A decade ago, meat-free snackers had few options. Bland rice cakes and homemade seitan that fell apart in a backpack dominated the choices, but those days are over. Shiitake mushrooms and whole soybeans now stretch into strips that chew, smoke, and snap the way jerky is supposed to, thanks to seasoning and technique. JerkyBrands built its vegan collection around that shift, pulling together the plant-based brands that nailed the format instead of settling for a soggy substitute. Whether a customer wants something to toss in a gym bag or a treat to bring to a cookout full of skeptics, the lineup below has it covered.
Shop Vegan Jerky Online
Supermarket snack aisles rarely stock more than one plant-based jerky, if they carry one at all. JerkyBrands built its vegan section to fix that, curating mushroom jerky, soy jerky, and mixed variety packs from brands that had built a following well before we picked them up. Every bag ships from a single order, so customers chasing several brands and flavors don't need several receipts. Add a favorite to a subscription and the bag shows back up automatically, at 10% off the regular price.
Why Choose Our Vegan Jerky
Plenty of plant-based snacks call themselves jerky, but only a few earn a spot in a jerky lineup built by people who actually care about the format. Here's what separates the vegan jerky JerkyBrands carries from the stuff gathering dust at the back of a health food store.
100% Plant-Based Snacking
Every product in this collection skips animal ingredients entirely, from the mushrooms and soybeans in the base to the sauces layered on top. That makes the lineup workable for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians who want fewer animal products on their plate. Nobody has to squint at an ingredient list wondering what a vague additive actually means.
Plant-Based Protein
Soy-based jerky is the standout here. Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. bags run 15 to 21 grams of protein each, a figure that holds up well next to traditional beef jerky. Mushroom jerky tends to run lighter on protein since mushrooms themselves aren't a protein-dense food on their own, so shoppers building a high-protein snack stack should lean toward the soy side of the lineup.
Meat-Free Alternative
Texture used to be where vegan jerky fell apart, literally. Shiitake mushrooms and whole soybeans behave differently than dehydrated meat, yet the brands in this collection marinate and slow-cook their base ingredients until the bite lands close enough to satisfy a jerky craving, animal products absent from every step.
Bold Flavors and Textures
Flavor variety keeps expanding across this category. Smoky applewood, tangy teriyaki, and a maple bacon riff all show up in this lineup, each one built to hit a different craving, and chewiness varies by base ingredient too. A shopper who prefers a softer bite might gravitate toward soy jerky, while a fan of a firmer chew usually reaches for mushroom.
Convenient and Portable
None of this needs a cooler or a fridge. Every bag in the collection is shelf-stable and resealable, built for a glove compartment or a desk drawer just as easily as a pantry shelf. That portability is a big part of why plant-based jerky keeps showing up on hiking trails and long drives instead of staying home in the cupboard.
Quality Vegan Jerky Brands
JerkyBrands doesn't manufacture its own jerky. Instead, the team tracks down brands that have already built a reputation for getting vegan jerky right. Those brands are then grouped together in one online store, so shoppers don't have to hunt across a dozen individual brand sites just to fill a snack drawer.
Types of Vegan Jerky
Vegan jerky isn't one product wearing different flavor labels. The base ingredient changes the texture and the protein count, and it often changes the price too, so it helps to know what's actually driving the chew before adding a bag to the cart.
Mushroom Jerky
Shiitake mushrooms bring a naturally savory, umami-heavy flavor that needs surprisingly little dressing up to taste like a cravable snack. The mushrooms get marinated, then slow-cooked or dehydrated until they take on a chewy, almost meaty texture that holds together in strips. Fiber content tends to be strong here, and several mushroom jerky options in this collection use just a handful of recognizable ingredients. Protein runs lower than soy-based jerky, since mushrooms aren't naturally protein-dense, so this style suits shoppers chasing flavor and fiber more than a specific protein target. Origin matters too. Pan's Mushroom Jerky built its lineup around a family recipe traced back to a trip to Malaysia, and that heritage shows up in the seasoning choices across every flavor.
Soy Jerky
Whole soybeans, not soy isolates, form the base of the soy jerky in this collection, and that distinction matters for texture as much as nutrition. Brands like Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. and All Y'alls Foods marinate whole soybeans in bold seasoning blends before cooking them down into a chewy strip that splits and pulls like real jerky. Protein counts land considerably higher than mushroom jerky, often in the same range as traditional beef jerky per serving. Soybeans also carry a naturally strong nutrient profile before any seasoning gets added, including iron and calcium.
Plant-Based Jerky Variety Packs
Not ready to commit to one flavor? The Vegan variety pack bundles several plant-based flavors into a single bag, giving new shoppers a low-commitment way to figure out which brand and base ingredient fit their taste. Anyone who wants to compare vegan jerky against the rest of the lineup can also try the Best Seller pack, which mixes vegan flavors in with the collection's top beef and exotic picks.
Vegan Jerky Flavors
Flavor is where this collection really shows its range. Below is a rundown of what's on the shelf right now.
Original Mushroom Jerky
Pan's Original brings a slightly sweet, umami-forward flavor built on shiitake mushrooms, avocado oil, and coconut sugar. It's the flavor built to introduce mushroom jerky to someone who's never tried it, striking a balance rather than leaning hard into any single note. Chia seeds add a light textural crunch that plays against the chew of the mushroom base. Anyone curious about mushroom jerky in general should probably start here.
Teriyaki Mushroom Jerky
Ginger and citrus carry this one, giving the shiitake base a tangy brightness that plays well against the mushroom's natural umami. The teriyaki profile skips soy sauce entirely and relies on citrus and ginger to build depth instead. It lands somewhere between sweet and savory, which makes it a strong pick for shoppers who find some jerky flavors too aggressively smoky.
