Legume Free Whole30 Beef Snack Sticks
Smoky, spiced, and satisfyingly chewy, these homemade beef snack sticks hit every note you want from a grab-and-go protein snack — without a single legume in sight. Store-bought jerky and meat sticks are notorious for sneaking in soy, pea protein, or other legume-derived fillers and binders, so making your own is genuinely the cleanest path forward. The seasoning blend here — smoked paprika, garlic, onion, mustard powder, and a kick of cayenne — builds serious depth into every bite, and the curing salt ensures both safety and that classic snack-stick texture you're after. Collagen casings keep things tidy and easy to work with, and the slow smoke or low oven method gradually brings the internal temperature up to a safe 160°F while locking in all that bold, savory flavor. The overnight rest in the fridge before cooking is the secret step that lets the cure do its job and the spices fully bloom into the meat. Whether you run them through a smoker for that backyard barbecue character or use your oven on its lowest setting, the result is firm, snappable sticks that are genuinely hard to stop eating. Make a batch, let them firm up in the fridge, and you'll have a protein-packed snack ready to reach for all week long.
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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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