Turkey jerky is beef jerky’s most popular spin-off (for now—don’t sleep on mushroom jerky). It’s also often framed as a healthier option than beef jerky. Some of that is just hype: Although turkey jerky generally does have more protein, the two are similar in terms of fat and calories. Still, the best turkey jerky has plenty going for it. There’s something wonderful about its salty, meaty, roasted poultry flavor. For those who abstain from red meat, it’s an excellent alternative.
Sitting down for our second taste test of the best turkey jerky, we had two main concerns: Texture and taste. The texture of turkey jerky should be tender, but not so tender that it’s soft. Turkey jerky can feel dry and bland if it’s not prepared right. Jerky should always be sturdy and gnawable, yes, but you shouldn’t feel like you’re chewing on a leather jacket, either. Next, we considered the overall flavor. Most of the jerky on this list contains added ingredients like pineapple juice, brown sugar, and tamari soy sauce (which provides a great punch of umami), but plain ol’ salted, roasted turkey jerky can be good, too, as long as it packs some flavor. Here are the best turkey jerky brands that met our high criteria—and we included the best turkey jerky sticks this time, too.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Frigo Cheese & Turkey Sticks
-
I don’t know about you, but I have a habit of thinking snack packs will always taste like cheap children’s charcuterie. (I might have to blame Lunchables for that one, sorry!) Frigo proved me wrong. Their turkey jerky sticks are thick and meaty. They pair beautifully with the soft, marbled colby jack cheese sticks. I kept these in the Sporked fridge and used them as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack. And sure, Frigo’s meat sticks might not be the best turkey jerky—technically, they aren’t jerky at all—but as a snack concept, they hit the spot. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Old Wisconsin Turkey Bites
-
If your parents ever sliced your sausages into bite-sized pieces for you as a kid, you’ll feel right at home with Old Wisconsin’s Turkey Bites. While these mini turkey jerky sticks sort of remind me of dog treats, I can’t help but find them pretty cute (and highly snackable). They have a snappy outer layer, gnawable texture, and a pretty balanced, slow-smoked, savory flavor. If you’ve got a family to feed in the backseat and a long journey ahead of you, skip the Slim Jims and toss them a bag of these instead. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Trader Joe’s Teriyaki Turkey Jerky
-
Most of the teriyaki turkey jerky we tried fell short, but Trader Joe’s came through with one of the best turkey jerky varieties we tried. I honestly wasn’t expecting it to taste much different from the other jerkies that also contain tamari, brown sugar, and spices, but this delivered the goods. It has a much more pronounced soy sauce taste, and the umami flavor is really strong. This is sweet, tangy, and deliciously salty. The only drawback is that the texture of the jerky itself is considerably softer than the Trader Joe’s Original flavor (see #4 on this list), but even so it’s the best teriyaki turkey jerky we tasted. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Kirkland Signature Turkey Jerky
-
There’s a little bit of a sweet-and-sour thing going on with Costco’s jerky. Kirkland also uses tamari, vinegar, brown sugar, and spices, but the sweetness is quite pronounced. The texture is very tender, and if this were any softer I wouldn’t call it jerky. Kirkland’s steak strips also have this vibe; they seem to make their jerky products super soft and tender. It’s a dang ol’ 13.5 ounce bag of turkey jerky, so the value is great. The other problem with it, though, is that it has to be refrigerated after opening. Weird. It’s not exactly turkey jerky, but still kind of good? —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Sprouts Original Turkey Jerky
-
If it’s wrong to eat an entire bag of turkey jerky in under 24 hours, I don’t want to be right. And look, I’ll be honest—while this is my favorite turkey jerky brand from this taste test, I know the texture is going to throw some people off. This stuff is absolutely packed with a smoky, salty, maple-sweet flavor. But it’s also super tender. Too tender for most people’s tastes, I’ll bet. There’s almost no chew factor to speak of, sadly. Still, that soy sauce and brown sugar combo is a real weakness for me. Based on flavor alone, you won’t be able to deny that Sprouts makes some of the best turkey jerky. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Whole Foods 365 Original Turkey Jerky
