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I’m a huge beef jerky (or really any kind of jerky – turkey jerky, you name it) fan. I was shocked to find that so many different jerky brands were loaded with sugar and were not keto-friendly – AT ALL! So, I made it my mission to find the best keto jerky on the internet. Well, guess what? I’ve found it – keep on reading my full Best Keto-Friendly Beef Jerky Guide to find the best jerky for someone on the keto diet.
Also, be sure to not miss our full guide to the best keto snacks on Amazon.
Is beef jerky good for keto?
Yes, Beef jerky is good for Keto, as long as you low-carb beef jerky (which can be tricky). Let’s dive into what you need to look for.
Keto Jerky: Why is it so elusive?
Let’s look at one of the most popular beef jerkys on Amazon, Jack links:
While 6 grams of sugar isn’t crazy, it is a lot! The third ingredient in the jerk is… sugar! But there’s one other thing that isn’t highlighted in that picture: the number of servings per container – 9! That means, if you ate the whole container, 9 ounces worth, that would be 54 grams of sugar! Most folks recommend you don’t exceed more than 30 grams of net carbs (Total Carbs – Fiber = net carbs) in a day. If you only ate the package of beef jerky, alone, that would put you over your net carbs for the day.
I could show you example after example of jerky that has the 3rd or 4th ingredient as sugar. It’s pretty crazy. The simple fact is: most jerky has sugar to make it taste better. It’s REALLY tough to make jerky taste good without it. However, I have tried almost every brand of keto-friendly beef jerky to find the best ones for you!
The best keto jerky: moist edition
Most people hate the word moist, including yours truly. However, I couldn’t think of a better word to describe “not dry.” There tend to be two kinds of beef jerky, at least in my opinion: the kind that feels like it was left in the sun to dry for a week and is devoid of any moisture and the type that is somehow more like beef á la sichuan from PF Changs.
Let me first talk about moist jerky (seriously, can someone please give me another word that doesn’t sound so…I don’t know, gross?). This jerky is my favorite because it’s easy to eat, is a lot less likely to get stuck in your teeth and it doesn’t feel like you are chewing through very thin leather boots. I’ve tried almost all the brands, and I must say that Old Trapper Zero Sugar is my favorite:
While I hate the name “old trapper” – sounds sketchy – the jerky itself is delicious. It’s just the right amount of moist and hearty that warms the soul, fills the belly, and leaves your teeth (mostly) clear of jerky debris.
I’ve never made jerky, but I believe the soy sauce is a big reason why this jerky is so tender (is that a better word than moist?) and flavorful.
best keto biltong: righteous felon
Seriously... where has this jerky, I mean, Biltong been my whole life? While technically it's Biltong, it's an awesome take on jerky. Seriously, check it out! Save 10% with promo code WETRIEDIT10.
Want to mix it up? Try out this Righteous Felon Keto Biltong. With fun flavors like Nelson Mandilla (Dill and pepper, awesome!) this isn’t the dry Biltong I’ve tried in the past.
It has a consistency similar to Prosciutto, which I would never imagine was possible in something like jerky, but they’ve done the impossible! Read our full Righteous Felon Review AND use promo code WETRIEDIT10 to save 10% on your order!
The best keto jerky: rawhide edition
Sometimes you just need to feel like a man. And what better way to do that than ripping apart a piece of beef jerky? Don’t you feel a bit like Ron Swanson whenever you do that? I sure do!
Now, I’ll be 100% honest, People’s Choice Jerky isn’t my favorite choice (I prefer Old Trappers, personally), but if you are an “old-fashioned” jerky addict, this is the best choice. This stuff looks like you expect jerky to look, if you expect jerky to rip your teeth off.
Best Keto Jerky: A unique option
I love a good Reuben sandwich. However, obviously, I don’t eat bread very often (I rarely do a cheat day), but there’s nothing better than Pastrami to me. I just love it. I wasn’t looking for this next jerky, but I found it and couldn’t be happier: Pastrami Keto Jerky!
Just writing this make my mouth water in an unhealthy way. This is my all-time favorite and very best keto jerky on the market.
The whole bag, yes you read that correctly, the ENTIRE bag has… drum roll please… 1 carb. Cue the hallelujah chorus. Amen!
And you better believe that if you get your hands on this amazing piece of jerky art, you won’t be able to stop yourself at one serving – you’ll have to eat the whole gosh darn bag. You better believe it!
Best Keto Jerky: Other good keto jerky brands
A couple of other brands we tried in our search for the best keto jerky.
Tillamook Zero Sugar
Tillamook also makes a very good zero sugar keto jerky.
Chef’s Cut Buffalo Chicken Jerky
To be 100% honest with you, this used to be my favorite type of jerky – but I ate the Chef’s Cut Buffalo Chicken Jerky so often that I got myself worn out on it. But it’s still an incredible keto-friendly jerky option. It only has 2 carbs per serving and tastes pretty close to buffalo wings. It’s also surprisingly moist (sorry for that word choice again!) for being chicken jerky. Check it out.
Best Keto Jerky: The final verdict
There are some great keto-friendly jerky options for everyone, you just need to READ THE LABELS. I was so disappointed when I read many of the labels of jerky and saw how much sugar they had. Just make sure to check out the labels, or just buy our favorite keto beef jerky, and you can live a happy, keto-filled life.
Do you have any questions or comments about our Best Keto Jerky roundup? Let us know in the comments below! Also, let us know if you’ve found some great keto jerky that we’ve missed out on. Also, check out our best keto snacks available on Amazon guide, too.
Want some non-beef jerky snacks? Check our Genius Gourmet Review.
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