6 Healthiest Beef Jerky Brands—and 3 To Avoid

Eatthis ^ | 11/13/2024 | Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, CPT

[ChicagoConservative27]

It is no secret that protein is a macro that you simply can't do without, especially if you are trying to manage your weight, muscle mass, or blood pressure. And for protein seekers, jerky is a go-to snack that packs a punch in the protein department—some jerkies even provide a whopping 16 grams of protein per serving). What makes jerky appealing to many is that, unlike other go-to protein-packed snack options like hard-boiled eggs and cheese, jerky is shelf-stable, completely eliminating the need to keep your nosh at a cool temperature for safety reasons. The smoky and satisfying taste that jerky offers doesn't hurt either. And if you want to take the plunge and buy some jerky for your next snack, it may be helpful to know about some of the best beef jerky options on the market.

[ChicagoConservative27]

The list,

Country Archer Zero Sugar Classic Beef Jerky

Lorissa's Kitchen Original Smoke Show

Stryve Biltong Original

Think Grass-Fed Beef Jerky

CHOMPS Jerky (Original Beef Stick)

Beyond Meat Jerky

[Jane Long]

They left off Snake River Farms!

Should be #1 healthiest :-)

[CatOwner]

Beyond Meat Jerky

Looks like the highest in sodium and quite a bit of sugar. These so-called "healthy" choices are going to kill people.

[dfwgator]

“Beef Jerky Time!”

[telescope115]

GOOD TO KNOW, thanks for posting. I don’t eat much beef jerky, but I do need something better than a Snickers bar to take on my walks. I will look for these.

[ChicagoConservative27]

You’re welcome

[rlmorel]

Folks, I am a beef jerky aficionado...eaten scads of it during my life...

This is my absolute, hands down favorite:

LINK: ONN Specialties

Their beef jerky is highly unusual-it is a fantastic snack-paper thin, crispy, and tasty. Just fantastic. I love all kinds of beef jerky, but this is the easiest to eat. Highly satisfying, full of flavor, not salty, and easy to chew.

It is about 20 miles from my house, and when I visited it in person, the older Asian woman working there greeted me effusively when she saw my Navy hat, and said I got a $10 military discount!

Love it. Just love it. Of course, I drove by the other day, and they were closed for the weekend for some event.

[Texas_Jarhead]

Wait. Am I misreading or drunk or is the Jack’s links Dorito on both lists?

[rlmorel]

Hahahahahaha! I frequently say that, in that Eddie Murphy tone of voice!

“There is plenty, you know!”

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Jerky is really easy to make, and making your own is much, much cheaper than buying it. Also, you can spice it just how you like.

[Montana_Sam]

M&S Meats near Kalispell, MT, has my taste-bud allegiance. Beef, bison, elk and more. Truly great jerky!

[Political Junkie Too]

I make my own with a countertop dehydrator.

-PJ

[BobL]

“Country Archer Zero Sugar Classic Beef Jerky”

First one, Country Archer Zero Sugar Classic Beef Jerky, contains Sunflower Oil, which is a bad oil, so dump that one. Also, the mushrooms in it drive up the carbs beyond what’s necessary.

The second one, Lorissa’s Kitchen Original Smoke Show, seems to check all the boxes, so it would have been good to buy and virtually no carbs...except check the Amazon reviews, seems they really screwed up their recipe recently.

Haven’t reviewed the others yet.

[ShadowAce]

Wait. Am I misreading or drunk or is the Jack’s links Dorito on both lists?

I read both lists as identical. All the way down.

[rlmorel]

I had to look, I think you are correct!

The main thing that turns me off when I eat beef jerky is if it is too salty or over seasoned.

I can deal with jerky that is too thick, jerky that is tooth-wrenchingly chewy, but...I just cannot deal with salt and too much spice.

I do love blazingly hot beef jerky too, but...I don’t view that necessarily as spice. Sometimes, when I eat certain foods, from the first bite, I think “I am going to regret this...” but spicy hot is not that kind of thing for me.

And additionally...I don’t like beef jerky that is too soft. That isn’t why I buy beef jerky...I need some chew in it.

[waterhill]

Yep. Make my own. From beef all the way down to wild rabbit. Venison is my favorite.

[rlmorel]

Hahahahahahaha! OOOPSIE!

The author hasn't picked up on that yet...:)

I had a hilarious "error" when I was posting my reply above...somehow, the picture was mislabeled, and when I previewed it, this is what accompanied my post:

Heh, that would have been an epic mis-post on a food related thread!

[FamiliarFace]

The best jerky I’ve ever had came from a somewhat new outfit, called Backyard Grill & Smoke, in the Gainesville area. I had my first taste in June this past summer. Excellent!! I’m gonna ask my niece for more of this as a Christmas gift. They gave us some as a welcome gift when we visited in June. The company is on FB for anyone who wants to order online from them. It’s really the best jerky I’ve ever had in my life.

[FreedomForce]

I’m pretty satisfied with Great Value (Walmart store brand) jerky. It’s not that soft, wet thing that jerky has morphed into over the years. It has quite a bit of sodium but doesn’t taste overly salty to me. It’s cheaper than most of the other supermarket jerky, too.

[rlmorel]

As long as it isn’t too salty or too soft, I can enjoy it!

Funny-I always looked at beef jerky as a “guy” food, but...my wife likes it too!