Is There Gluten in Beef Jerky

I'm sure you've experienced this a million times: You want a quick snack that is light and easy to carry. You're looking for something with enough protein to keep you going for the afternoon, so you head to the beef jerky aisle. You look at every jerky bag in the store, searching for just one or two gluten-free jerky brands to choose from. Unfortunately, jerky is often full of gluten, so you leave empty-handed and frustrated.

Finding gluten-free jerky in the store has been such a disappointing undertaking that I got to the point where I stopped trying to buy it. Instead, I started looking into how to make homemade gluten-free jerky. However, after researching this article, I now know which GF jerky brands and products to look for when I go shopping.

Are you in the mood for other tasty meats? Check out our lists of gluten-free breakfast sausage brands and gluten-free bacon brands.

Top Gluten-Free Jerky Brands

The days of getting worked up while looking for gluten-free beef jerky is past us now, thank heavens. We've put together this list of companies that have GF jerky options (including gluten-free, sugar-free jerky) so that you can snack without stress.

This post is informational only. Gluten-Free Grubbin' will not receive compensation in any form for mentioning these products or brands.

Baja Jerky

Traditional
Salsa Fresca
Lime & Serrano Pepper
Sweet Orange
Churro

Cross-Contact: Baja Jerky is one of the gluten-free jerky brands that sells only GF jerky. They have a stringent gluten cross-contact policy that includes separating the gluten-free ingredients and cleansing and inspecting the facilities daily. Production employees wear gloves, face masks, hairnets, and other protective gear that never comes in contact with gluten-containing products. Baja Jerky does use a plant that processes products with gluten, but those products are processed under the same guidelines to reduce the possibility of cross-contact with gluten. (Source: Baja Jerky; Email from Baja Jerky)

Where To Buy: Visit Shop Baja Jerky to buy gluten-free beef jerky. They offer free shipping on all orders.

Bricktown Jerky

Soft and Tender Style Beef Jerky – Sweet BBQ
Soft and Tender Style Beef Jerky – Honey Pepper
Soft and Tender Style Beef Jerky – Spicy

Cross-Contact: Bricktown Jerky appears to be a brand made by Jerky.com, which offers a diverse line of products and brands. There wasn't any information on their page about how they avoid gluten cross-contact, so we emailed them. We will update this article if they respond.

Where To Buy: Check out Jerky.com's gluten-free selections, then order directly from their site.

Epic

Chicken Sriracha Traditional Jerky
Traditional Pork Carnitas Jerky
Spicy Traditional Beef Jerky
Sweet & Savory Traditional Beef Jerky

Cross-Contact: Epic jerky is certified gluten free (there aren't many fully certified gluten-free jerky brands out there). They state, "all EPIC products are now officially recognized by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and The Gluten Intolerance Group!"

Additionally, any Epic jerky product that could potentially come into contact with wheat or any of the other top allergens will have a statement on the label stating that. However, to prevent cross-contact with gluten, Epic adheres to a strict allergy management policy that follows the jerky from the raw materials stage all the way to the finished product. (Source: Epic)

Where To Buy: Epic's product page allows you to filter by product and dietary needs, such as AIP, Whole30, Keto and non-GMO. Note that because all Epic jerky is gluten free, a GF diet is not part of the search values.

Jack Link's

Zero Sugar Original Beef Jerky
Blackberry BBQ Beef Strip Bars
Original Rotisserie Chicken Strip Bar
Peppered Beef Strips (Note: Their Peppered Beef Jerky is not the same and is not safe.)
Habenero Beef Strip Bars
Spicy Chicken Strip Bars
Extra Tender Peppered Beef Steak Strips
Original Beef Steak Bites
Extra Tender Original Beef Steak Strips
Teriyaki Beef Tender Bites
Original Beef Tender Bites
Original Beef Prime Rib Tender Cuts

Cross-Contact: Jack Link's gluten-free jerky products have their ingredients reviewed, follow special production policies and have safeguards in place to prevent gluten cross-contact. (Source: Jack Link's)

Where To Buy: Jack Link's shop allows you to filter by snack type, flavor, and meat. If you put "gluten free" in the search bar, however, you'll be able to narrow down which products are safe for a GF diet.

