THE BEST ARTISAN JERKY OF 2025
From smoky and savory to bold and inventive, the world of jerky is bursting with flavor and creativity. Each year, our panel of experts samples the finest entries from around the globe, ranking and honoring the standouts.
The International Jerky Awards celebrate the very best—crowning the top jerky creations of the year.
Products from across the country entered into this competition, and were sent to a select jury panel of food & wine media and industry judges located throughout North America. This panel tasted, reviewed and voted on which they consider to be the “Top Jerky of the Year” by the TASTY AWARDS panel, the Academy of Media Tastemakers.
The judges and reviewers for this year’s selections come from a panel of gurus from the Academy of Media Tastemakers. Here are their favorites
SOME TOP JERKY SELECTIONS
TOP GOLD & OFFICIAL JERKY PARTNERS
Top Overall Gold Jerky Award Winners, TASTY AWARDS Winners, and Official Jerky Partners of the TASTE AWARDS
SELECTED JUDGES’ COMMENTS & FAVES
“#1 fav: Brisket Chips Co Mild – perfect thickness and crispness, delicious taste with balanced taste of ingredients that did not overpower the meat, absolutely addictive!
2nd fav: Adrenaline Jerky Koko Crack – delicious flavor, even though it was very surgary, like an adult treat.
3rd fav: VT Lemongrass Beef Jerky – while I am not usually a fan of the hot jerkies, this was not overwhelming to where it obliterated my taste buds. The lemongrass flavor was able to shine and take the heat down a notch, and still support the taste of the meat, without overpowering it.”
The Brisket Chip are the ones I would seek out to purchase. Luckily they are made in my area!
The Vuetastic Lemongrass flavor is yummy.
Adrenaline Jerky and Turnroad Jerky
“All flavors of BRISKET CHIPS CO.
Beautiful product!”
Settlers dill pickle beef
Circle Jerky
“I loved the texture and flavors of the Brisket Chips Co jerky: black pepper, medium and mild flavors were all great. They were a stand out due to their unique thin crispy texture that made it a pleasure to eat, and show off the flavor profiles of each product.
Settlers Jerky Inc’s Korean BBQ Beef Jerky sends me back to Singapore. A nice soft, moist, tender jerky with savory and sweet flavors that make you want to eat more.
Vuetastic Jerky LLC’s sweet and savory beef jerky products left a positive impression. The texture was easy on the jaw, the flavors amazed, and overall each provided a very pleasant jerky experience. All three flavors were wonderful: original, lemongrass hot, and X-hot. My favorite was the lemongrass which had a nice hint of lemongrass features within mild heat. Despite the name X-hot, this item was pleasantly balanced in sweet, savory and heat with the kick at the end and tongue tingle.
No Man’s Land- True to form, not artificial compressed jerky, hit their name!
Brisket Chips- Crunchy and Fun!
Jerky cured in Australia with traditional Greek Souvlaki flavor attests to the International character of this competition.
I took on TKO beef jerky and stood my ground. Their mild, hot and Lord Have Mercy flavors all provided a sweet heat at differing levels. Don’t shy away from the labeling, it’s a heat that most can take and remain standing. I loved that the jerky were in thin strips to make the chew easier on the jaw.
OFFICIAL JERKY PARTNERS OF THE 17TH ANNUAL TASTE AWARDS
Recipients of this honor have the use of the title, “Official Jerky Partner of the TASTE AWARDS,” as well as the option to place jerky samples in the VIP and Celebrity Gift Bags at the TASTE AWARDS Red Carpet celebration in California (March 2026).The TASTE AWARDS celebrate the year’s best in food, fashion and lifestyle programs on television, in film, online, and on radio.
