Beef jerky has come a long way, from being the snack of choice (and necessity) for pioneers and cowboys to now being flavored like a gosh darn corn chip. Yes, Jack Link’s, which already makes pickle-flavored pork jerky and something called Beef Jerky Chew (which I assume is a meaty take on the tobacco product) recently expanded its meaty empire to include two new flavors inspired by other popular snack foods. Behold: Spicy Sweet Chili Beef Jerky (flavored like one of the best Doritos flavors) and Flamin’ Hot Beef Jerky (because if it’s edible, it can be Flamin’ Hot).
What is beef jerky made of? How is beef jerky made? And most importantly, why is beef jerky so expensive? Let’s chew on some answers.
Jack Link’s took a top five spot in our best beef jerky ranking, so if any beef jerky brand is capable of making a tasting chip-flavored meat product, it’s them and their weird sasquatch mascot. We grabbed a bag of each of the new flavors and got our jaws ready for some serious chewing. How well did these beefy dupes do? Let’s find out.
Well, they definitely got the “sweet” part of Spicy Sweet Chili right. This is sweet meat. It does have some decent heat on the finish and a touch of fish saucy funkiness. But mostly it’s sweet. And it’s soft, too. Some people like really tender, soft jerky. Personally, I like my dried meat to have the texture of dried meat—tough. But, knowing soft jerky has its fans, I won’t hold that against it. Instead, I’ll judge by flavor alone. And, once again, that flavor is…say it with me…sweet. I adore Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili chips and, sadly, this just wasn’t the Doritos beef jerky I was promised.
Weirdly, the Flamin’ Hot jerky was much, much tougher than the Doritos beef jerky. So, it already wins points with me there. But, again, I won’t judge based on texture. So, let’s talk flavor. It is HOT. It is SPICY. And the heat lasts and lasts. That said, it does not taste like Flamin’ Hot. It lacks the citric tang of Flamin’ Hot products. It is a very good spicy beef jerky, if you’re looking for real, serious spice. But it is not Flamin’ Hot.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
Subscribe
Get all the top food rankings, new product reviews, and other grocery content delivered to your inbox every other week.
Justine Sterling
Jessica Block