Jerky.com

All-Natural Chicken Jerky – Buffalo Wing
All-Natural Beef Jerky – Cajun Boil
All-Natural Beef Jerky – Montreal Style
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Original
All-Natural Beef Jerky – Raspberry Jalapeno
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Peri Peri
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Mesquite BBQ
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Cajun
All-Natural Beef Jerky – Pastrami
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Garlic
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Barbecue
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Honey Sriracha
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Sriracha
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Teriyaki
All-Natural Beef Biltong Jerky – Hickory
Venison Jerky Strips
Bison Jerky Strips
Elk Jerky Strips

Cross-Contact: We reached out to Jerky.com because we couldn't find any information about allergen cross-contact on their page. We will update this article if we hear back from them.

Where To Buy: You can get gluten-free venison jerky and other all-natural beef jerky products online at Jerky.com.

Krave

Cracked Peppercorn Beef Jerky
Garlic Chili Pepper Beef Jerky
Black Cherry Barbecue Pork Jerky
Grilled Teriyaki Pork Jerky
Lemon Garlic Jerky
Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky
Chili Lime Beef Jerky
Sea Salt Original Beef Jerky
Honey Habanero Jerky
Korean BBQ Plant-Based Jerky
Smoked Chipotle Plant-Based Jerky

Cross-Contact: Krave jerky is always GF (yay for so many dedicated gluten-free jerky brands!), but we aren't sure about their facilities. We sent Krave a request for more information, and we'll update this article if they get back to us. (Source: Krave)

Where To Buy: The Krave product locator narrows your search by zip code, then shows you which stores offer Krave products. We love that it shows you which specific products are available at that location. If you prefer to shop online, you can visit the Shop Krave page.

Mountain America Jerky

Gluten Free Buffalo Jerky
Gluten Free Elk Jerky
Original Salmon Jerky
Peppered Salmon Jerky

Cross-Contact: Mountain America Jerky offers a handful of GF jerky options. However, the company doesn't mention anything about how they ensure that these products are safe for gluten-free eaters. We emailed MAJ with our questions and will update this if we ever hear back. (Source: Mountain America Jerky)

Where To Buy: Check out Mountain American Jerky's gluten-free jerky options, then buy them directly online.

Oklahoma Jerky Company

Old Fashioned Style Beef Jerky – Hickory
Old Fashioned Style Beef Jerky – Peppered
Old Fashioned Style Beef Jerky – Hot
Old Fashioned Style Beef Jerky – Teriyaki
Old Fashioned Style Beef Jerky – Garlic
Old Fashioned Style Beef Jerky – Jalapeno

Cross-Contact: Unfortunately, we couldn't find any information about how Oklahoma Jerky Company keeps their consumers safe from allergen cross-contact. We reached out to them with our questions and will update this if they answer us.

Where To Buy: Order Oklahoma Jerky Company gluten-free beef jerky from Jerky.com.

Oberto

Original Beef Jerky
Peppered Beef Jerky
Applewood Smoked Bacon Jerky
Smoky BBQ
Butcher's Cut Uncured Bacon Jerky
Texas Style BBQ Pulled Pork Jerky
Spicy Sweet Beef Jerky
Original Steak Strips
Classic Recipe Turkey Tenders

Cross-Contact: All Oberto jerky is gluten free, except for the two teriyaki flavors. We were curious if they produce their GF jerky separately from their gluten-containing options, so we contacted Oberto to find out more. We'll let you know if they respond. (Source: Oberto)

Where To Buy: Oberto's Where To Buy page has a list of retailers that offer their products, but the list is not interactive like other gluten-free jerky brands offer. Oberto does have options to buy directly from their site or to shop on Amazon. If you live in Seattle or Renton, WA, you can even purchase this jerky directly from an Oberto factory store.

