How Much Protein Is in Beef Jerky? (Per 100g and Per Serve)

If you’ve ever flipped a jerky pack over to check the numbers, you’ll know the protein figure swings around a lot from brand to brand. Most beef jerky on Australian shelves sits somewhere between 40g and 60g of protein per 100g, which already makes it one of the more protein-dense snack foods you can buy without refrigeration. But “per 100g” and “per serve” are two different questions, and the cut of beef, the marinade, and how much moisture is left in the meat all change the answer.

Why protein-per-100g varies so much between jerky brands

Jerky protein content comes down to three things: the cut of beef used, how much sugar/starch/liquid is added in the marinade, and how far the meat is dried down. A lean cut like eye of round starts with very little fat to begin with, so once the water is removed in drying, what’s left is mostly muscle protein — hence the higher numbers. Fattier cuts, or jerky bulked out with sugary glazes and thickeners, dilute the protein percentage even though the pack still says “beef jerky” on the front.

This is also why comparing jerky to biltong or to other snack formats matters — the drying method and cut choice do a lot of the work before flavour is even added.

How much protein in beef jerky, per 100g vs per serve

Per 100g is the number worth comparing between brands, because serve sizes are inconsistent (some brands call 25g a serve, others 40g or more) and can make weaker products look competitive. As a rough guide across the Australian market, most commercial beef jerky lands in the 40-60g protein per 100g range. BEEF’D, made in Geelong from 100% Australian eye of round, sits at the top of that range: Original comes in at 62g protein per 100g, Chilli at 60g, Teriyaki at 59g and Smokey at 56g — up to 62% of the pack, by weight, is protein. Every BEEF’D flavour is NATA-tested, so those numbers are lab-verified rather than estimated.

On a per-serve basis, a 25g serve of a jerky sitting at 60g/100g protein delivers roughly 15g of protein — comparable to two eggs or a small tin of tuna, in a shelf-stable, no-cutlery format. That’s a useful way to think about jerky as part of a day’s protein intake generally, without needing to make any claim about what it does for you specifically.

What actually drives high-protein jerky

Three practical factors separate a high-protein jerky from an average one:

• Cut selection — lean cuts like eye of round or topside concentrate protein because there’s less fat to start with. See our breakdown of the best beef cut for jerky for more detail.
• Marinade composition — sugar-heavy or starch-thickened marinades add weight without adding protein, which lowers the per-100g figure even if the meat itself was lean.
• Drying/moisture content — the more water removed, the more concentrated everything left in the meat becomes, protein included. This is part of why properly dried jerky also keeps well; see how long does beef jerky last for storage detail.

If you want the full process end to end, our page on how beef jerky is made walks through cutting, marinating and drying in more detail.

The sodium trade-off worth knowing

It’s worth being upfront about this rather than glossing over it: jerky is a high-sodium food. Curing and marinating a shelf-stable dried meat product requires salt, and BEEF’D — like most beef jerky — sits in the vicinity of 1500-1900mg sodium per 100g. That’s a normal characteristic of the category, not a flaw specific to one brand, but it’s worth factoring in if you’re watching sodium intake, and worth balancing against the rest of what you eat that day rather than treating jerky as a free pass. A high-protein, low-sugar snack and a high-sodium snack can be the same product — both things are true at once, and we’d rather you know that than not.

Allergens and gluten — check per flavour, not per brand

Protein content aside, allergen status is not the same across a flavoured jerky range and shouldn’t be assumed. For BEEF’D, Original is the gluten-free option (Gluten Nil Detected); Chilli, Teriyaki and Smokey are flavoured with ingredients that introduce gluten/wheat and soy (Teriyaki also contains sesame), so they are not gluten-free. If gluten-free status matters to you, always check the current pack label before buying, as formulations can be confirmed or updated over time. For more on this specifically, see is beef jerky gluten-free.

Where high-protein jerky fits

A lean, high-protein, low-sugar jerky is a genuinely useful thing to have in a bag, glovebox or work bag — not because it’s a magic food, but because it’s shelf-stable, needs no fridge, and gives you a real protein hit without cutlery or preparation. That’s why it shows up as a practical option for tradies, hikers and campers, and anyone comparing it to a protein bar as a whole-food alternative. It’s a snack, not a supplement, and it works best as one part of a varied diet.

Want to see the lab numbers for yourself? Every BEEF’D flavour is NATA-tested and the results are on the pack. Browse the full range or head straight to the shop to pick your flavour.