself is doing plenty of the flavour work, what goes into it matters. Ours starts with MSA-grade Australian beef, gets marinated for over 24 hours and is then air-dried. The family recipes go back more than 20 years, so we’ve had a fair bit of practice.
If protein and portions are on your mind, our guide to whether beef jerky is good for weight loss takes a closer look at calories, protein and what to check on the nutrition panel.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest protein salad?
There isn’t one set salad that automatically comes out on top. Protein will vary depending on the ingredients, quantities and products you use.
If you want to compare different salads properly, look at the amount of protein across the full serving rather than assuming one ingredient makes a particular bowl higher in protein.
How can I add more protein without just adding more meat?
You’ve got plenty to work with. Eggs, chickpeas, lentils, beans, quinoa, cheese, nuts and seeds can all help build out a salad alongside your main protein.
It’s also an easy way to make things more interesting. Pepitas bring crunch, feta adds a salty hit, chickpeas add some substance and quinoa works well when you want something closer to a proper lunch bowl.
What’s the best way to use beef jerky in a salad?
A quick slice makes all the difference. Cut the jerky into thinner strips or smaller pieces so it mixes through the salad instead of sitting on top in big chunks.
From there, taste before going heavy on the dressing. The jerky already brings plenty of seasoning and flavour, so you might find the salad needs less than you’d normally use.
When should I use biltong instead of jerky?
Go by the kind of bite you want.
Jerky has more chew and plenty of marinade-driven flavour, making it a natural fit for bold dressings and punchier ingredients. Biltong is softer and meatier, so it works particularly well with grains, parmesan, leafy greens and simpler dressings.
Can’t decide? Use whichever bag is already open.
What else can I make for a high-protein lunch?
Salads are only the start. Try the same sort of combinations in wraps, grain bowls or lunchboxes, or keep things simple and pack your jerky on the side.
If you’re getting organised for the week, these high-protein meal-prep snacks have a few more options for keeping the fridge, work bag or snack drawer sorted.
Give your salad something to work with
A good high-protein salad needs flavour, texture and something substantial enough to stop lunch feeling like a warm-up act. Hopefully these high protein salad ideas have given you a few ways to get there without defaulting to the same old chicken salad.
Next time salad’s on the menu, give the chicken breast a day off. Slice up some jerky, throw in a handful of biltong or try one of the bowls above.
Grab your favourite beef jerky, load up on biltong or shop the full range and get lunch sorted.
