Jerky can be a tasty, protein-packed snack that fits in your gym bag or desk drawer. But not all meat sticks are made with clean ingredients or bold flavor.
This list breaks down 10 jerky picks that actually deliver—and 5 that miss the mark.
Grab your snack stash and let’s get into it.
1. Chomps Original Beef Stick
Crafted from 100% grass-fed and finished beef, this stick skips the sugar and brings serious protein power.
It’s seasoned with sea salt, coriander, and celery juice for a clean, savory bite that satisfies without feeling heavy.
2. Epic Venison Sea Salt + Pepper Bar
Made with free-range venison and a touch of beef, this bar delivers lean protein and a rustic, gamey flavor.
Cracked pepper and sea salt keep it simple and bold, with a slightly dry, chewy texture that feels hearty.
3. Sogo Snacks Garlic Jalapeño Beef Stick
Made from beef raised without hormones or antibiotics, this one turns up the heat with real jalapeño and garlic.
The flavor lands fast—spicy, smoky, and clean with no added sugar or aftertaste.
4. The New Primal Spicy Beef Stick
This pasture-raised beef stick blends crushed red pepper, garlic, and vinegar for a spicy, tangy finish.
Its texture is juicy with a slight snap, and the heat stays sharp without being overpowering.
5. Country Archer Turkey Stick
Made from antibiotic-free turkey breast, this one skips fillers in favor of natural spices and a touch of brown sugar.
It’s moist and slightly sweet, with a smoky edge that gives it way more flavor than the average turkey stick.
6. Mission Meats Grass-Fed Beef Stick
Mission Meats keeps it clean with 100% grass-fed beef, sea salt, and just a hint of garlic and paprika.
The result is tender, meaty, and flavorful with zero junk and a strong protein punch for its size.
7. Paleovalley 100% Grass-Fed Beef Stick
This fermented beef stick adds gut-boosting probiotics to grass-fed meat, creating a snack that works hard on two fronts.
It’s tangy, slightly smoky, and juicy without being greasy—like a jerky version of pickled beef.
8. Mighty Organic Original Meat Stick
Certified organic and made from grass-fed cattle, this stick doesn’t rely on sugar or MSG to bring out flavor.
Its dry, firm texture delivers a savory, almost steak-like chew that lingers just long enough.
9. Vermont Smoke & Cure Turkey Stick
This stick blends lean turkey with real garlic, cracked pepper, and a touch of maple sugar from Vermont trees.
The result is soft, smoky, slightly sweet, and impressively flavorful for something so light and low-calorie.
10. Wild Zora Mediterranean Lamb Stick
Grass-fed lamb, spinach, turmeric, and rosemary combine in this savory, spice-forward option that eats like no other.
The texture is tender and juicy, while the Mediterranean spices bring a warming, almost stew-like depth.
11. Slim Jim Original
This classic stick is made with a meat blend, MSG, artificial flavors, and lots of salt.
It tastes more like spicy oil and smoke extract than real meat, and it leaves your fingers greasy.
12. Jack Link’s Teriyaki Beef Stick
Sugary teriyaki glaze covers up any natural beef flavor and leaves a sticky film behind.
The meat’s texture is oddly soft, and the sweet aftertaste clings too long on the tongue.
13. Old Wisconsin Turkey Snack Stick
Despite its turkey base, this one’s packed with sodium and preservatives that flatten any real flavor.
It’s rubbery, overly salty, and hard to finish without a drink nearby.
14. Oberto Spicy Sweet Beef Stick
This stick promises sweet heat but delivers mostly syrup and mild spice.
The texture is gummy, the flavor is flat, and the ingredients list leans heavily on sugar and fillers.
15. Great Value Original Beef Stick
This bargain stick tastes cheap for a reason—its ingredient list includes mechanically separated meat and artificial smoke.
What you get is dry, salty, and one-dimensional, with a chemical finish that sticks around longer than you’d like.