About Natural State Jerky
There is something persuasive about a jerky recipe that began as a cattle farmer’s side project. Natural State Jerky traces back to Lipe Farm, known locally as the Lazy L Ranch, in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. Founder Kevin Lipe fished the streams, hunted the woods and ran cattle across those hills. As a young man he began preserving meat from his hunts and herds, wild venison and premium Arkansas beef, and spent years refining a signature marinade. Eventually he opened a large gas station on Interstate 40 and made jerky fresh every day in the back of the store for truck drivers, road-trippers and locals. He passed the recipe down to his son, Nathan, and in 2017 the two launched Natural State Jerky around that same marinade. The brand describes itself today as a small-batch company, still run from Northwest Arkansas, growing state by state into craft markets instead of big grocery chains.
What makes Natural State Jerky different
The brand slices whole cuts of lean beef thin, so a piece does not take days to chew, then marinates the strips generously before drying. Nothing is ground and formed; the company says the grain of the meat shows in every piece. Natural State Jerky says the recipe is the same one that came off the farm, handcrafted in small batches, and the Teriyaki page describes the jerky as USDA-inspected.
Natural State Jerky flavors we carry
The whole range is beef, built on the same thin-sliced, marinated base. The Original is billed as a classic blend of salty and savory, with a little spice and sweetness in the balance, and it sits among the original-style beef jerky we stock. Peppered pairs crushed black pepper with a dash of cayenne; the brand calls it spicy but not hot, so it keeps gentle company on our black-pepper beef jerky shelf. Smokehouse leans on hickory smoke flavor, mild black pepper and a soy-and-Worcestershire marinade for a traditional smokehouse profile. Teriyaki goes sweet and salty with no heat called out, and it belongs with the rest of our sweet teriyaki beef jerky. Browse the full beef jerky collection to compare. Everything currently in stock is in the grid above.
Who it's for
If you prefer a thin, tender slice over a tough slab, this is your jerky. Heat stays modest, topping out at the slight kick the manufacturer describes for Peppered, so chili-heads will want something hotter. The manufacturer labels the Original, Peppered and Smokehouse gluten free, and the Peppered and Smokehouse carry a Contains soy note. The Original and Teriyaki pages list no Contains line, so check the bag if allergens matter to you.
JerkyBrands is an independent retailer; the Natural State Jerky name and logo are trademarks of their owner.
