Beef jerky is a popular snack people love munching on. It’s a quick grab-on-the-go kind of food whenever your tummy needs something tasty and filling. Beef jerky is mainly dried-salted meat marinated with various spices and additives.
As it is processed food, consumers often wonder if it’s a healthy snack. Moreover, people with gluten intolerance have to consider the gluten content of each item before consuming it. Therefore, they also question if beef jerky is gluten free.
Whether beef jerky is gluten free or not depends on the brand. The original dehydrated beef is entirely gluten free, but manufacturers add flavorings that may contain gluten. So, the packaged beef jerky you get in the market may or may not be gluten free.
If you want to learn more about gluten free beef jerky and all other related information, continue scrolling through till the end.
Table of Contents
Is Beef Jerky gluten Free?
The raw salted meat beef jerky is gluten free before brands process it with preservatives and other substances. Factories add various flavorings, liquids, and other seasonings to make it taste even better.
While these additives make beef jerky tastier, they also increase the risk of making them non-gluten free. The best way to find out if the beef jerky is gluten free or not is by checking the ingredient label.
Your beef jerky is entirely gluten free if it has only these ingredients-
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Online powder
- Paprika
- Lemon juice
- Chili flakes
- Tamari
- Worcestershire sauce
But if the ingredients contain things like soya sauce and hydrolyzed protein powder, the beef jerky isn’t gluten free. Most brands add soya sauce in beef jerky, which adds gluten into the product.
If you’re on a gluten free diet or can’t digest gluten related food, you should look for beef jerky with tamari sauce. Tamari is an alternative to soya sauce that gives the same flavor without adding gluten.
Things You don’t Know About Brief Jerky
Beef jerky is lean cut meat that is dried and salted. Further, various spices, sauces, and additives are used in the recipe to make it tastier and last longer. The preparation process includes salt to prevent any bacteria growth.
Beef jerky is a ready-to-eat snack. It does not require any extra preparation. It comes in packages, and you can store it for months unless you open the packet and don’t refrigerate it.
Beef jerky is a nutritious snack that contains vitamins, protein, fiber, zinc, folate, iron, and the like. However, if you like eating beef jerky, you should take it in moderation. As it is a processed food, it is very high in sodium, so consuming it daily may cause health issues.
How To Find Out If The Beef Jerky Is gluten free?
The best way to find out if your beef jerky is gluten free is by checking the ingredient list. Moreover, when a brand makes gluten free beef jerky, they will mention it on their label.
The US food safety standards require all brands to specify if they are adding any wheat or gluten content in any of their food items. Therefore, you must double-check and make sure there are no gluten products in the beef jerky you are picking.
Is Beef Jerky Healthy?
Beef jerky is a healthy and nutritious and healthy snack only if you eat it in moderation. If you overeat any packaged food a lot, it will ultimately damage your health.
As beef jerky is a processed food item, it is very high in sodium. Eating food with excessive sodium may cause stroke risk, increase blood pressure, and the like. But if you consume it occasionally, beef jerky is a healthy snack. Here are the nutritional facts of beef jerky per ounce-
| Calories | 116 |
| Protein | 9.4g |
| Fat | 7.3g |
| Carbs | 3.1g |
| Fiber | 0.5g |
| Zinc | 21% of Daily Value (DV) |
| Vitamin B12 | 12% DV |
| Folate | 9% DV |
| Phosphorus | 9% DV |
| Iron | 8% DV |
| Copper | 7% DV |
| Choline | 6% DV |
| Selenium | 5% DV |
| Thiamine | 4% DV |
| Potassium | 4% DV |
| Magnesium | 3% DV |
| Niacin | 3% DV |
| Riboflavin | 3% DV |
As you can see in the table, beef jerky has a healthy nutritional composition, making it better than most easy to grab snacks. The only concern we have is its sodium content; hence, make sure you eat it in moderation.
Besides, highly processed foods like beef jerky might have contamination with toxins like mycotoxins. It’s basically a fungus that grows on meat, creating a risk of cancer.
gluten free Beef Jerky Brands
The market has multiple clean gluten free options of beef jerky. Here is a list full of few popular brands that have gluten free beef jerky available-
- Cattaneo Bros Range Beef Jerky
- Baja Beef Jerky (Check out the product)
- Righteous Felon Beef Jerky (Check out the product)
- Top Chops gluten free Beef Jerky
- Topanga’s Finest Beef Jerky
- Jerky’s Gourmet Beef Jerky
- People’s Choice Old Fashioned Beef Jerky (Check out the product)
- Kati’s Spicy Garlic Lovers Dream Beef Jerky
Beef Jerky Recipe: Homemade
Not everyone enjoys eating packaged food all the time and sometimes enjoy making their own. Moreover, health freaks always want to create healthier alternatives to easy munching snacks.
Therefore, to help all the health conscious people out there, we have got you an easy and healthy beef jerky recipe. Let’s have a look at it-
Ingredients
- Beef
- Meat tenderizer
- Paprika
- Worcestershire sauce
- Black pepper
- Brown sugar
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Chili flakes
- Soya sauce. (Use Tamari for a gluten free alternative.)
Cooking procedure
- First, slice the meat. It should be around ¼ inch thick.
- Next, you need to prepare the marinade. Take a bowl and combine all the spices like paprika, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, chili flakes, soy or tamari sauce.
- Keep mixing until everything is dissolved well.
- Now add the meat pieces into the mixture and ensure they are coated from all sides.
- Keep the coated beef pieces in the refrigerator for 12 hours minimum.
- Take a baking tray and line it up with an aluminum sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 175°F and keep two racks over the aluminum foil.
- Now let the meat bake and keep rotating in between until the meat completely dries down. The procedure would take around three to four hours, and your beef jerky should be ready.
- The meat should be a little chewy but tender.
- You can store it in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.
Conclusion
Whether beef jerky is gluten free or not entirely depends upon the brand. Some brands add gluten additives, while others don’t. Hence, the key to get gluten free beef jerky is checking the ingredient label first.
Do you have any other questions about beef jerky? Let us know in the comments.
Most Asked Questions
Can you add spices to dehydrated beef jerky?
Yes, you can add spices to dehydrated beef jerky. To add spices to dehydrated beef jerky, you need to grind the spices first and then rub them on the meat.
Does beef jerky have to be cooked?
No, you don’t have to cook packaged beef jerky. They come ready to eat.
How to know if the beef jerky is gluten free?
You have to check the ingredient label to make sure beef jerky is gluten free. If it has gluten, the brand will mention it in its packaging.
Can celiacs eat beef jerky?
Celiacs can eat original non-gluten beef jerky. If the recipe contains soya sauce, it’s better for celiacs to avoid it.
