Is Chief biltong or Jack Link's jerky better?

It depends what you value. Chief's biltong is the cleaner, more protein-dense snack: organic grass-fed beef, air-dried, with no added sugar, no soy and no smoke flavour. It runs at about 47 grams of protein per 100 grams. Jack Link's is a cheaper, marinated jerky with added sugar and soy, sold in every supermarket. Choose clean ingredients and sourcing, or price and availability.

What is the difference between biltong and jerky?

Biltong is thinly sliced beef, brined in salt and vinegar, then slowly air-dried. It is not cooked or smoked. Jerky is usually marinated and dried with heat and often carries added sugar. Chief's is a biltong; Jack Link's is a jerky. Our biltong versus jerky guide covers the difference in full.

Which one has more protein?

Chief, per 100 grams, at about 47 grams against Jack Link's 34. Per bag they are closer, since Chief's is a 30g bag and Jack Link's a 50g bag. But gram for gram of dried beef, Chief is more protein-dense and carries far less carbohydrate.

Does Jack Link's have added sugar?

Yes. Sugar sits high in its seasoning, and the jerky carries about 24 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, because a sweet marinade is part of how it is made. Chief's biltong has no added sugar and is very low in carbohydrate. If you are watching sugar, that is a clear difference.

Is Jack Link's unhealthy?

No, it is not junk. It is 100 percent beef, high in protein and low in fat. It is just a marinated, sweetened jerky, so it carries added sugar, soy and smoke flavour that a clean air-dried biltong does not. Like any dried beef, it is also salty, so treat it as a snack in moderation.

No. Both are beef, so neither suits vegans or vegetarians. Note that Jack Link's also contains soy, which is worth knowing if you have a soy allergy. If you want a plant-based savoury snack, check its label the same way, for added sugar, seed oils and fillers.

Chief Biltong vs Jack Link's: An Honest Comparison

Q: Which one is cheaper?

Jack Link's, clearly. A 50g bag is about $5.00 at Woolworths, roughly $10.00 per 100 grams against Chief's $18.60, and cheaper per gram of protein too, about $0.29 against $0.40. It is the cheaper dried-beef snack. Chief's price buys the cleaner label and the organic grass-fed sourcing.

Chief's biltong leads on ingredients: organic grass-fed beef, air-dried in a salt and vinegar brine, with no added sugar, no soy and no smoke flavour, and it is more protein-dense at about 47 grams per 100 grams. Jack Link's is a marinated jerky with added sugar, soy protein and smoke flavour, not grass-fed or organic, but it is cheaper and sold in every supermarket. Pick clean ingredients against price and availability.

At a glance

Both are dried beef, but they are built to different standards. Chief's is an air-dried biltong: organic, grass-fed and grass-finished, seasoned with a salt and vinegar brine and spices, with no added sugar, no soy and no smoke flavour. It is also more protein-dense, at about 47 grams of protein per 100 grams. Jack Link's Original is a marinated, smoked jerky. It is 100 percent beef and high in protein at about 34 grams per 100 grams, but its seasoning carries added sugar, soy protein, yeast extract and smoke flavour, and it is not stated as grass-fed or organic. Part of why it is cheaper is that a marinated conventional jerky costs less to make than organic grass-fed air-dried biltong. Where Jack Link's wins is price and availability. It is cheaper per 100 grams and per gram of protein, and it sits in every supermarket. So the split is honest. If you want the cleaner, air-dried biltong with no added sugar, Chief. If you want the cheaper, more available dried beef and do not mind the added sugar and soy, Jack Link's.

Chief

•an air-dried biltong with no added sugar, no soy and no smoke flavour
•organic grass-fed grass-finished beef, stated on the label
•more protein per 100g, about 47g against 34g

Per 45 g bar	Chief	Jack Link's
Type	Air-dried biltong, thinly sliced beef	Marinated beef jerky, smoked
Beef	Organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian beef	100% beef; not stated grass-fed or organic
Protein per 100g	about 47g	about 34g
Protein per bag	around 14g (30g bag)	about 17g (50g bag)
Carbohydrate	very low; no added sugar	about 24g per 100g, from the sugar in the marinade
Added sugar	None; salt and vinegar brine, cumin, nutmeg, pepper	Yes; sugar is high in the seasoning
Soy	No soy	Contains soy protein
Other additives	No preservatives or artificial additives; no smoke flavour	Yeast extract, natural flavours, smoke flavour
Process and sourcing	Air-dried, not smoked; no Bovaer, mRNA or glyphosate	Marinated and smoked; made in New Zealand
Pack and price	12 x 30g, $66.95 AUD	50g bag, about $5.00 AUD at Woolworths
Price per 100g	about $18.60	about $10.00
Price per gram of protein	about $0.40	about $0.29
Suitable for vegans	No, it is beef	No, it is beef

The cost, measured fairly

All prices are AUD, read on 6 July 2026. Jack Link's price is a Woolworths snapshot, about $5.00 for a 50g bag, and it varies by retailer. Chief is $66.95 for twelve 30g bags, direct from its site. Because the serves differ, the fair comparison is per 100 grams and per gram of protein.

