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Jack Link's is an American family-owned meat snack company, started in 1986 in Minong, Wisconsin by Jack Link, building on three generations of family meat-smoking heritage. The brand has since become the world's biggest beef jerky producer by volume, and runs a UK distribution operation out of Warwick (1 Chapel Street, CV34 4HL) supplying both supermarket and convenience trade.
Unlike most American jerky brands, Jack Link's hasn't switched to industrial mass production. The recipe still uses lean cuts of beef, traditional marinade, slow air-drying and smoking over real hardwood. The "193g of premium beef makes 100g of finished jerky" ratio quoted by the brand is a useful proof point for the quality angle: you lose roughly half the original weight in moisture during slow drying, which concentrates the protein and the flavour.
Both 25g sachets are individually sealed, shelf-stable for months, and built for pocket or gym-bag carrying. Macros and texture are similar across both, the difference is in the seasoning blend.
| Flavour | Profile | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Original | Soy-sauce-led marinade with garlic, onion, hint of pineapple. Savoury, balanced, the classic American jerky flavour profile | First-time jerky buyers and anyone who prefers savoury over spicy |
| Sweet & Hot | Brown sugar and red chilli pepper-led, with a noticeable build of heat over each piece. The most popular Jack Link's flavour worldwide | Spice-tolerant snackers who want sweet-savoury-heat in one bite |
Each 25g sachet of Jack Link's delivers roughly 12.5g of protein for around 75 calories. To put that in context, that's about half the protein of a small chicken breast at a third of the calories, and considerably more protein per calorie than most "high protein" branded snacks on the UK market. The macros work for keto, low-carb, high-protein and post-workout snacking, with under 1g of fat per bag in the Original variant and only marginally more in the Sweet & Hot.
| Snack (typical serving) | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Link's Beef Jerky 25g | 12.5g | 75 kcal |
| Coan Pork Scratchings 40g | 17g | 262 kcal |
| Typical UK protein bar (60g) | 12-15g | 200-240 kcal |
| Greek yoghurt 100g | 10g | 60 kcal |
| Standard salted crisps 30g | 2g | 150 kcal |
If you want savoury and lean, Jack Link's has the cleanest macro profile in the category. If you want savoury and higher-fat, Coan pork scratchings deliver more protein but at a higher calorie cost. Both are keto-compatible.
The two flavours have different allergen profiles, this matters more than usual.
Jack Link's Original 25g contains soya and wheat (from the dried soy sauce in the marinade). Full ingredients: Beef, Sugar, Salt, Dried Soy Sauce (Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Maltodextrin), Hydrolysed Corn Protein, Yeast Extract, Curing Salt (Salt, Sodium Nitrite preservative), Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Antioxidant (Extract of Rosemary), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Flavourings, Pineapple Powder.
Jack Link's Sweet & Hot 25g contains celery (from the spice blend), but is free from soy and wheat. Full ingredients: Beef, Sugar, Sea Salt, Spices (contain Celery), Yeast Extract, Curing Salt (Salt, Sodium Nitrite preservative), Flavourings, Antioxidant (Extracts of Rosemary), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Pineapple Powder, Wood Smoke.
Both flavours are free from added MSG and artificial colours. Both are dairy-free, gluten-handling-status varies (Sweet & Hot is gluten-free, Original is not). Both contain sodium nitrite as a curing preservative, which is standard across all commercial jerky and not removable from the formulation. Always check the back of the individual sachet for the most current allergen information.
Gym-goers and protein-focused snackers: 12.5g of protein in 75 calories with no carbs or sugar to speak of. Cleaner macros than most protein bars.
Keto and low-carb eaters: 25g sachet, less than 2g of carbs, no compromise. Sweet & Hot has slightly more sugar than Original but still well within keto thresholds.
Long-haul travellers and commuters: shelf-stable, sealed individually, no refrigeration needed, fits in a pocket or glove box. Useful for road trips, long-haul flights or fishing trips.
Pub snackers: the Sweet & Hot in particular pairs well with a pint of bitter or a strong IPA. The savoury-spicy profile holds up against beer better than most pub snacks.
Pairing with our wider savoury range: works alongside Coan pork scratchings for a high-protein platter, or with Munchkings sourdough pretzel crush for a sweet-savoury mix.
Both Jack Link's flavours are stocked in the standard 25g sachet format. Build the basket past £20 across our snacks range for free UK delivery. If you want to try both flavours before committing, ordering one of each gives you a side-by-side comparison without overcommitting to a flavour you might not enjoy. Orders placed before our daily cut-off ship the same working day.
Approximately 12.5g of protein per 25g sachet. Across the brand's published macros, Jack Link's beef jerky carries around 50g of protein per 100g of finished product, which scales down to roughly 12.5g per 25g bag. The protein-to-calorie ratio is unusually clean, around 75 calories per bag, putting Jack Link's among the most protein-dense savoury snacks on the UK market alongside Coan pork scratchings and certain bar-format protein snacks. The macros work for keto, low-carb and high-protein dietary plans.
The base beef and the air-drying process is the same for both. The seasoning is what differs. Original uses a soy-sauce-led marinade with garlic, onion and a touch of pineapple powder, producing a balanced savoury profile that's the classic American jerky reference point. Sweet & Hot uses brown sugar and red chilli pepper, producing a sweet-then-spicy build of heat that's the brand's most popular flavour worldwide. They also have different allergen profiles: Original contains soya and wheat (from the soy sauce), Sweet & Hot contains celery (from the spice blend) but is soy and wheat free.
Some UK distributors describe Jack Link's Original beef jerky as "suitable for a Halal diet", but Jack Link's does not formally carry Halal certification on the standard product packaging. The ingredient list for Original does not contain pork, alcohol or other typically non-Halal ingredients, but without formal certification the manufacturing facility cannot be confirmed Halal-compliant. If formal Halal certification is essential for your needs, we recommend contacting Jack Link's UK directly to confirm batch-level compliance, or checking our Biscella mini biscuits for a Halal-certified alternative in the snacks range.
Yes. Both Jack Link's flavours we stock are keto-compatible. Each 25g sachet contains around 0.5g of carbohydrate (Original) to 1g of carbohydrate (Sweet & Hot, which has slightly more sugar in the seasoning), well within standard ketogenic dietary thresholds. The macros are particularly good for keto because the protein content is high without adding fat, unlike many "keto" branded snacks that load up on coconut oil or MCT additions to hit fat targets.
It depends on the flavour. Sweet & Hot is gluten-free, the spice-led seasoning blend contains no wheat, barley or rye. Original is not gluten-free, it contains wheat as part of the dried soy sauce in the marinade. If you need gluten-free jerky, choose Sweet & Hot only. Always check the back of the sachet for the most current allergen information.
Lean cuts of beef are sliced into thin strips, marinated in the brand's signature seasoning blend (different per flavour), then slow-cooked over real hardwood smoke until the moisture content drops enough to make the strips shelf-stable. The brand quotes a ratio of around 193g of premium beef to produce 100g of finished jerky, you lose roughly half the original weight in moisture during slow drying, which is what concentrates the flavour and the protein. The recipe is based on Jack Link's family meat-smoking heritage going back three generations.
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