Delicious dried, salted, flavored meat. Most commonly enjoyed as a portable snack, beef jerky is very convenient for road trips and sporting events. Although more popular in the United States, this snack is fast spreading across the globe and can be found in most countries of the world.
The benefit of beef jerky, besides the taste, is that it’s a low-calorie snack but delivers the protein to keep you full. It’s also not high on sugars or carbs.
If you’re looking to try something new, here are 15 of the best beef jerky brands around. Taste is a very subjective matter, so don’t pay attention to the ranking. Rather, read the description to see which one or ones sound appealing to you. The nice thing about beef jerky is that you could try a lot of varieties fairly inexpensively until you find the flavor you want to stick with.
The Best Beef Jerky Brand
Think Jerky Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky
If you are a fitness lover, you already know that consuming the right nutrients before and after working out is just as crucial as the workout itself. Think Jerky gives you the right amount of protein needed for your pre and post-workout.
Each bag of this tasty beef jerky contains 100 calories, 16 grams of protein, and just 1.5 grams of fat, with no artificial ingredients added. The delicious sweet chipotle jerky is crafted by a celebrity chef and two-time Bacon Fest Champion, Chef Matt Troost.
The brand only uses grass-fed beef with no added hormones or antibiotics.
For more snacks that will give you a protein boost, check out our guide to the best protein bars.
Krave Jerky Sea Salt Original Beef Jerky
This salted beef jerky will give your taste buds a sweet and savory taste that’s tantalizing. It is an ideal snack for stocking your office or school vending machine.
Putting special dietary needs into consideration, it is gluten-free and contains 100 calories per serving size. You could easily get hooked on this snack from your very first bite. It is an all-natural beef jerky with no added artificial ingredients and packed with enough protein to make for a filling, healthy snack.
Country Archer Original Beef Jerky
Country Archer Jerky is a beef jerky made from 100% grass-fed cows and is handcrafted from real food and organic ingredients. This beef jerky is high in protein with an ounce containing about 11g of protein and 70 calories per serving.
Made by a reputable USDA inspected brand, you need not worry about the addition of artificial ingredients as it is gluten-free and contains no nitrates or MSG. A bite of this piece of meat won’t leave you with toothache, either, as it is quite soft, unlike other brands of beef jerky.
Field Trip Original Beef Jerky
Field Trip Jerky offers a nutritious, delicious, and all-natural beef jerky with the addition of no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or MSG. It is gluten-free and dairy-free, which makes it a perfect snack for people who are allergic or have sensitivities to these allergens.
Proudly made in the USA, this premium meat is made with brown sugar, a marinade of cracked pepper, and a hint of smoke flavor to give it an irresistible taste. It’s also high in protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied longer than other snacks.
Perky Jerky Beef Original
Easily one of the best beef jerky brands out there, Perky Jerky offers an exciting and flavorful marinade spiced with cracked pepper. The meat is sourced from cattle fed with 100% grass, and it is low in fat but packed with the right amount of protein.
To bring the beef to its tender perfection, the meat is marinated overnight. Like most of the best brands of beef jerky, the meat is also prepared without the addition of artificial ingredients.
If you aren’t a fan of beef jerky, a taste of Perky Jerky Beef Original might change your preference.
Ray’s Own Brand Beef Jerky
Spiced with the right amount of freshly ground black pepper, this peppered beef jerky brings out the natural flavor in the meat while chewing. All the fat, tendons, and bones contained in the beef have been trimmed off, leaving you with the purest cut of meat a beef jerky has to offer.
Made in San Luis Obispo, CA, the heart of California’s wine and cattle country, the meat is hand-cut and handmade by Ray Cattaneo, a third-generation meat smoker. This beef jerky is all-natural and gluten-free with no carbs and no preservatives added.
Pacific Coast Jerky Factory Beef Jerky
The Pacific Coast beef jerky is a fresh, handcrafted American beef jerky that is about 97% fat-free with no preservatives added.
Prepared using clean ingredients and seasonings, this brand of beef jerky consistently delivers the typical West Coast Original flavor beef jerky. With over 35 years of making beef jerkies, the Pacific Coast Jerky Factory beef jerky is sure to be one of the best beef jerky brands you’ve ever tasted.
Oberto All-Natural Spicy Sweet Beef Jerky
Proudly made in the United States, this all-natural jerky is high in protein and made with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. To achieve its perfect balance of sweet and spicy, the marinated lean beef is crushed with red pepper flakes.
Each ingredient used in the making of the Oberto All-Natural Spicy Beef Jerky is hand-selected, and the rick, smoked flavor of the meat is delivered from a harmonious mixture of delicious hardwoods. If you decide to have a taste of this beef jerky, consume or refrigerate within three days of opening for maximum freshness and flavor.
