When I first began my whole foods and paleo journey in 2012 to reduce inflammation and perimenopause symptoms, there were very few store bought options for jerky or dehydrated meat. Almost all included soy sauce and corn syrup and that’s no surprise, these ingredients are an easy and cheap way to flavor and preserve dehydrated meat.
In the last 12 years, it has become easier to find jerky (both meat and vegetable) that is both gluten and soy free ready to go on the shelf or available for purchase online. When I got the idea to write up this post I was thinking of the 7 or 8 I knew personally but after researching, I had found 17 products that I felt were options that met my criteria!
I say gluten and soy free because you can find jerky that is gluten free with the use of tamari or gluten free soy sauce. If you aren’t worried about soy, there are brands available that I do not include here. Krave is an example.
In looking for the best options, I tried to stick to products that had the shortest ingredient lists without much filler (modified oils, refined sugars, preservatives). Meat jerky usually has the simplest ingredients where as vegan tends to be more complicated.
You might not always find these at your nearest convenience store but the options are out there if you look. It just goes to show jerky can be made with wholesome ingredients for those avoiding soy and gluten in their diets for a variety of reasons. For example, you will notice that many of these products use a form of celery as a common way to add nitrates as a preservative. Cherry powder is another form that avoids sodium nitrates, as well.
So here are 17 gluten and soy free jerky products you can find right now, including my favorites.
This is the product I tend to eat the most of because not only is it delicious but it is the easiest to find. All of their products are gluten and soy free, with minimal ingredients that are thoughtfully sourced. They even have some keto versions!
EPIC products are inspired by the simple yet powerful diets of our ancestors and consistent with our unique evolutionary biology. Throughout the majority of history, our species has evolved living active lifestyles and consuming a Hunter and Gatherer diet rich in high quality meat, wholesome vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. On the contrary, modern day diets of processed foods and excessive sugar, combined with sedentary lifestyles have pushed our physiologies dangerously far from their adapted environments. By looking to the diets and lifestyles of our ancestors, we believe that evolution has much to teach us about human optimization and healthful living.
They don’t necessarily have an “original” bar but the Bison with Beef or Venison bars is probably the most basic I have had. A lot of their bars have fruit or heat so if you are keto or not into spicy, make sure to read the ingredients.
Here’s what is in their Venison bar:
Grass-fed Venison, Sea Salt, Encapsulated Lactic Acid, Water, Black Pepper, Cultured Celery Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder.
They also sell broth and pork rinds, plus for those of you trying to add iron in the form of liver, they offer this great treat too. Yeah, I’m a fan.
Paleo Valley is a company co-founded by Autumn Smith, a Holistic Nutritionist, and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, along with her husband, Chas. Their main mission is to make the beneficial nutrients provided by nature easily accessible and convenient for everyone. They do this by avoiding synthetic and chemically processed health products that are currently dominating the market, and instead, harnessing the power of whole foods that the body can readily recognize and absorb.
Their products are made with grass fed beef and organic spices for some pretty tasty flavors. One feature that sets these meat sticks apart is that they are fermented to make them shelf stable and thus have the extra benefit of probiotics. They do use dextrose for this process, similar to using sugar in the kombucha process, but it is gone by the time the process is finished. Those microbes have to have something to eat!
Here are the ingredients in their original beef stick:
100% grass fed beef, water, unprocessed sea salt, organic dextrose from tapioca (used to initiate the fermentation process), celery juice, organic black pepper, organic red pepper, organic garlic powder, organic coriander, lactic acid starter culture from non-GMO beets, stuffed in a dye-free beef collagen casing.
Zora first started making these bars for her local farmer’s market in Ft. Collins, Colorado in 2014 and it wasn’t long before the expanded her business so now you can find these in a store near you. These were one of the first meat bars I found after I made the choice to follow a paleo lifestyle and the inspiration for my Lamb With Rosemary Meatballs and Jerky recipe. I love that they are sneaking those veggies in!
The ingredients for the Mediterranean Lamb bar are:
Natural Lamb, Organic Vegetables & Fruit (Spinach, Unsulphured Apricots, Dates, Garlic, Celery, Onion), Sea Salt, Oregano, Rosemary, Turmeric.
