Vegan, Vegetarian and Mushroom Jerky vs Beef Jerky: An Honest Comparison

Vegan, vegetarian and mushroom jerky are plant snacks cut and seasoned to chew like jerky, and beef jerky is dried meat. They are not the same food, and neither one wins on every count. We make certified Glatt Kosher beef jerky and biltong, so we will tell you where plant jerky is the better pick, and where it is not.

What these jerkies actually are

The three names get used loosely, so start there.

• Vegan jerky has no animal ingredients at all. It is usually made from mushrooms, soy, wheat protein, jackfruit, coconut or another plant, then marinated and dried.
• Vegetarian jerky is mostly the same product with a different label. The word can also cover a strip that is plant-based but uses an animal-derived ingredient such as honey. Read the label if the difference matters to you.
• Mushroom jerky is one kind of vegan jerky. Whole mushroom caps or stems, or a mushroom paste, are marinated and dried until they are chewy. It is the most popular plant version because mushrooms already have a savory, meaty edge.

Beef jerky is a different thing. It is sliced beef, seasoned, then dried until most of the water is gone.

All of these are chewy, salty and shelf-stable. That is where the overlap ends.

Where plant jerky wins

Plant jerky is the right choice more often than a meat company is expected to admit. It makes sense in these cases:

• You do not eat meat. This is the obvious one, and the whole point. If you are vegan or vegetarian, beef jerky was never an option.
• You are feeding a mixed table. A bag of plant jerky is something everyone at the table can open. That matters at a party, a school event or an office where one guest does not eat meat.
• You want a pareve snack. In kosher terms, pareve means neither meat nor dairy. A plant jerky with a reliable kosher mark can be eaten with either kind of meal. Beef jerky is meat. You cannot serve it at a dairy meal, and you keep it separate from dairy the way you keep any meat separate.
• You like the texture of mushrooms. Dried mushroom has its own chew and its own savory flavor. Some people prefer it to beef, and that is a fair preference.

One caution on that kosher point. Plant-based does not automatically mean kosher. Seasonings, marinades, flavorings and the equipment a product is made on can all raise questions. If kosher matters to you, look for a kosher mark on the bag and do not assume.

Where beef jerky wins

Here is the honest side of the comparison, from people who make the beef kind.

Protein

Beef jerky is beef with the water taken out. Fresh beef is mostly water, so dried beef is mostly protein. That is why a light bag of it counts as a high-protein snack.

Plant jerky varies far more. Some strips are built from soy or wheat protein and carry a good amount. Others, especially mushroom jerky, are mostly dried vegetable, and a vegetable is not a protein food. We are not going to quote numbers for other makers. We have not tested them. The fair way to compare is on the bag in your hand: take the protein per serving, divide by the serving weight in ounces, and see how the two line up. The panel on the bag beats any figure on a blog.

The ingredient list

Beef jerky can have a very short list. Our Sliced Biltong in Original is grass-fed kosher beef, coriander, black pepper, salt, garlic and vinegar. That is the whole list.

Plant jerky almost always needs more. A mushroom has no natural jerky structure, so makers add soy sauce, sweeteners, oils, smoke flavoring and binders to get the chew and the taste. A longer list is not automatically bad. It just means the strip is built, not simply dried. If a short ingredient list matters to you, read both sides.

The flavor and the chew

Dried beef has a depth that is hard to copy. Fat, muscle and the drying process produce a rich, savory taste on their own. Plant jerky gets there with seasoning. A good mushroom jerky is tasty, and many people are happy with it. It is still a different taste, and it is more about the marinade than the base.

The chew differs too. Beef jerky tears and pulls. Mushroom jerky tends to be softer and more fibrous, and it can go leathery or crumbly depending on how it was dried. Neither is wrong. Know which one you are buying.

