Thanks to our love of protein-based snacks, new jerky flavors and varieties are popping up everywhere. No meat—or plant!—is off-limits. Even better? They're getting healthier. Gone are the days of high-sodium, sugar-bomb jerky. These all have less than 450 milligrams of sodium and 5 grams of added sugars per serving.
It's not easy to make a lower-sodium jerky with soy sauce, but Golden Island did it. Gluten-free soy sauce, chile garlic sauce, and lime seasoning add bold flavor to tender beef in the Chili Lime variety.
It's slightly sweet taste comes from a mix of maple sugar and pineapple juice. Sea salt and coconut aminos cure the meat and keep it gluten-free.
Even pescatarians can get in on the jerky craze. If you like cold-smoked salmon, you'll love this subtler tasting version. The Rainbow Peppercorn variety has a tender texture, thanks to salmon's good fat, and a mild heat from the peppercorns.
Reach for the Hickory Smoke variety when you need something sweet and tangy. Since turkey is so lean, it's a tougher chew, but that's not a bad thing. The lean cut makes it low in calories, too.
Heat-lovers will inhale the Chimichurri flavor. The tender Wagyu beef soaks up a spicy blend of cayenne, crushed red pepper, coriander, and parsley, with just a smidgen of sweetness to cut the heat.
When the urge for meat strikes, consider this vegan option (in Original or Applewood BBQ) made from an old family recipe. While it's not as high in protein, it is flavorful and fiber-rich, which will curb hunger just the same.
We're serving up and celebrating the biggest home-cooking trends from the most enthusiastic cooks we know: our community. We crunched the data from 1.2 billion annual Allrecipes.com visits and 2.5 billion annual page views. Then we dug even further, surveying Allrecipes cooks about what's in their carts and fridges, on their stovetops and tables, and on their minds. Snacking is just one of the topics they're most curious about. See more of the "State of Home Cooking" special report.
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2020 issue of Allrecipes Magazine.