Tim & Dria’s jerky company offers all grass fed jerky, two of their flavors being gluten free. Their “Naked Original” here and another with ghost pepper for kick. Here are the ingredients you will find:
Grass Fed Beef, Raw Honey, Apple Cider Vinegar, Hickory Liquid Smoke, Dark Molasses, Sea Salt, Lemon Juice, Beef Stock, Ground Black Pepper, Granulated Garlic, Ginger, Cayenne Pepper, White Pepper
Chomps is another product that is relatively easy to find these days. They are tasty but I do find them a bit more tangy than other meat sticks.
We started Chomps when we were both single, working, young professionals that were always on the hunt for on-the-go protein. Now that we both have families and realize how hard it is to find snacks that are truly healthy, we’ve found a whole new motivation. It’s a great feeling seeing our kids enjoying a healthy snack that we created!
Ingredients in their original beef stick:
Grass fed & finished beef, water, less than 2% of: encapsulated lactic acid, sea salt, cultured celery powder (celery powder, sea salt), cherry powder, black pepper, garlic powder, coriander, stuffed in a beef collagen casing.
Health-minded but ever-carnivorous, Jason began making jerky – with grass-fed beef, simple spices, and a countertop dehydrator – to keep in his desk drawer. Co-workers took notice by sight and by smell! When a handful of favors turned into dozens of orders, the seeds of a bona fide start-up were planted and began to blossom. Surrounded by a team with a can-do attitude, clever branding, and a test kitchen from a food-taster dream, The New Primal launched in 2012. In short order, the meat-eating masses were devouring its thoughtfully-sourced, insanely-good jerky.
Their classic beef stick includes:
Grass fed beef, lemon peel, sea salt, encapsulated citric acid, cultured celery juice powder (celery powder, sea salt), garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, ginger, black pepper, in beef collagen casing.
Lorissa had a simple goal: To feed her family wholesome, nourishing snacks that could keep up with their busy schedule. And to this day, every Lorissa’s Kitchen snack is made with high-quality ingredients including chicken and turkey raised without antibiotics and grass-fed beef, simply seasoned for flavors the whole family will love.
Lorissa’s original beef stick ingredients are:
Beef, water, sugar, contains 2% or less of sea salt, salt, mustard, cultured celery extract, dried garlic and onion, black pepper, red pepper, celery seed, natural flavors, rosemary and green tea extract, molasses, lactic acid starter culture.
All of Katie’s products are gluten and MSG free with several also being soy free. There are some that are sugar free but those all seemed to have soy so make sure to read the labels carefully. There are the ingredients for the Garlic Lover’s Dream:
Beef, Distilled Vinegar, Unsulfured Molasses, Salt, Garlic, Onion Powder
Ashley & Glen’s jerky journey was born out of Ashley’s childhood full of allergies and a celiac disease diagnosis as well as a desire to provide healthy snacks for their family. Glen came up with a jerky that was “high protein, low sodium, low sugar, allergen free, unique flavor profiles, and (had) seriously tender texture” and Prevail was born.
The original beef jerky has some spices you don’t commonly see in jerky:
100% Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished Beef, Water, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Sea Salt, Organic Garlic, Organic Matcha Tea, Organic Ginger, Organic Cardamom.
People’s Choice is a Bianchetti family business out of Los Angeles dating back to 1929. They make some interesting keto approved “jerky chips” with just beef, water and sea salt, as well as a variety of sugar free jerkies.
Their original beef jerky ingredients look like this:
Beef, water, seasoning (sea salt, spices, garlic)
Founder Ricky Hirsch was shocked to discover that most jerky products are pumped full of sugar, so he set out to create a jerky that is both healthy and delicious. By partnering with some of the world’s best Chefs, consciously minimizing sugar and salt, and only using the healthiest ingredients, Ricky takes jerky from gas station food to health food.
All of Think Jerky’s jerky is gluten free and pasture raised. Here are the ingredients in their original jerky:
100% Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Brown Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Orange Concentrate (Oranges), Granulated Garlic, Onion Powder, Black Pepper
I found this jerky in a convenience store on one of my first trips to Arizona, it definitely makes you think of how people must have enjoyed jerky “back in the day”.
