19 Bloody Mary Toppings To Give Brunch A Filling Boost

There's just something about Mary — a bloody mary, that is. Like a margarita or a martini or an Old-Fashioned, bloody marys are a flawless cocktail. They're the perfect blend of ingredients — in this case, vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and lemon juice — that comes together in the ideal way to be refreshing, savory, and highly crave-able. 

Believed to have been created in the 1920s by either a Parisian bartender or an American actor (depending on whose story you trust), bloody marys are special not just because they are delicious but also because they are so versatile — and highly customizable. If you're having one at brunch, you may want it lighter with thinner juice and less spice. Pairing your Mary with a steak at dinner, and you may want to ramp up the spice. 

And when you're talking versatility, don't even get us started on the garnishes: Long gone are the days of bloody marys sporting just a sad stalk of celery. Modern bloody marys are almost like mini meals, with an amazing assortment of potential garnishes ranging from veggies to meats and everything in between. In fact, when it comes to possible garnishes you can include with any DIY bloody mary, your options are almost unlimited. Here are some mind-bending, mouth-watering, out-of-this-world ideas to get your bartender juices firing.

If you really want to make your bloody mary shine, and amp up its fiery bite at the same, peppers are the garnish to go with. Depending on the pepper you use, you can add a wide variety of flavors and spices — and each pairs perfectly with the tomato and vodka base of the bloody mary. 

For simple freshness and little to no spice, garnish your glass with fresh slices of bell pepper. Looking for something simpler? Sprinkle a dash of dried cayenne pepper or even paprika (which is made from ground dried peppers) on the top of your finished cocktail. Finally, consider adding a slice or even a whole pepper on a toothpick or skewer to your bloody mary. Jalapeños (fresh or pickled), poblanos, serranos, Anaheim peppers, and habaneros are all great — and potent — options.

If crab seems a bit too elaborate a garnish, then consider pairing your bloody mary with shrimp. This version of the drink is basically a twist on the ever-popular favorite shrimp cocktail. Imagine your bloody mary as the cocktail sauce, and then just garnish your drink with shrimp as desired. 

You can add spices to the shrimp or just serve them just as is as you would with a shrimp cocktail. You can serve the shrimp perched carefully over the rim of your cocktail glass, or add them to skewers with lemon or olives and drop directly into your drink. Easy — and delicious.

Grilled or barbecued chicken wings are another great unexpected — yet incredibly filling — option for garnishing any bloody mary. To start, buy or prepare your favorite classic wings recipe (such as traditional Buffalo wings or spicy harissa honey wings).

After your wings are cooked and have cooled slightly, you just need to thread them onto a long skewer. Add a wedge of lemon or lime to the skewer before the chicken, and make sure to pierce the skewer through its peel. This helps to create a firm, non-slip base for the wing to sit on so it doesn't fall into your drink. Round out your garnishes with an assortment of pickles or olives, making sure to pick options that pair nicely with the sauce on your chicken wings. Then drink up.

Antipasto is a traditional appetizer that is quick and easy to prepare — and that can definitely give any bloody mary a more filling boost. Believed to have originated in ancient Rome as a pre-meal "snack," antipasto is today one of the most essential parts of traditional Italian cuisine. 

Typical antipasto components include a variety of cured meats such as prosciutto, salami, mortadella, coppa, or bresaola plus fine cheeses including mozzarella, provolone, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and pecorino. These tasty essentials are then paired with veggies like artichokes, roasted red peppers, marinated mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, pickled eggplants, and a wide variety of olives. To add an antipasto garnish to your bloody mary, just pile the ingredients of your choice onto a skewer, dunk it in your drink, or balance along the top of the glass, and serve. Delizioso!

Sausages of all types are another incredible, brunch-friendly, and filling garnish you can add to any bloody mary. We're talking maple breakfast sausage, cocktail wienies, spicy Italian sausage, chorizo, andouille sausage, kielbasa, bratwurst, and even hot dogs! 

In all cases, you just want to cook the sausage (if needed) and then serve the meat either dipped into your bloody mary, or on a skewer floating about the drink. Depending on the flavor profile you are going for, you may even want to swap your vodka for tequila, mezcal, whiskey, or gin. Try adding additional garnishes to make that sausage even more impressive, and you can split the sausage in half to display a series of grill marks. Or, for a spooky horror-themed evening of scary movies, add a piece of almond as a "nail" on your "bloody finger" cocktail (as shown above). The options are endless!

With its salty, creamy taste and texture, cheese is another ideal — and filling — garnish for bloody marys. And with the variety of cheeses out there, your pairing possibilities go on and on. 

You can dunk a long piece of string cheese directly into your cocktail. Or cube bites of colby, Muenster, and Gouda and thread them onto a skewer you serve atop the drink. For a visually stunning Instagram moment, sprinkle bits of blue cheese, feta, or goat cheese directly on top of your bloody mary as a garnish. And don't forget you can work cheese into other garnishes as well. Slice open a jalapeño pepper and stuff it with cream cheese, cheddar, or pepper jack cheese. Or — if you're in a rush — pick up a jar of cheese-stuffed olives to add to your cheese-travaganza.

For people looking for a non-meat, non-veggie garnish for their bloody mary, the options might seem limited. But there is one food out there that's versatile, easy to prepare, and goes perfectly with the tomato and citrus found in a bloody mary — and that food is the humble cracker.

Sure, you could use pre-made, store-bought crackers on a small plate with your drink. But for a more impressive garnish you can serve atop your drink, make your own crackers. All you need is some naan bread, a pita, or even a fresh flour tortilla. Slice your "cracker" into large wide strips, brush with a bit of butter, and then season with sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs like rosemary or thyme, or even spices like paprika or cumin. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown and crispy, let cool, and then serve atop your cocktail.

Burgers are another comfort food most people just can't get enough of. And while we've seen bartenders and chefs try to pile an entire multi-layer hamburger on top of a bloody mary as a garnish, the most reasonable — and tasty — way to go is with the hamburger's smaller, cuter cousin: the slider. 

To make a bloody mary slider garnish, prepare your slider as normal, adding cheese, tomato, and whatever topping you find most appealing. To keep your slider from literally sliding down the skewer once you place it in the drink, look for metal or bamboo skewers with a built-in "stopper" that you can perch garnishes on top of. Or create your own by threading something extra firm — like a slice of raw carrot — onto the skewer before you add the slider. This "stopper" will lodge on your skewer and provide support for the slider, so it stays hovering perfectly over your cocktail.

For perhaps the biggest and most filling of all bloody mary garnishes, you can't go wrong with a wrap. These yummy stuffed and rolled flour tortillas are an ideal and versatile option for bloody marys of all types. For starters, they're versatile: You can pack a wrap with everything from classic deli meat and cheese to Mediterranean hummus and veggies to Thai-style peanut sauce, grilled chicken, shredded carrots, cucumber slices, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. 

Wraps are also more stable and easier to use as a garnish than a similar-sized sandwich. Again, try to find a skewer with a stopper, or make your own. You'll also need a couple of extra-long cocktail party toothpicks. Slide one pick through the top and bottom of your wrap to hold it together, then slide the wrap onto the skewer. And finally, use a second pick under the wrap as a bit of extra support to keep your wrap from accidentally tumbling into your cocktail.