Despite the booming protein bar industry, for which we’ve taste-tested a whopping 19 brands, beef jerky is certainly one of the oldest high-protein snacks. And in our modern and convenient world, you can pick up a package of beef jerky from the snack aisle of your local grocery store. If you don’t have a favorite beef jerky brand, we ranked 6 beef jerky brands to help you pick the best one. That said, the beef jerky brand you should definitely not pick is Signature Select Original Beef Jerky.
We based our ranking on criteria like texture and taste, favoring a softer, tender texture and a more savory, umami-rich flavor profile. Signature Select landed in last place because its taste and texture landed at the other end of the spectrum from the characteristics we value. Don’t get us wrong, Signature Select’s beef jerky isn’t inedible by any means, and it is one of the more affordable options. The main source of our disappointment lies in the copious amount of sugar used to season the beef. While sugar is a common ingredient in beef jerky recipes, including our own, it gave Signature Select’s beef jerky an unpleasantly sweet aftertaste that interfered with the savory, saltiness we were looking for. Worse than the flavor, however, is the plasticky glaze the sugar creates. The jerky already has one of the toughest consistencies, and the plastic-like glaze makes it that much harder to chew.
More mediocre reviews for Signature Select Original Beef Jerky
Signature Select is the store-brand name for all grocers under the Albertsons umbrella, including Safeway and Randalls. So, we checked out customer reviews from Safeway and Albertsons to find negative reviews that shared our complaints about the taste and texture. One Albertson’s review stated that Signature Select beef jerky “was not very flavorful and was extremely tough to chew.” Other reviews agreed, describing the texture as old, dry, and too tough to chew, with a flavor that spanned from mild to too salty. Safeway customers bought Signature Select beef jerky as super chewy treats to feed their dogs! So, unless you have a set of canine teeth to chomp through the toughness of this jerky, you might want to opt for another brand.
Drying out meat for a chewy, ultra-savory snack dates back centuries, and you can still make your own beef jerky at home with the proper safety measures. For a safer, less time-consuming jerky that vegans can enjoy, you can try this recipe for portobello jerky. What’s more? We have a long list of vegan jerky brands to explore.