A fair side-by-side

• Base ingredient: beef versus mushrooms, soy, wheat protein or another plant.
• Kosher category: beef jerky is meat. A plant jerky with a kosher mark is typically pareve. Check the mark.
• Protein: beef jerky is dependably high. Plant jerky depends on the plant. Compare per ounce on the label.
• Ingredient list: beef jerky can be short. Plant jerky is usually longer because of the seasoning needed to build the flavor.
• Taste: beef is savory by nature. Plant jerky tastes like its marinade.
• Who can eat it: anyone who eats meat, versus anyone at all who does not avoid the specific plant or seasoning.

If you eat meat, which beef version?

If you landed here because you are curious about swapping to plant jerky for a reason other than ethics, such as less sugar or a lighter snack, it is worth knowing that "beef jerky" is two quite different things.

Jerky. Our Meat Candy is real, whole sliced beef, cooked and glazed. It comes in Hickory Kickory Dock and Baa-Baa BBQ Sheep. It is sweet on purpose, so it is the closest thing in our line to a classic jerky. It uses a glaze, so check the label for anything you need to avoid. For certified options, our collection of kosher beef jerky is where to start.

Biltong. Biltong is South African air-dried beef, cured with vinegar and spices and sliced. It is savory, not sweet, and it is a close cousin to jerky made a different way. Our Sliced Biltong comes in Original, Peri Peri and Loaded Garlic. Our Original biltong lists no sugar in its ingredients: grass-fed kosher beef, coriander, black pepper, salt, garlic and vinegar. Peri Peri has a little brown sugar for balance. The full comparison is in Biltong vs Beef Jerky: The Complete Comparison.

If you want to try before you commit, the biltong collection has small bags and a sampler, so you do not have to buy a big bag of something you have not tasted.

When beef jerky is the wrong pick

Beef jerky is the wrong pick in a few clear cases.

• You avoid meat. Plant jerky is the answer, and nothing we make changes that.
• You need something pareve. If the snack has to go with a dairy meal, beef cannot. Choose a plant jerky with a kosher mark you trust, or a different snack altogether.
• You want a very light, low-protein bite. Dried beef is dense. A mushroom chip may suit you better.

We would rather you buy the right snack than the wrong one from us.

How we are certified

Everything we make is certified Glatt Kosher, and it is beef only. We do not make plant jerky, so we cannot speak for how any plant version is made or certified. If you are buying one, the kosher mark on the bag is the thing to check.

Bottom line

Choose plant jerky if you do not eat meat or you need a pareve snack. Choose beef jerky or biltong if you want a dense, savory, high-protein snack with a short ingredient list. The two foods solve different problems, and a good kitchen shelf can hold both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is mushroom jerky the same as vegan jerky?

Mushroom jerky is one kind of vegan jerky. Vegan jerky is the wider category and can also be made from soy, wheat protein, jackfruit or coconut. Most mushroom jerky is vegan, but check the label for added ingredients.

Is vegan jerky healthier than beef jerky?

It depends on the bag. We will not make a blanket claim either way. Beef jerky is high in protein. Plant jerky depends on what it is made from, and many are seasoned with sweeteners and soy sauce, so look at the label. Compare protein, sugar and sodium per ounce for the two bags in front of you.

Is vegetarian jerky kosher?

Not automatically. A plant-based product can still contain flavorings or be made on equipment that raise kosher questions. Look for a kosher mark on the package. If the product is certified, it is usually pareve, meaning it contains no meat or dairy. If you are unsure, ask your rabbi.

Is beef jerky kosher?

Only if the beef and the whole process are certified. Our Meat Candy and biltong are certified Glatt Kosher. We cover what to check in Is Beef Jerky Kosher? What Makes Jerky Kosher, and What to Check.

Can I eat beef jerky with dairy?

Beef jerky is meat, so it follows the same rules as any meat. Meat and dairy are kept separate, and how long you wait between them is a matter of your family's custom. If you are not sure what yours is, ask your rabbi.

Does Grub make a vegan or vegetarian jerky?

No. We make beef only: biltong, Meat Candy and a few small test batches of beef snacks. We would rather point you to the right category than pretend to a product we do not make.

Does Grub ship?

Yes, within the US. US orders over $50 ship free.