We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (2024)

We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (1)We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (2)

We're always on the lookout for the latest and greatest snacks. It's literally our job. So when we saw that Beyond Meat rolled out a new line of plant-based jerky earlier this year, we knew we had to try it.

The plant-based meat company first took the food world by storm in 2012 when they launched their vegan chicken strip substitute. Since then, they've expanded their product line to include vegan beef crumbles, burgers, sausages, and now jerky.

Beyond Meat Jerky uses pea and mung bean protein to simulate the texture of beef. This gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO vegan snack packs in 10 grams of protein per serving. They currently make three different flavors of jerky: Original, Teriyaki, and Hot & Spicy.

Team Delish naturally has a lot of opinions when it comes to snacks, so we tasted each of Beyond Meat's flavors. Here are our thoughts:

Original

We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (3)We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (4)

We all agreed that Beyond Meat's original flavor won our taste-test by a landslide. One taster said that although they'd normally prefer real meat over its vegan counterpart, they'd go out and buy this in a heartbeat. We picked up flavors of onion, garlic, and pepper with a slight sweetness.

Teriyaki

Beyond Meat says their teriyaki flavor combines caramelized onions and sweet garlic for a "bold, teriyaki flavor that hits all the right notes." However, "bold" isn't exactly how we'd describe this jerky. Most of us thought it could have used way more teriyaki seasoning. A few tasters even said that this flavor smells a little bit like dog food.

Hot & Spicy

We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (7)We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (8)

The Hot & Spicy version of Beyond Meat's Jerky is seasoned with Sriracha and chili. We could taste hints of the spice, but some of us thought that it wasn't "spicy enough for spice lovers." If you can't handle lots of spice, then this is the "spicy" jerky for you.

The Verdict

While we may have preferred some flavors over others, Beyond Meat's jerky is definitely Team Delish-approved, especially the Original flavor. One of our tasters said this is "the best of the vegan jerky brands out there." The texture is the closest to real meat compared to any others we've tried. If you want to try them yourself, here's where you can pick up a bag or two.

We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (9)

Gabby Romero

Associate Editor

Expertise: TikTok Trends, Drinks, Pop Culture

Education: B.A. in Journalism and B.S. in Communications from NYU, Culinary Arts degree from The Institute of Culinary Education

About Me: As an associate editor at Delish, Gabby works on everything from features to recipes to content on our social media channels. Before joining the team, she wrote for StarChefs Rising Stars Magazine, Mashed, and Food52. When she’s not developing co*cktail recipes, she’s making co*cktail-inspired dishes like and . Her features cover online trends like the , rank everything from to , and answer some of your most pressing food safety questions. You can also find her posting content on Delish’s TikTok, including her about cooking like influencer Nara Smith that garnered over 3M combined views. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.

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We Tried Beyond Meat's Vegan Jerky And Here's Our Honest Opinion (2024)

FAQs

Why is Beyond jerky discontinued? ›

Beyond Meat is ditching its plant-based jerky line and planning price increases in the US market to bolster margins as part of a plan to “reorient…from a growth-at-all-costs focused operating model to one that is highly focused on sustainability and profitability,” says CEO Ethan Brown.

Why shouldn't you eat Beyond Meat? ›

Although the amounts of protein are similar between the meat and plant burgers, the quality and bioavailability of the protein differs. Both burgers have several additives, of which many have unknown long-term health implications. Other than the protein, there is very little nutritional value in the Beyond Meat patty.

Is Beyond Meat Jerky good for you? ›

Beyond Meat's plant-based meats can be a better choice than animal protein equivalents because they have less saturated fat, and no cholesterol, added hormones, or antibiotics.

Is vegan jerky good for you? ›

One of the most significant benefits of vegan jerky is its nutritional profile. Compared to traditional jerky, which is high in calories and fat, vegan jerky is typically lower in calories and fat. This is because it's made from plant-based ingredients that are naturally low in fat and calories, such as soy or seitan.

Is Beyond Meat collapsing? ›

Plant-based pioneer Beyond Meat has seen further declines in revenue, and is scaling down its operations. However, the Beyond Burger maker remains 'bullish' in some areas, including the European market.

Does Beyond jerky go bad? ›

SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: After opening, use within 3 days or refrigerate and consume within 7 days. Packet enclosed to keep product fresh.

What does beyond meat do to your body? ›

The 5 year endeavor is designed to provide peer-reviewed, clinically significant studies on the health implications of a plant-based diet, including plant-based meat. Initial findings have reported the improvement of several cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as LDL cholesterol levels and TMAO.

Can you eat too much beyond meat? ›

“Compared to a meat-based burger, Beyond and Impossible contain roughly the same amount of saturated fat and more sodium,” she says, both of which, when over-consumed, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Is Beyond Meat unhealthy processed? ›

Beyond Meat, along with other plant-based meat brands, is often criticized for being “unhealthy” by the meat-eating public and media due to being “ultra-processed”. Health researchers are calling on nutritionists to stop using the ultra-processed label in relation to plant-based meats.

Is it OK to eat jerky everyday? ›

Consuming beef jerky in moderation is key since processed and red meats can increase the risk of health complications. Beef jerky often has high sodium content to preserve the meat. Excess sodium may lead to bloating and weight gain. American Heart Association.

Why do bodybuilders eat beef jerky? ›

Bodybuilders benefit from beef jerky because it adds diversity and a source of protein to their diet. It is quick and inexpensive to take, and it can assist meet protein goals to support muscle building. The higher salt level of beef jerky, however, may cause water retention and elevated blood pressure.

Is jerky healthier than bacon? ›

Beef jerky on the other hand dates back to the ancient Incans who made a dried meat snack called ch'arki. Learn more about the History of Beef Jerky. From a nutritional perspective, both beef jerky and bacon are high in protein. Beef jerky is slightly healthier than bacon which is high in fat and sodium.

What has happened to Beyond Meat? ›

NASDAQ: BYND

The plant-based meat stock hit a peak in early 2021 but has since been in a major downward trend, with shares falling 94% in the last three years. After flooding the market with innovative plant-based meat products, Beyond Meat and other fake meat companies have seen customer demand dry up.

Why is Beyond Meat stock up? ›

Beyond Meat's financials are eroding and a huge bill is coming due in 2027. The company is raising prices as demand drops, a move designed to fix margins that could dampen consumer demand. The 30% jump in share price over the last month is a better exit point for some but these higher stock prices could be short-lived.

Who distributes Beyond Meat jerky? ›

BEYOND MEAT® AND PEPSICO'S PLANET PARTNERSHIP DEBUTS BEYOND MEAT JERKY, THE JOINT VENTURE'S FIRST PRODUCT, AT RETAILERS NATIONWIDE.

Has Beyond Meat been recalled? ›

The recalled Feisty Crumbles products were distributed to multiple distributors and stores. All recalled product will be removed from the warehouses and store shelves and destroyed. This recall was initiated after Beyond Meat received an allergy complaint regarding this product.

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