Beef Jerky Hub Categories

It began in 1946 with 15 hams and a humble building. How Robertson’s turned slow smoking into the jerky it insists on calling ‘real’.

Thirty-eight years of jerky-making in the Land of Enchantment. Five reasons the New Mexico Beef Jerky Company earns its reputation.

Made near Hershey, Pennsylvania, by the Choo Choo R Snacks company. A closer look at the jerky that carries Buffalo Bill’s name.

Decades of quality and a price that doesn’t sting. Why Uncle Mike’s is a trusted name in jerky.

Travels well, skips the fridge, and packs iron and protein. A closer look at the Wild Bill’s bag.

A household name built on high standards. Here’s what that means for the jerky in the bag.

The quirky grocer that started in 1958 does jerky too. Four reasons it’s worth adding to the cart.

Flavor and nutrients in one bag, but not every bag is equal. Nine brands, compared label by label.

One of the rising stars of healthy home cooking now makes jerky. Five reasons it might become your new favorite.

Plant-based jerky is everywhere now. Here’s whether Beyond Meat’s version earns a spot in the snack drawer.

No dehydrator, no problem. The oven you already have can make excellent jerky, with a few adjustments.

Recipes keep calling for curing salt. What it is, why it matters, and how to make your own.

The easiest route to homemade jerky. What a dehydrator does well, and how to get the most from yours.

A dehydrator is convenient, not required. The other ways to dry jerky at home, and how they compare.

Already own an electric smoker? You’re most of the way to great jerky. The rest is here.

E. coli and salmonella love meat as much as you do. The handling, heating and drying steps that keep homemade jerky safe.

Meat, seasoning and drying time get all the attention. The slice is the step that quietly decides the texture.

The most hyped gadget in the kitchen meets the snack that never goes out of style. Here’s how to make them get along.

From the Native American tribes who first dried meat to the snack aisle. The history of jerky, and the word itself.

Jerky can be an expensive habit. Thirteen trending products, priced out, so you know what a fair bag costs.

A pound of beef does not make a pound of jerky. What drying takes away, and what you’re left with.

Protein-packed and savory, but is it good for you? What’s really in a bag of jerky, the good and the less good.

Smoky, chewy, addictive. But how does the nutrition label hold up? A closer look at what’s in a serving.

Marinade prepped, dehydrator ready, and then the meat counter stumps you. Five cuts that make great jerky, and three that won’t.

Big brands make a lot of jerky. Small makers make it better, and here are five reasons why.

Homemade jerky comes without an expiration date. How long it really keeps, and what shortens or stretches that.

Jerky costs more than almost any other snack on the shelf. Seven reasons behind the premium price.

One of the world’s most popular convenience foods, by the numbers. How much jerky gets eaten in a year.

Too short and it’s bland, too long and the texture suffers. Finding the sweet spot for your cut and your marinade.

Underdone is unsafe, overdone is leather. How to tell when your jerky is exactly right, every batch.

The Quechua invented jerky to last. Four ways to store yours, and when each one makes sense.

Never tried it? The closest comparison might surprise you. What that first bite is really like, and why people can’t stop at one.

Jerky lasts a long time, but not forever. The signs that a bag has turned, and what to do about it.

Taste and smell get the attention, but your eyes can tell you a lot. What finished jerky should look like.

Craving jerky and out of the good stuff? Six places to buy it, online and off.

Tasty, portable, loved everywhere. Turns out there’s a lot more to jerky than the bag lets on.

A strip of jerky looks nothing like the animal it came from. Following the math from a whole cow to the bag.

Beef gets the publicity, but venison makes superb jerky if you pick the right cut. Four winners and four to skip.

Nothing ruins a day like fuzzy jerky. Four easy habits that keep mold out of the bag.

Jerky is the perfect trail food, as long as it survives the trip. How to pack it for camping and hiking.

It’s delicious, obviously. Six reasons jerky also works harder for your body than most snacks.

Disaster prep or a backwoods trip, the kit needs food that lasts. Seven reasons jerky belongs in it.

The most indulgent cut of beef, dried into a snack. Why filet mignon jerky is worth the splurge.

The smell has your cat circling before the bag is open. Five reasons jerky isn’t the treat it seems for felines.

That pleading face is hard to refuse. Four reasons your jerky should stay out of the dog bowl.

Food safety matters more than ever with a baby on the way. Where jerky fits, and where caution does.

Lean, affordable and easy to slice: what to look for at the butcher, and the cuts that deliver it.

Most jerky disappears in days. For the batches that need to last, vacuum sealing is the answer, and here’s how.

A bulk-beef bargain or a generous friend can leave you with more jerky than you can eat. Six ways to keep it good for the long haul.

The Good Eats host has a knack for simple food done right, and his jerky is no exception. Here’s the method, step by step.

Salty and sweet, smoky and tangy. A recipe that honors the way jerky was made before anyone bought it in a bag.

The world’s hottest pepper, marinated into beef. Bring milk.

Sweet and salty in the right balance. A mouthwatering recipe that could become your new standard.

High protein, low fat, and a smoky flavor you can’t get from the oven. A straightforward recipe for the smoker.

Chili powder, smoked paprika and a wild ride for your taste buds. New Mexico heat in every strip.

Most jerky leans on salt to preserve the meat. This recipe cuts the sodium without losing the flavor.

Eating paleo doesn’t mean giving up jerky. This recipe keeps the flavor and leaves out what the diet doesn’t allow.

High in protein, low in fat, easy to make. A turkey jerky for anyone watching what they eat.

Most store jerky hides preservatives and artificial flavors. This recipe skips them and still tastes like jerky should.

