Citric Acid Free Whole30 Beef Snack Sticks
Most commercial snack sticks and jerky products are loaded with citric acid as a preservative or flavor enhancer, making the snack aisle a frustrating place to browse. These homemade beef sticks sidestep that problem entirely — every ingredient in the lineup is straightforward, from the smoked paprika and garlic powder to the coarsely ground black pepper and mustard powder, with no hidden acids anywhere in sight. The spice blend is bold and smoky, delivering that satisfying savory punch you want from a proper snack stick without any of the ingredient baggage. Ground beef gets mixed with curing salt and a careful combination of seasonings, then stuffed into collagen casings and either smoked low and slow or finished in the oven until perfectly firm and deeply flavored. The slow cook process — whether you go the smoker route or use your oven — gives the spices time to really sink in, and the result is a snack that's genuinely craveable. Once they're cooled and firmed up in the fridge, you've got a protein-packed, grab-and-go option that holds up well and tastes far better than anything off a gas station shelf.
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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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