Beyond Meat Is Now Making Plant-Based Jerky

Beyond Meat’s first foray into replacing meat was hamburgers. But from the beginning, the company’s larger mission has been to shift society away from eating animals in general, and thus other products have followed: sausages, meatballs, chicken. Now, for the first time, Beyond wants you to look at (and eat) meat-based snacks in a different way by launching Beyond Meat Jerky.

In 2021, Beyond Meat teamed up with PepsiCo — which aside from its eponymous soda brand also owns the likes of Lay’s, Doritos, and Cheetos — for their Planet Partnership, a joint venture seeking “to develop, produce and market innovative snack and beverage products made from plant-based protein.” The first fruits of that deal are three varieties of Beyond Meat Jerky.

Similar to meat-based jerky, Beyond says their jerky is marinated and slow roasted, but the difference is the ingredients, with peas and mung beans getting top billing. The results offer 10 grams of protein without any cholesterol, GMOs, soy or gluten.

As far as flavors, Original is described as “slightly smoky, slightly sweet with hints of onion and garlic.” Teriyaki aims for “caramelized onion meets garlicky sweetness.” And finally, Hot & Spicy offers “sriracha and chili, finished nicely with just the right amount of sweetness.”

Beyond Meat points out that this is actually their first shelf-stable product. That, plus PepsiCo’s additional distribution reach, means that Beyond Meat Jerky can find its way onto many more shelves, and so Planet Partnership doesn’t appear to be holding back with the rollout of this new product. Beyond Meat Jerky will be available anywhere traditional jerky can be found — grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, etc. — and in three different pack sizes.

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