-
Whole Foods turkey jerky is kinda vinegary and smells like soy sauce. They use tamari and worcestershire, so that’s probably where the extra umami and tang come from. There were bits of jerky in the bag that were quite small and reminded me of dog treats (not great), but overall I dig the flavor. Plus, they nailed the texture; it’s this excellent middle ground of not too tender and not too chewy, just like jerky should be. This tastes so deliciously meaty. The only thing keeping it from ranking higher on our list of the best turkey jerky might be the size of the jerky pieces. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Vermont Smoke & Cure Uncured Turkey Pepperoni Stick
-
Vermont’s Turkey Pepperoni Stick really scratches the itch in my pepperoni-crazed brain. (I used to eat peps straight out of the bag like a heathen, until I started to adopt a “healthy lifestyle.” Ugh.) This chewy turkey jerky stick contains flavors like garlic and red pepper to give it a bold kick. Imbued with the spicy, fatty, slightly greasy taste of cured pepperoni, you really can’t go wrong. This is the best turkey jerky brand for people (like me) who want a little more pep in their step, you get me? —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Trader Joe’s Original Turkey Jerky
-
Trader Joe’s Original Turkey Jerky has a sweet and pungent flavor that reflects its ingredients—brown sugar, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. The texture is nice and tender without being too chewy, although this is another jerky that’s a bit on the softer side. Personally, I like turkey jerky to be a tad softer than beef, since the more you dehydrate turkey the drier and blander it becomes. This has some give and I like that about it. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Jack Link’s Original Turkey Jerky
-
I was surprised by how well this classic turkey jerky held up in our taste test. The salty flavor really carries the whole thing. But the turkey also tastes roasted, so it’s got some extra flavor and reminds me of dark leg meat on Thanksgiving. Jack Link’s turkey jerky has a good dehydrated, gnawable jerky vibe, if that’s what you’re looking for. Some people like their jerky extra tough and leathery. While this isn’t quite a belt, it is dense and delightfully chewy. I like how simple Jack Link’s is, too. It does three things very well: texture, salt, and roasted flavor, and that makes it some of the best turkey jerky you can buy pretty much anywhere. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Field Trip Cracked Pepper Turkey Jerky
-
We’re huge fans of cracked pepper-flavored jerky (see where Great Value’s peppered jerky ranked on our beef jerky list), so it should be no surprise that Field Trip Cracked Pepper Turkey Jerky ranks so high here. The jerky itself might be a bit too tender for some, but the flavor is impeccable. There’s an excellent peppery spice and a nice amount of fruity tang from the added pineapple juice, apple juice, and rice wine. Nuance is key here for me. This is the best turkey jerky if you want a flavor that’s nuanced and perfectly balanced. It’s just seasoned well and when food is seasoned well, it ranks high here at Sporked. This is the type of tasty that keeps your hand in the bag at all times. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Derby City Bourbon Barrel Wood Smoked Turkey Jerky
-
Derby City turkey jerky tastes like homemade jerky that you’d get from a big plastic jar at a gas station or corner store on a road trip. It tastes like it was made in someone’s home or smoke shed, not a factory. This jerky has such a pleasantly tender and meaty texture with a sweet, slightly peppery, smoky taste. We thought this was far and away number one. The texture is amazing and the flavor is excellent. The process of slow smoking the jerky in wooden barrels produces such a lovely product. Again, it feels like some dude named Dale made this, and that’s part of what makes this the best turkey jerky you can buy. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
Best for Lunch Boxes
Best Road Trip Snack
Best Teriyaki
Best Value
Best Savory-Sweet
Best Umami
Best Pepperoni Flavor
Best Trader Joe’s
Best Texture
Best Flavor
Best of The Best
Other products we tried: Country Archer Hickory Smoke Turkey Jerky, Chef’s Cut Teriyaki Turkey Jerky, Good & Gather Teriyaki Jerky, Chef’s Cut Original Turkey Jerky