Old Santa Fe Trail Beef Jerky got its start in 1988, when founder and CEO Matthew Chavez began making traditional New Mexico beef jerky (carne seca) at a meat market he co-owned with his brother and sister-in-law in the North Valley area of Albuquerque.
This jerky is old school, just beef and salt. The result is more crispy (sugar is what gives jerky its softness) but you know you are getting a product that is as whole food as you can get. If you want a bit more flavor and can do nightshades, they do have other flavors like peppered and green or red chile.
I sampled biltong first on my trip to the UK, as it is commonly made outside of the United States. Similar to jerky, its dehydrating process offers a result that is chewier and more fatty. “This classic, South African family recipe traces all the way back to the seventeenth century, where the simplicity of combining just beef, vinegar and spices paved the way for snacking glory.”
These are the ingredients in their original, raisin juice is used instead of white sugar (basically thick grape juice). It’s still sugar but reportedly has antioxidant and iron benefits. I would take it over high fructose corn syrup any day.
Beef, Vinegar, contains 2% or less of: Salt, Raisin Juice Concentrate, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Garlic Powder, Coriander, Clove, Nutmeg
St. Jean’s is a Canadian company based on Vancouver Island that does not use soy in its products making them gluten free. This was the “cleanest” salmon jerky I could find but their ingredients do include Non-GMO canola so it would depend on how you feel about seed oils. Science continues to produce information that refutes some of the demonization of these oils.
Their smoked salmon jerky includes:
Minced wild chum and/or pink salmon, Organic sugar, Sea salt, Canola oil (non GMO), Yeast extract, Black pepper, Curry, Garlic, Natural hardwood smoke.
I first tried this delicious mushroom jerky at a gluten free festival in Portland a few years back and I loved the variety of flavors. They have a knowledgeable grasp of umami and use it to make some great jerky without the use of soy. It is pretty easy to find in stores, at least here in the Pacific Northwest.
Here’s what you will find in their original recipe, no preservatives means this jerky has a shelf life of about 6 months.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, Water, Avocado Oil, Organic Coconut Sugar, Himalayan Pink Salt, Organic Chia Seeds.
Jack & Friends Jackfruit Jerky
Jack & Friends is committed to crafting products you can feel good about eating, regardless of your lifestyle or diet, so you can enjoy food without compromising on quality. That’s why all of our plant-based jerky is not only vegan and top 9 allergen-free, but also a good source of protein and fiber with no added sugar.
The ingredients do include pea protein in all the jerky options, I imagine that is the only way to get the 15g of protein per bag they market. And I would beg to differ on the “no sugar added” when date syrup is the second ingredient but it is a snack food after all.
Jackfruit, Date Syrup, Tomato Paste, Pea Protein, Apple Cider Vinegar, Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt.
I am adding this one just for my husband who loves beets. I will eat beets but they are not my favorite choice. The benefit to these that the other jerkies don’t have is fiber!
THEO’s is all about highlighting REAL FOOD made with organic vegetables! We’re using techniques Theo learned in Michelin Star farm-to-table kitchens to chef up new veggie-forward recipes that are amazing for you and actually taste good!
Each batch of BEET Jerky supports regenerative organic farming, reduces food waste by upcycling the peel of the beet, and comes in compostable packaging.
BEET Jerky is a savory, vegetable snack made with regenerative organic beets & curated spices. We use techniques Theo learned as a chef and use simple, organic ingredients to create a meaty experience using the humble beet. Enjoy!
Their salt and pepper jerky lists:
Organic red beets, organic sunflower oil, organic vinegar, water, organic coconut sugar, organic spices, organic coconut aminos, sea salt, natural hickory smoke flavor
And if you want to try making some yourself and have total control over what is in your jerky, here are a few of my favorite recipes. You don’t always need a dehydrator, an oven on low can provide the same results.
- Bavarian Mustard Caraway Turkey Jerky
- Lemon Capered Turkey Jerky
- Horseradish Mushroom Jerky
- Lamb With Rosemary Meatballs and Jerky
- Lamb Kofta Jerky And Coleslaw Wraps
- Dilly Lemon Roasted Veggie Collagen Bars
Have you tried any of these 17 gluten and soy free jerkies? Let me know if I left out your favorite!
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