STAR RATINGS: OVERALL
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Mild
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Medium
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Black Pepper
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY ORIGINAL (NON-SPICY)
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY LEMONGRASS HOT
- Settlers Jerky Inc Korean BBQ Beef Jerky
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY X-HOT
- Adrenaline Jerky, LLC sweet chili with hint of lime (regular cut)
- Circle Jerky Circle Jerky
- Field Snacks Company, LLC Signature Blend Beef Jerky
- Settlers Jerky Inc Prime Rib Beef Jerky
- Stevie G Jerky Mango Habanero Beef Jerky
- TurnRoad Jerky Booyawn Smoked Brisket
- No Man’s Land Beef Jerky Mild Beef Jerky
- Stevie G Jerky Hot Honey BBQ Beef Jerky
- Adrenaline Jerky, LLC koko’s krack (beef chips)
- Adrenaline Jerky, LLC carne asada (brisket)
- TKO Jerky Mild
- Weirdo Beardo Jerky Korean BBQ
- Weirdo Beardo Jerky A La Mexicana
- Weirdo Beardo Jerky Al Pastor
- Breaking Trail Jerky LLC Smoky Apple Beef Jerky
- Breaking Trail Jerky LLC Smokin’ Sriracha Beef Jerky
- Lee’s Market Jerky Original Buffalo Jerky
- Settlers Jerky Inc Dill Pickle Beef Jerky
- Lee’s Market Jerky Dill Pickle Beef Jerky
- TKO Jerky Hot
- MST Sauce Company MST Dry Rub Snack Sticks
- Dolly’s Jerky
- Stevie G Jerky Chipotle Ghost Pepper Beef Jerky
- TKO Jerky Lord Have Mercy
- Lee’s Market Jerky Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky
AWARD CATEGORY: FLAVOR
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Mild
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY LEMONGRASS HOT
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Medium
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Black Pepper
- No Man’s Land Beef Jerky Mild Beef Jerky
HONORABLE MENTION
- Settlers Jerky Inc Prime Rib Beef Jerky
- Settlers Jerky Inc Korean BBQ Beef Jerky
AWARD CATEGORY: TEXTURE
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Mild
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Medium
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Black Pepper
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY LEMONGRASS HOT
- Circle Jerky Circle Jerky
HONORABLE MENTION
- No Man’s Land Beef Jerky Mild Beef Jerky
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY ORIGINAL (NON-SPICY)
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY X-HOT
- Field Snacks Company, LLC Signature Blend Beef Jerky
AWARDS CATEGORY: PACKAGING
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Mild
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Medium
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Black Pepper
- Field Snacks Company, LLC Signature Blend Beef Jerky
- TurnRoad Jerky Booyawn Smoked Brisket
- Stevie G Jerky Chipotle Ghost Pepper Beef Jerky
- TKO Jerky Lord Have Mercy
HONORABLE MENTION
- No Man’s Land Beef Jerky Mild Beef Jerky
- Settlers Jerky Inc Korean BBQ Beef Jerky
- Weirdo Beardo Jerky Al Pastor
- Dolly’s Jerky
- Weirdo Beardo Jerky A La Mexicana
- TKO Jerky Hot
- TurnRoad Jerky Meat stick
AWARDS CATEGORY: UNIQUENESS
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Mild
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Medium
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY LEMONGRASS HOT
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Black Pepper
- Weirdo Beardo Jerky Al Pastor
- Lee’s Market Jerky Dill Pickle Beef Jerky
HONORABLE MENTION
- Adrenaline Jerky, LLC koko’s krack (beef chips)
AWARDS CATEGORY: QUALITY
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Mild
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Medium
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Black Pepper
- Settlers Jerky Inc Prime Rib Beef Jerky
- Field Snacks Company, LLC Signature Blend Beef Jerky
HONORABLE MENTION
- Settlers Jerky Inc Korean BBQ Beef Jerky
- No Man’s Land Beef Jerky Mild Beef Jerky
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY ORIGINAL (NON-SPICY)
- Settlers Jerky Inc Dill Pickle Beef Jerky
AWARDS CATEGORY: INGREDIENT COMBINATIONS
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY LEMONGRASS HOT
- Adrenaline Jerky, LLC sweet chili with hint of lime (regular cut)
- Settlers Jerky Inc Dill Pickle Beef Jerky
- Stevie G Jerky Mango Habanero Beef Jerky
HONORABLE MENTION
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Mild
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY X-HOT
AWARDS CATEGORY: BEST BEEF JERKY
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Medium
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Mild
- Brisket Chips Co. Brisket Chips Black Pepper
HONORABLE MENTION
- Adrenaline Jerky, LLC carne asada (brisket)
- No Man’s Land Beef Jerky Mild Beef Jerky
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY ORIGINAL (NON-SPICY)
- VUETASTIC JERKY LLC SWEET & SAVORY LEMONGRASS HOT
AWARDS CATEGORY: BEST POULTRY/FISH JERKY/NON-BEEF MEAT JERKY
- Lee’s Market Jerky Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky
- Lee’s Market Jerky Original Buffalo Jerky
- MST Sauce Company MST Dry Rub Snack Sticks (beef + pork)
JUDGES PANEL
Awards Judges are National and Regional Magazine, Newspaper and Blog Editors, plus Topic Experts, Local Chefs and Food Gurus.
To more about the Academy, visit the site.