Applewood BBQ Mushroom Jerky
Sweet and smoky in equal measure, this flavor leans on applewood-style seasoning to bring a barbecue character to the shiitake base. It reads more like a classic backyard barbecue than most plant-based options, and the sweetness stays balanced rather than syrupy. Road trip snackers tend to reach for this one first.
Zesty Thai Mushroom Jerky
This flavor is the most requested in the mushroom lineup, and for good reason. It brings real heat without losing the savory mushroom base. Thai-inspired spices build a kick that lingers a beat after each bite, then fades into the umami base. Spice fans who find most jerky heat one-note tend to prefer this flavor over the others.
Salt & Pepper Mushroom Jerky
Simplicity is the whole pitch here. A sharp peppery bite sits directly on top of the natural umami of the shiitake mushroom, with almost nothing else competing for attention. It's built for shoppers who want the mushroom to be the star, not the seasoning blend.
Curry Mushroom Jerky
Madras curry brings noticeable heat and warmth, layering in spices most jerky brands never touch. It's built for shoppers bored with the usual smoky-and-sweet rotation and looking for more international flavor profiles, not those of a backyard cookout.
Maple Bacon Vegan Jerky
Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. built this flavor to read like breakfast in jerky form, with a maple sweetness riding over a smoky, bacon-style base built from whole soybeans. The balance leans slightly sweet, which makes it an easy entry point for anyone new to soy-based jerky. Fans of this flavor tend to describe it as the one worth eating straight from the bag before it makes it into any recipe.
Smoky Carolina BBQ Vegan Jerky
Tangy and bright with a Carolina-style BBQ profile, this flavor finishes with a hint of spice that keeps every bite interesting. The soybean base pulls apart in a way that mimics pulled pork more than a traditional dried strip, and that texture is a big reason this flavor became one of Louisville Vegan Jerky Co.'s most requested options.
Smoked Black Pepper Vegan Jerky
Straightforward and smoky, this flavor keeps the seasoning list short and lets a sharp black pepper bite do most of the work. It's built for shoppers who want a savory, no-frills option that still delivers the protein count soy jerky is known for.
Vegan Jerky From Top Brands
Every brand in this collection built its reputation before JerkyBrands ever added it to the cart. Here's a quick look at who's behind the flavors above.
Pan's Mushroom Jerky
Founder Michael Pan discovered the recipe behind this brand on a family trip to Malaysia, where relatives introduced him to a decades-old shiitake mushroom snack. He spent years testing the recipe from his own kitchen before launching the brand in 2018 with four original flavors. Pan's is produced in Portland, Oregon today, and every flavor in this collection traces back to that same family formula.
Louisville Vegan Jerky Co.
This brand's origin story starts with an accident. Founder Stanley Chase III overcooked a batch of vegan manapua in 2012, and the chewy, overcooked soy protein tasted close enough to barbecue pork that he built an entire company around the accident. Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. still runs as a family operation out of Kentucky, turning whole soybeans into the Southern-inspired flavors that show up across this collection.
All Y'alls Foods
Founder Brett Christoffel started this brand in Texas after learning that beef ranked as the state's second-largest export behind cotton, a fact that didn't sit well with a longtime animal lover. Each flavor in the lineup draws inspiration from a different Texas region and is made with whole, non-GMO soybeans rather than soy isolates.
Perfect for Every Occasion
Vegan jerky isn't a niche snack anymore. It shows up everywhere traditional jerky does, and then some.
Everyday Snacking
A bag in your desk drawer covers the 3 p.m. slump without a trip to a vending machine. Vegan jerky holds up at room temperature for weeks once opened and resealed, so it's a realistic everyday option rather than something reserved for special trips.
Road Trips and Travel
Shelf-stable and mess-free, vegan jerky fits the exact profile a road trip snack needs, and it's easy to eat one-handed at that. Flavors like Applewood BBQ or Smoky Carolina BBQ tend to survive hours in a hot car better than anything that needs refrigeration.
Hiking and Outdoor Adventures
Weight matters on a trail, and jerky delivers flavor and substance without adding bulk to a pack. Soy-based options bring along a meaningful protein boost for longer hikes, while mushroom jerky offers a lighter alternative for shorter outings.
Workout and Active Lifestyles
Post-workout snacking calls for protein, and soy jerky delivers a serving comparable to a scoop of protein powder without the shaker bottle to wash afterward. It's an easy addition to a gym bag that doesn't need refrigeration between sessions.
Meat-Free Parties and Gatherings
Hosting a mixed group of vegans and omnivores gets easier with a jerky spread that doesn't discriminate. A variety pack lets guests sample multiple flavors without committing to a full bag of any single one.
Vegan and Flexitarian Snacking
Flexitarians looking to cut back on meat without eliminating it entirely tend to reach for vegan jerky first, since it scratches the same craving without requiring a full dietary overhaul. This collection gives that shopper room to experiment across brands instead of settling for whatever single option a local store happens to carry.
Shop Vegan Jerky From JerkyBrands Today
Plant-based snacking has moved well past bland substitutes, and this collection is proof. Shiitake mushrooms and whole soybeans now stand in for the format traditional jerky was built on decades ago, dressed up with bold regional seasoning that asks nobody to compromise on flavor. Explore mushroom jerky from Pan's or soy jerky from Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. and All Y'alls Foods. Grab a variety pack instead if sampling the lineup sounds better than committing to one flavor right away. Every order ships from one cart, and subscribing locks in 10% off whichever flavor becomes your new go-to. Start browsing the collection and find the bag you'll want to reorder.