We’re not saying we have a beef with regular old jerky. We’re just saying our relationship has gotten a little, well, dry. Plus, nitrates, which are added to many meat jerkies, are getting a worse and worse rap due to correlations with and now for people with bipolar disorder. Sure, you can buy nitrate-free jerky, but you could also try something completely new: alternative beef jerky.
As the ever-shiftingdiet pendulum has swung from paleo to vegan,the jerky market has followed.(Check out this fun mapping the two eating styles over the past five years.) Of course, you can still find “primal style” dried-meat strips and bars, but alternative beef jerkies made frommushrooms, bugs, seaweed, and even coconut are also in the mix.
Are these even really jerky? We say yes.
The term jerky comesfrom , which originally referred to dried meat—most likely alpaca. The livestock industry may take issue with us expanding the definition to include other dehydrated options the way it reacted tonut milks branding themselves as milk. But these products are shelf-stable, savory, nutritious, and give us something to chew methodically as we march down the trail. That ticks all the jerky boxes in our field guide.
We tried the new options and picked the best for every jerky enthusiast, from the veggie curious to the hardcore vegan. Here are our favorites.
Best For: Pescatarians
FishpeopleLemon Zest andHerb Salmon Jerky
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It’s impossible to make a fish jerky that isn’t, well, fishy. Sowe’re going to suggest you have something potent—gum, toothpaste, a few wild mint leaves—to wipe the fish flavor from your mouthafter the fact. That being said, Fishpeople’slemon zest and herb flavor tastes less like French kissing a merman than other iterations we’ve tried. It has a nice toothsome texturebut is more tender than a traditional slab of dried beef flesh. Like all Fishpeopleproducts, you can trace exactly where your wild-caught salmon came from by typing in a code on your package, a nice feature that keeps sustainable seafood companies honest. $8 per bag, available .
Best For: Keto Hikers
CocoburgCoconut Jerky
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When you take your first bite, you will decry this being included in a jerky review, even if it is a beef jerky alternative roundup. Thetexture is too firm—it’s almost more like a firm cracker than a slice of dried meat. But stay with it. As you chew, the coconut flesh goes from hard to pliable. We promise you’ll see why this totally counts as jerky. Even though I think of coconut as leaning towardthe sweet side of things, the three flavors offered by Cocoburg live in the savory realm. This was the only product I tried where I liked the original flavor the best, though the ginger-teriyaki and chili-lime ones are pretty darn good, too. I had to put the bag in another room to stop myself from devouring all of it while I typed this up. $17for a three-pack sampler, available .
Best for: Spice-Lovers
Jack & Tom Jackfruit Jerky
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Jackfruit is always a go-to for some plant-based eaters because it has a stringy, chewy texture similar to pork or beef. When unripe, jackfruit absorbs the flavor of whatever is put into it. Which is why Jack & Tom Jerky is extra spicy, because it holds the heat of poblano peppers, savory tomatoes and a spice blend. It’s a bit on the chewier, softer side, but the spicy kick might make you forget everything and anything about this jerky except for: “WOW. THIS IS HOT!” $44 for a five-pack, available, .
Best For: Sustainable Eaters
AkuaKelp Jerky
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In case you haven’t yet heard, kelp is the new kale:it’s high in vitamins andminerals and has a negligible ecological footprint, requiring no feed, fertilizer, or fresh water. However, the downside is that kelp tastes remarkably like licking a barnacle. Fortunately, Akua has solved this problem by flavoring its kelp strips with seasonings that have enough backbone to stand up to that saltwater flavor. The maple andBBQ offering was my favorite, and while it doesn’t completely mask the vegetal taste, it definitely helps. $20for a three-bag sampler, available .
Best For: Plant-Based Eaters
It’s Jerky Y’all Prickly Pear Chipotle
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Made from non-GMO soy, this had the best texture of the three soy jerkies I tried. Each serving has sevengrams of plant-based protein, and a portion of every sale supports , a refugefor cattle run by vegans in Texas. All three flavors—black pepper andsea salt, prickly pear–teriyaki, and prickly pear–chipotle—are good, but my favorite was the sweet and smoky combo of prickly pear and chipotle. $21for a three-pack sampler, available .
Best For: The Jerky ϳԹr
EntoLife Chirpy JerkyOriginal Roasted Cricket Jerky
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To be fair, even though this is billed as a jerky, it’smore of a crispy protein bark than anything else. Still, I’m including it because it’s delicious and, with crickets in it, unique. A pemmican-style jerky, the recipe follows the Native Americantradition of mixing protein and dried fruit together to make one nutrient-packed power food. It’s nutty and sweet, and if no one ever told you otherwise, you’d never guess there were bugs in it. $6, available .
Best For: The Apprehensive Yet Veggie Curious
Shrooms Splits Filet Mignon and Portabella Mushroom Jerky
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Maybe you’re not ready to dive fist first into a bag full of mushroom jerky. That’s fine. (But if you are, Shroomsmakes that, too.) This willmeet you where you’re at. Amix of soft beef sliversand dried mushrooms, it delivers tons of umami flavor. If you grab a handful at a time without looking closely, it can be hard to tell what’s meat and what’s ’shroom. Pretty soonyou may find yourself graduating to nothing but a bag of fungi—like the company’s teriyaki-mushroom-jerky offering. $7, available on .
Best For: The ‘I-Need-It-Easy’ Snacker
Beyond Meat Jerky
If you’re the kind of person who likes their snacks where they can see them – no extra scrounging around gas stations and supermarkets – Beyond Meat Jerky may be for you. You can find this beef jerky alternative in most popular grocery stores no problem. Made with pea and mung bean protein, this jerky has 2g of fat, 8g of carbs, and 10g of protein per serving. $5, available .