Carrageenan Free Whole30 Beef Snack Sticks
Most commercial beef snack sticks are loaded with fillers, binders, and stabilizers — including carrageenan, which sneaks into processed meats more often than you'd expect. These homemade sticks skip all of that entirely, relying on nothing but ground beef, a punchy blend of spices, curing salt, and collagen casings to get the job done. The result is a smoky, snappy, deeply savory stick that tastes like the real deal without any of the ingredient label anxiety. Smoked paprika, garlic, onion, and a hit of cayenne build serious flavor, while the overnight cure lets everything meld together before the sticks ever hit the smoker or oven. Collagen casings give you that satisfying snap and firm texture you want in a snack stick, and they're naturally free of the additives found in many pre-made options. Whether you go the smoker route for that low-and-slow depth or use your oven on its lowest setting, the slow cook to an internal temperature of 160°F ensures every stick is safe, firm, and ready to snack on. Make a batch, let them firm up in the fridge, and you've got a protein-packed grab-and-go snack you can actually feel good about.
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Learn more →Ingredients
12 servings
- 2 lb ground beef (80/20)
- 1 tsp curing salt (prague powder #1)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 12 collagen casings (19mm), soaked per package directions
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, curing salt, kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne (if using). Add the cold water. Mix with your hands or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture is tacky and holds together when pressed between your fingers.
- 2
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight to allow the curing salt to work through the meat and the flavors to develop.
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