Taste Test: ‘Gourmet’ Beef Jerky Comes In Sriracha

With flavors like Sriracha, honey dijon, and sweet jalapeno, Country Archer Beef Jerky packs some seriously delicious (and different) flavor.

“As gourmet as jerky gets,” may seem like an odd slogan for dried meat. But Country Archer‘s combination of flavors and tender consistency might be reason enough to pair one’s backpacking jerky break with a Nalgene full of Perrier.

When testing (snacking), we found the jerky a clear step up from common gas-station meats like Slim-Jim and Jack Links. It was not nearly as oily or dry as the more common jerkies.

It’s also not too chewy, and there are no ligaments or overtly tough spots. The flavors are bold, complex, and out-of-the-ordinary.

Review: Country Archer Jerky

Country Archer Jerky Company started in 1977 and uses healthy ingredients like grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free pork. It makes the snacks in small batches in California. The result is a snack that works well for backcountry expeditions or munching at home.

Its line includes flavors like teriyaki and hickory smoke, but also goes a step further for some unique options. Mango habanero, crushed red pepper, sweet jalapeno, herb citrus, cayenne, and Sriracha are not your average jerky flavors.

The company has a new product, the Frontier Bar, which is a high-protein nutrition block made for endurance athletes (or as a post-workout snack).

We taste-tested the beef jerky in our office. But I can imagine the variety of flavors helps when eating the same meals over and over again on a backpacking trip.

The grass-fed jerky is free of gluten, preservatives, MSG, nitrates, hormones, and antibiotics. A 2.75 oz bag costs $6; frontier bars are $2.75.

On top of all that, it’s made in America.

What Makes Good Jerky

The most common problems I find with beef jerky are a lingering flavor that coats the roof of my mouth, too-tough consistency, or overly oily coating. I didn’t encounter any of that with Country Archer.

The jerky has high protein content, as expected with meat, but it does so without adding too much sugar.

The Frontier Bars have 20g of protein, only 3g of sugar, and 55mg of cholesterol.

Time to say goodbye to Slim Jims. Time to up your beef jerky game.