3 Savory Dishes That You Should Be Adding Strawberries To

Locally grown strawberries are ready for picking by late spring and early summer, with a pretty short peak season of right around three weeks. While this is the best time for high-quality berries, you can usually buy them in your local grocery store year-round. If you want to take full advantage of that container of berries, don't just use them in desserts. Add them to savory dishes, too. Depending on what you're cooking, you can use various strawberry types, from fresh to frozen and even canned.

Most savory meals can benefit from a little hint of sweetness. Whether you're adding contrast to salty ingredients or taming spice with a sweet bite, strawberries belong in all kinds of dishes, from sauces to appetizers and even sandwiches. The best flavor starts with choosing the ripest strawberries at the store, so look for bright red color, fresh green leaves, and a sweet scent.

Grilled chicken, ribs, and other meat dishes often pair nicely with savory sauces and glazes. But there are a few ways to add a sweet element to these sauces for balance. If you're making a homemade barbecue sauce, try adding some caramelized strawberries to the sauce; you can process them until smooth, then incorporate that hint of fruity sweetness.

You can also make a sweet glaze to pour over grilled chicken or a pork tenderloin. To balance the meal, add contrasting flavor to the meat through seasonings. Savory ingredients like mustard, kosher salt, and paprika are all great ways to add flavor to meat while also balancing the natural sugar content from the strawberries. Add the glaze or sauce to the meat just before it finishes cooking, which will allow it to thicken and bind to the meat better — this is a great method when making saucy ribs. Depending on the other toppings, you can also use a glaze like this on burgers.

When you think of salsa, you likely think of spice. But counteracting hot salsa with sweet fruit is a common concept (think: adding diced pineapple or mango to salsa). Surprise your taste buds by adding diced strawberries instead of extra tomatoes or other fruit. The strawberries should be at peak ripeness to ensure they're sweet enough to compete with the jalapeños or habaneros in your salsa. You can also pair the strawberries with other complementary fruits, like blueberries or blackberries. This sweet spin on the classic dip goes great with standard store-bought tortilla chips, of course, but you can also savor it with homemade cinnamon sugar tortilla chips for a complete sweet treat.

Whether it's Mexican or Peruvian ceviche, this dish is a raw seafood dish made with citrus, and it shares some resemblance with salsa thanks to its other ingredients: onions, peppers, and herbs like cilantro. Strawberries also have a home in this dish, and they not only balance the spice from peppers but also the tangy, zesty citrus flavors. Don't skip the citrus, though — that acid is necessary to help "cook" the seafood enough for it to be safer to eat.

Everyone knows fruit and cheese are a perfect pair, right? Next time you're craving a grilled cheese, slice up some fresh strawberries, and place them on the sandwich alongside any salty or tangy cheese. Sharp cheddar and brie are both tasty options here, and Manchego or Parmesan would work, too. The sweetness from the fruit will pair so well with the rich, butter-soaked bread and savory, creamy cheese.

If you have a little extra time, make a homemade spread instead. Just add strawberries to a pan, a small amount of water, and some sugar or honey, and let them all cook down until the strawberries are soft enough to mush, and the mixture has thickened. You can use it as an easy grilled cheese spread for the inside of the bread if you don't want the texture of the sliced strawberries. For even more flavor, add a little crispy prosciutto to the grilled cheese, too, to turn this into a charcuterie-style sandwich featuring cheese, meat, and fruit.