Pepperoni is a cured sausage, thinly sliced into rounds that bring a spicy, savory, snappy, and chewy flavor and texture you can enjoy right out of the package. As a cured product, it makes sense that deli meat brands would know how to make some of the best store-bought pepperoni. And the deli meat brand that won our top pick for store-bought pepperoni is Boar’s Head, which coincidentally received our vote for the best packaged deli meat brand overall.
We tasted and ranked 7 brands of store-bought pepperoni based on complexity and balance of flavor, as well as the texture of both cooked and uncooked pepperonis. Boar’s Head outdid every competitor in both categories while also providing some unique characteristics of its own. These pepperonis were much larger than their competitors, and their size makes them a more versatile ingredient while also giving you more bang for your buck. Plus, in the case of Boar’s Head pepperoni, quantity is on par with quality. The bright red hue of these pepperonis suggested they were very well spiced, a visual cue we quickly confirmed with our taste test. The flavor profile was a balance of vibrant peppers, a mouthwatering saltiness, and a diversity of other seasonings infused during the cure. Their rich and meaty texture matched the robust flavor profile for a winning combination.
More glowing reviews for Boar’s Head pepperoni
Five-star reviews from customers on Influenster and Paisano’s Butcher Shop praise the taste and texture of Boar’s Head pepperoni as much as we do. Customers thought it was perfectly spicy without being hot, and found it was all-around the most flavorful pepperoni they had tasted. The balance of flavors was described as bold but not overpowering, while the texture is chewy, tender, and soft. Many customers decided to give the pepperoni a chance based on their positive experiences with many of the other Boar’s Head deli meats, concluding that Boar’s Head pepperoni is as good or better than their favorite deli meat products.
Customers like to fry the pepperoni so it gets nice and crisp along the edges before adding it to sandwiches. It’d be a great swap for salami in a muffaletta sandwich with mortadella, ham, provolone, and giardineria. You can also slice it before frying it with some scrambled eggs, cherry tomatoes, and a drizzle of one of our highly ranked store-bought jarred pesto sauces. Of course, pepperoni is one of America’s favorite pizza toppings, and these extra-large slices would fit perfectly onto a square slice of Detroit-style or Sicilian pizza.
