Quick Answer: Old Trapper Old Fashioned earned Sporked's 10/10 after three tastings. Archer Grass-Fed Original won The Kitchn's blind test. Budget: Great Value Peppered. For a board: Simms Biltong from Aldi, thin like bresaola.
Our top picks
Jerky belongs on game-day and snack boards next to meat sticks and summer sausage. Two big taste tests point to the same few bags.
All 7 picks
Prices are store listings checked November 2026; supermarket prices vary by store.
Best overall
Old Trapper Old Fashioned Beef Jerky
- Score
- 10/10 at Sporked
- Flavor
- Smoky, salty, a little sweet
- Where
- Target, Walmart
Why it's here: Sporked's best of the best after three separate tastings: thick, meaty strips with good chew and the most savory flavor they tried.
Watch out: Thick strips; cut them into bite-size pieces for a board.
Why we picked it (sources)
Sporked's ranking (Sporked).
Best grass-fed
Archer Grass-Fed Original Beef Jerky
- Won
- The Kitchn, 7 tasted blind
- Beef
- Grass-fed
- Good to know
- No nitrates or preservatives
Why it's here: The Kitchn's clear winner: very savory and slightly smoky, salty with a touch of sweetness, and tender.
Watch out: Pricier per ounce than gas-station jerky.
Why we picked it (sources)
The Kitchn's test and price (The Kitchn).
Best plain
Tillamook Country Smoker Old Fashioned
- Score
- 9/10 at Sporked
- Also
- Kitchn honorable mention
- Texture
- Fibrous, homemade-style
Why it's here: Tastes like real beef with a fibrous, homemade texture; Sporked's best plain jerky and an honorable mention at The Kitchn.
Watch out: The Kitchn's tasters found it a little tough.
Why we picked it (sources)
Best budget
Great Value Peppered Beef Jerky
- Score
- 9/10 at Sporked
- Flavor
- Cracked peppercorns
- Where
- Walmart
Why it's here: Sporked's best peppered jerky: whole cracked peppercorns and a coarse, meaty texture for a store-brand price.
Watch out: Contains MSG and soy sauce, if you avoid those.
Why we picked it (sources)
Sporked's ranking (Sporked).
Best simple ingredients
EPIC Beef & Pepper Bites
- Placed
- 2nd at The Kitchn
- Ingredients
- 6
- Shape
- Bite-size nuggets
Why it's here: Two of The Kitchn's tasters ranked it first: savory and tender, in bite-size pieces made with only six ingredients.
Watch out: The most expensive bag here.
Why we picked it (sources)
The Kitchn's test and price (The Kitchn).
Best spicy
Old Trapper Hot & Spicy
- Score
- 9.5/10 at Sporked
- Heat
- Real chile, not scorching
- Where
- Walmart
Why it's here: Spicy enough to notice, balanced with a little sweetness, and it tastes like fresh chile. Sporked's editor named it her personal favorite.
Watch out: Visible pepper flakes; label it for guests who avoid heat.
Why we picked it (sources)
Sporked's ranking (Sporked).
Best for a board
Simms Original Biltong (Aldi)
- Style
- South African biltong
- Cut
- Very thin flats
- Where
- Aldi
Why it's here: Thin, delicate slices of dried beef that Sporked compared to bresaola: easier to graze on than thick jerky, and they look elegant on a board.
Watch out: Sporked gave it 7/10; it's pure beef and pepper, not sweet like American jerky.
Why we picked it (sources)
Sporked's ranking (Sporked).
How to put jerky on a charcuterie board
- Build a game-day board around it: jerky, meat sticks, summer sausage, smoked cheddar, pretzels, beer cheese and pickles.
- Cut thick strips into 2-inch pieces with kitchen shears and fan them out.
- Thin styles graze best: biltong and tender steak strips are easier to eat standing up than slab jerky.
- Watch the sugar: teriyaki and extra-tender jerkies run sweet. The sweetest bag in The Kitchn's test had 5 g of sugar per ounce.
- How much: about 1 oz per person alongside other meats.
More for a snack board: the best meat sticks and the best summer sausage.
Beef jerky questions
What is the best beef jerky brand?
Old Trapper Old Fashioned, Sporked's 10/10 after three tastings. Archer Grass-Fed won The Kitchn's blind test.
What is the best cheap beef jerky?
Walmart's Great Value Peppered Beef Jerky, which scored 9/10 at Sporked.
Can you put beef jerky on a charcuterie board?
Yes, especially a game-day board. Cut it into bite-size pieces, or use thin biltong.
What's the difference between jerky and biltong?
Jerky is usually marinated and dried with heat; biltong is cured with vinegar and spices and air-dried, so it's softer and tastes more like plain beef.
Is Jack Link's good?
It's the classic budget bag. The Kitchn called it a reliable budget buy, but it didn't beat the winners.
How we picked these, and sources
We compared two published taste tests: Sporked's ranking of more than 30 jerkies across three tastings and The Kitchn's blind tasting of seven original-flavor brands. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Sporked: the best beef jerky (Aug 2025, 30+ tasted)
- The Kitchn: 5 best beef jerky brands (Apr 2025, 7 tasted blind)
For more meat, see the best meats for a charcuterie board. Every guide is on our charcuterie buying guides page.