Per 100 grams, Jack Link's is cheaper, about $10.00 against Chief's $18.60, and it is cheaper per gram of protein too, about $0.29 against $0.40. So on price, Jack Link's wins clearly. What the extra buys with Chief is the cleaner label, the air-dried process and the organic grass-fed sourcing, not more protein for your dollar. Decide which of those matters more to you.

Where Chief is the better choice

You want the cleaner, air-dried biltong

Chief's is a biltong, thinly sliced beef in a salt and vinegar brine, slowly air-dried and not smoked. Its ingredient list is beef, salt, vinegar and a few spices. Jack Link's Original is 100 percent beef too, but its seasoning brings added sugar, soy protein, yeast extract, natural flavours and smoke flavour. Both are dried beef, but one is a clean air-dried biltong and the other is a marinated, sweetened jerky. On a short, clean label, Chief is the one.

You want no added sugar

Chief's biltong has no added sugar, so it is very low in carbohydrate. Jack Link's Original carries about 24 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams. Sugar sits high in its seasoning, because a sweet marinade is part of how the jerky is made. If you are watching sugar, that is a real gap between an air-dried biltong and a marinated jerky.

You want organic, grass-fed sourcing and more protein

Chief states its beef is organic, grass-fed and grass-finished Australian beef, free from added hormones, Bovaer feed, mRNA and glyphosate. Jack Link's is 100 percent beef made in New Zealand, but it does not claim grass-fed or organic. Chief's biltong is also more protein-dense, about 47 grams of protein per 100 grams against Jack Link's 34. On sourcing and protein density, Chief leads on both.

Where Jack Link's is the better choice

You want the lower price

Jack Link's is cheaper, clearly so. A 50g bag is about $5.00 at Woolworths, about $10.00 per 100 grams against Chief's $18.60. Per gram of protein it is cheaper too, about $0.29 against Chief's $0.40. When the price on the shelf is what decides it, Jack Link's takes it, and it is the cheaper way to get dried-beef protein.

You want it in every supermarket

Jack Link's is everywhere: Woolworths, Coles, servos and corner shops across the country. You can grab it without thinking about it. Chief's biltong is more of a direct or specialty buy, from its own site or selected stockists. For dried beef you can pick up anywhere, right now, Jack Link's has the reach.

You want a familiar jerky flavour

Jack Link's is a known quantity: a smoky, low-fat, high-protein jerky that a lot of people already like. It is 100 percent beef, and at about 3 grams of fat per 100 grams it is lean. Biltong is a different style, air-dried and not smoked, so if you specifically like a smoky marinated jerky, Jack Link's does that well. Our biltong versus jerky guide explains how the two styles differ.

Which one is right for you

You want the cleaner ingredient listChief, no added sugar, soy or smoke flavour

You want no added sugarChief, air-dried biltong

You want organic, grass-fed sourcingChief

You want the most protein per 100gChief, about 47g against 34g

You want the lowest priceJack Link's, about $10.00 per 100g

You want it in every supermarketJack Link's

You want a smoky jerky flavourJack Link's

Two dried beefs, built differently

These are both dried beef, but they are not the same thing. Chief is an air-dried biltong, made to a premium standard: organic grass-fed beef, a simple salt and vinegar brine, no added sugar, soy or smoke flavour. Jack Link's is a mainstream marinated, smoked jerky, cheap and everywhere, that leans on a sweet, smoky seasoning for flavour. Jack Link's is not junk; it is 100 percent beef and high in protein. It is just built to a different brief. One is about clean, air-dried biltong; the other is about price and reach. Match the one that fits what you are after.

Before you buy

A dried beef snack does not suit everyone. Both are beef, so neither suits vegetarians or vegans. Jack Link's also contains soy, which matters if you have a soy allergy. Both are dried and salty, so keep an eye on sodium if you need to. Jack Link's carries added sugar; Chief's biltong does not. They are whole-food-style snacks but still concentrated, so enjoy them in a sensible amount. If you are managing a health condition or your sodium, check the label and your healthcare provider first.

Common questions

A note on why we wrote this

Chief makes one of these products, so read this with that in mind. Chief's figures come from Chief's own product data. Jack Link's come from its official Australian nutrition data and a Woolworths retail listing, read on 6 July 2026. Serve sizes differ, a 30g bag against a 50g bag, so the fair comparison is per 100g and per gram of protein. Jack Link's price is a Woolworths snapshot and varies by retailer. Check both before you buy.