Laura’s Lean Beef Organic Jerky
As a brand awarded the 2016 Prevention Magazine Cleanest Food award, Laura sure knows one or two things about the production of a clean diet. This jerky is made with no artificial ingredients, nitrates, preservatives, or MSG.
The cattle from which the beef is sources are not only grass-fed but also raised without added growth hormones or antibiotics. A bite of this beef jerky will give you a feel of enjoyment without having to sacrifice your good diet.
With a goal to bring you the most naturally delicious beef to fit a healthy lifestyle, Laura’s is one of the best beef jerky brands out there.
Jack Link’s Beef Jerky
The Jack Link’s Beef Jerky is a good source of protein with a serving containing about 14g of protein and has all the amino acids your body needs. This beef jerky brand is a family-owned business with a long legacy of crafting high-quality, delicious jerky dating back as early as the 1800s.
A single pack of the Jack Link’s beef jerky contains nine 1.25-ounce bags of beef jerky snack packs: five Original and four Teriyaki flavors made with the motive of satisfying the strongest meat-seeking urges. The Original flavor is hardwood smoked with a hint of garlic flavor, while the Teriyaki has soy, ginger, a little bit of onion, and a lot of perfectly smoked beef flavor.
With a range of flavors, Jack Link’s variety pack gives you an interesting snacking experience. Be it at the gym, camping, hiking, picnics, or any gathering, they are the perfect on-the-go snack.
Katie’s Premium Beef Jerky
If you are a lover of homemade jerky, then this is the perfect beef jerky brand for you. All-natural, with no preservatives and 100% gluten-free, it is the perfect snack for any outing. Spiced with cayenne pepper, it has a nice kick, and if you have a good tolerance, you won’t have a problem eating it all day.
Having won over 40 awards, the brand sure has a good reputation. The beef jerky also comes in a variety of over 30 flavors. It contains protein to help nourish your body, while the low fat it contains will give you a guilty-free feeling when you take a bite.
The brand offers a satisfaction guarantee in which if you are not entirely satisfied with the jerky, they will either replace or refund your order.
Cattleman’s Cut Original Beef Jerky
Cattleman’s is marinated and cooked slowly for about 48 hours to bring out the maximum flavor; if you love delicious beef, then this is your snack. This beef jerky comes packaged in a resealable packaging to help keep the meat fresh and ready for consumption.
What you see is what you get, as it comes in a transparent bag, so you can feast first with your eyes and then with your mouth. It also features large pieces made from whole muscle with a tender, but never soft taste.
For maximum freshness and flavor, the beef jerky is best consumed or refrigerated within three days of opening.
People’s Choice Beef Jerky
A family-owned beef jerky brand, People’s Choice crafts a jerky with a chewy, steak-like texture, that the longer you chew, the more flavor you enjoy. It gives you the real meat flavor in every bite you take.
With a focus on crafting new and interesting flavors from fresh ingredients and simple techniques, their aim is to deliver a sophisticated snacking experience while maintaining their handmade tradition.
The People’s Choice beef jerky has a spark of bright orange flavor with savory undertones of soy sauce that leaves your taste buds wanting more. This snack boasts of being nitrate-free with no added preservatives or MSG and 100% nut-free.
With over 90 years of experience in the game of making beef jerkies, this family-owned brand has its base in Los Angeles.
Jim Beam Premium Beef Jerky
Crafted from select whole-muscle authentic beef, Jim Beam Beef Jerky gives you a blend of flavor and mouth-watering perfection that leaves you with nothing but enjoyment. If you are a gym regular, it is the ideal snack to consume pre and post-workout.
This premium beef jerky is made with real Jim Beam Bourbon and a proprietary smokehouse process that provides you with a unique and savory jerky taste. It is proudly made in the United States with no added artificial ingredients, preservatives, or MSG.
The Jim Beam jerky comes in three flavors: Jim Beam Original, Maple Bourbon, and Smokey Barrel. Try them all and see which one you like best.
Dukes Original Angus Beef Jerky
Dukes offers a quality of beef jerky on another level by exclusively using USDA approved Angus beef as the choice of protein. It comes packaged in a resealable and easy-to-open bag.
Seasoned and naturally smoked, this beef jerky gives your taste buds a feeling that can’t be matched by just any piece of meat. A bite of Dukes Original Angus beef jerky is high in proteins, contains 3 grams of total carbs, and is 96% fat-free.
Made in the United States, the brand is regularly inspected and approved by the Department of Agriculture.