Thinking about keto? This jerky is a tasty way in, and a good example of how the diet actually eats.

Easy to make, long-lasting, and hot enough to make you sit up straight. A recipe for heat seekers.

Salmon takes a spicy marinade beautifully. A different kind of jerky for snacks and appetizers.

High protein, low carb and rich in omega-3s. A fish jerky that travels as well as the beef kind.

Sweet, savory and impossible to leave alone, the way good Korean barbecue is. A recipe worth the detour from the classics.

Sriracha and honey in one marinade. Satisfying, protein-rich, and a little addictive.

Making jerky at home sounds like a project. It isn’t, and this recipe is the proof.

A few ingredients, no special tricks, and a snack you can take anywhere. Start here if you’ve never made jerky.

Honey for sweetness, cracked pepper for bite. A savory-spicy balance that’s hard to put down.

A touch of brown sugar, a smoky finish, and a recipe simple enough for a weeknight.

Twenty-three flavors of soda, one very good marinade. Fruity, spiced, a little earthy, and easier than it sounds.

Teriyaki’s umami and beef jerky’s chew, together. A step-by-step recipe with Kikkoman doing the heavy lifting.

Some days regular seasoning won’t do. This recipe is for the mouth-burning, eye-watering kind of craving.

Brown sugar sweetness, red pepper heat, an Asian-fusion twist on the classic. Easier than it sounds.

Smooth whiskey, savory beef. A crowd-pleasing marinade that tastes like it was always meant to be.

Craving Duke’s but out of the store’s reach? Make the snack-aisle classic in your own kitchen.

One of our favorite recipes, loaded with seasonings. Peppered jerky, step by step.

For the days the jerky craving and the sweet tooth show up together. A sugary twist on a meaty treat.

Cracked pepper on beef is a classic for a reason. Easy recipes for the jerky that never gets old.

Cheaper than store-bought and tastier too, without a long ingredient list. The simplest recipes we know.

Lean cuts get pricey. Ground beef makes jerky that’s cheaper, tender and just as addictive, with the recipes to prove it.

South Africa’s take on jerky is thicker, with a texture and flavor all its own. Here’s how to make it at home.

North Africa’s spicy, sweet chili paste meets beef in your oven. No smoker or dehydrator required.

Pastrami and jerky are cousins, so why not combine them? A deli-flavored jerky, made in your oven.

Jerky started with bison, long before beef. This recipe skips the fluff and gets straight to the good part.

Most jerky needs a long marinade. This dry rub version gets you from craving to snack a lot faster.

Fancy flavors have their place. When the craving is for plain, honest jerky, this is the recipe.

Thin beef, a marinade of pepper, sugar and garlic, and one of the most popular jerky styles anywhere. Make it at home.

Pork makes an easy base for jerky, and teriyaki suits it perfectly. A simple recipe for your daily protein.

Pork makes tender jerky, and this marinade brings both heat and sweetness. Easy enough for a first batch.

Fresh jalapeño heat, Texas style. A spicy jerky for any occasion, from tailgates to trailheads.

Lean beef marinated in Thai spices and herbs, then dried or oven-cooked. A recipe with real personality.

Lean turkey breast keeps the fat and calories low. Teriyaki keeps it from tasting like a compromise.

America’s second-favorite takeout, turned into a snack. A jerky with the flavors you know from the little white boxes.

Louisiana heat and a blend of cultures in every strip. A spicy twist on the classic recipe.

Serious heat, big garlic, tender beef. A recipe for people who think regular jerky is a little polite.

Sweet meets spicy, with the heat dialed to your taste. The barbecue jerky everyone reaches for first.

Most jerky hides sugar in the glaze or the cure. Three sugar-free, high-protein bags reviewed, and the one we’d reach for first.

Energy bars and shakes hide a lot of sugar. Three high-protein jerkies that pack along on a long run, ranked with the pros and cons of each.

Six dehydrators put through their paces for jerky. Which features matter, which don’t, and the one that earned the top spot.

A vacuum sealer keeps jerky longer and pulls marinade in deeper. Six sealers compared, and the one worth the counter space.

Smoke does something a dehydrator can’t. Six electric smokers put to the jerky test, and the one we’d bring home.

Ground beef needs a gun to become jerky strips. Six models compared on nozzles, cleanup and feel, and the one we’d load first.

Curing salt is the ingredient recipes assume you already understand. What it does, which kind jerky needs, and six brands ranked for the job.

Pink curing salt keeps jerky safe and gives it that cured flavor. What the #1 and #2 on the label mean, and six brands ranked.

Safe jerky starts with the right temperature. Six thermometers compared, from instant-read to Bluetooth, and the one we’d trust with a batch.

Take jerky outside. A pellet smoker adds real smoke and set-and-forget convenience, and these are the ones worth buying.

Beef, turkey, venison, even tuna. Now meet the jerky made from animals you’d never expect, ostrich included.

Lean beef, dried and seasoned in keeping with Islamic dietary law. What zabihah means, and why it matters for jerky.

Prepared according to Jewish dietary law from start to finish. Five reasons kosher jerky deserves a place in your rotation.

Not all jerky is created equal, and the sodium count proves it. Why low sodium jerky is worth seeking out.

Road trips, game days, long afternoons. Five reasons low carb jerky is the snack to keep within reach.

Beef, bison and turkey have company. Tuna jerky is the catch you didn’t see coming, and it’s good.

Plant-based jerky has quietly gotten good, and it brings a few things beef jerky can’t.

Most jerky is muscle meat. Liver jerky breaks the rule, and it might be the most interesting snack you haven’t tried.