People's Choice Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky – Old Fashioned – Hot & Spicy
Beef Jerky – Old Fashioned – Original
Beef Jerky – Carne Seca – Limon Con Chile
Beef Jerky – Carne Seca – Machaca – Jerky Chew
Beef Jerky – Tasting Kitchen – Nashville Hot

Cross-Contact: We had questions about how People's Choice accounts for cross-contact with gluten in their factories, so we contacted them. PC said that they follow strict food safety standards, which are comprised of a long checklist of cleaning and sanitizing duties that prevents gluten cross-contact in their products. (Source: People's Choice)

Where To Buy: You can shop for People's Choice gluten-free beef jerky through their website. They offer jerky boxes and jerky gift baskets, but it doesn't look like there is an exclusively GF option at this time.

Tillamook Country Smoker

Zero Sugar Beef Jerky Original
Zero Sugar Beef Jerky Black Pepper
Zero Sugar Beef Teriyaki
Simply Crafted Beef Jerky Old Fashioned
Simply Crafted Beef Jerky Teriyaki
Simply Crafted Beef Jerky Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
Simply Crafted Beef Jerky Honey Glazed
Simply Crafted Beef Jerky Spicy & Sweet

Cross-Contact: All Tillamook jerky is gluten free, and it's nice to see that they offer multiple gluten-free, sugar-free beef jerky options. However, the company doesn't share their gluten cross-contact policy. We'll update this article if they answer the questions we contacted them with.

Where To Buy: You can buy Tillamook jerky online or contact them to find stores that sell it near you.

What To Watch for When Shopping for Gluten-Free Jerky

Jerky is one of those products that people (especially those who don't practice a GF diet) might assume is always gluten free, but that's not the case, unfortunately. Here's what to watch out for.

Soy Sauce

I'd confidently say that 95% of the time (or more) soy sauce is the reason why a jerky brand is not gluten free. With the prevalence of tamari and other gluten-free soy sauces, you'd think that more jerky brands would make the switch, but I understand that traditional soy sauce is cheaper. (The almighty dollar still reigns supreme!) It makes me grateful for beef jerky companies that choose to use GF soy sauce in all their products. We appreciate you!

Teriyaki

Teriyaki beef jerky is a flavor that is made with soy sauce, so definitely put your peepers on the ingredients list the next time you pick up a bag of teriyaki beef jerky. Soy sauce is made from wheat, so wheat will always show up in the allergens list if traditional soy sauce is used.

Remember, however, that searching the allergen list for wheat is not a fail-safe if you're trying to avoid gluten. Only the top allergens will show up in that list, which doesn't include rye, barley, or triticale. Always check the full ingredients list to stay informed.

Also note that many flavors you don't even expect to contain soy sauce do. For example, Baja Jerky's Churro Beef Jerky has cinnamon, sugar and tamari in the ingredients. Never make assumptions when it comes to gluten-free eating!

Cross Contact

When a jerky brand discloses that its products are manufactured in a facility that processes wheat, be alert. Does that mean the products aren't going to be safe? No! Just be aware that you may have a gluten reaction if you're very sensitive. In those cases, you're better off sticking with certified gluten-free jerky brands (which also might be manufactured in a shared facility, by the way). The certification requires testing of the product to ensure that it contains 10 ppm of gluten or less.

Gluten-free beef jerky is a delicious snack that people with wheat allergies, celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity can enjoy. It's nice to know that we do have a lot of options and no longer have to waste time searching for products that are safe.

Do you have a favorite GF jerky brand? Share with us in the comments!

Go get your grub on!

nearmesee1958.blogspot.com

Source: https://glutenfreegrubbin.com/gluten-free-jerky-brands-you-should-try/