The Great Beef Jerky Showdown: We Tested 12 Brands So You Don't Have To

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Magnus Svensson
Magnus Svensson

The meat snack aisle has exploded. What was once a dusty corner of the gas station has become a legitimate $15 billion industry, and every brand is fighting for your attention with claims of "high protein," "all natural," and "no artificial ingredients." But how many of those claims actually hold up?

We purchased 12 of the most widely available beef jerky brands in the United States and put them through a rigorous analysis. We looked at protein per serving, sodium content, sugar levels, ingredient quality, and price per ounce. Here's what we found.

The Methodology

For each brand, we recorded the full nutrition label and ingredient list from the same flavor profile (original or classic) in the same bag size when possible. We normalized everything to a standard 1-ounce serving for fair comparison.

We scored each brand on five criteria:

  • Protein density (grams of protein per ounce)
  • Sodium levels (milligrams per ounce)
  • Sugar content (grams per ounce)
  • Ingredient transparency (how clean and readable the ingredient list is)
  • Value (price per ounce of actual meat)

Key Findings

The range in quality was staggering. Some brands packed 12-13 grams of protein per ounce with minimal additives, while others relied heavily on sugar and soy sauce to mask lower-quality cuts. Sodium ranged from a reasonable 320mg per ounce to an alarming 590mg in some brands.

Perhaps the most surprising finding was the sugar content. Several brands marketed as "healthy" or "high protein" snacks contained more sugar per ounce than some candy bars. When you see "brown sugar," "honey," and "pineapple juice concentrate" all in the same ingredient list, that's a red flag.

What to Look For

When shopping for beef jerky, flip the bag over. The first ingredient should be beef, not "beef treated with..." and the ingredient list should be short enough that you could reasonably recreate it in your own kitchen. If you see sodium nitrite, MSG, or multiple forms of sugar listed, consider whether that aligns with your health goals.

The meat snack industry is massive, and not all products are created equal. Our job is to help you cut through the marketing and find the snacks that actually deserve a place in your diet.

Stay tuned for the full brand-by-brand breakdown coming next week.