Avalon Meat Candy is a veteran-owned, USDA-certified jerky company renowned for its innovative take on traditional beef jerky. Founded by Christian Petersen in April 2016, the brand emerged from his quest to create the perfect jerky after experiencing frequent shortages at his favorite store in Huntington Beach, California. Leveraging his background in the Coast Guard and his experience in the electrical business, Christian began crafting jerky as gifts for clients, eventually developing it into a full-fledged enterprise.
Avalon Meat Candy distinguishes itself with its signature “crispy jerky chips,” offering a light, crunchy texture that sets it apart from the traditional chewy jerky. These chips are hand-cut, wafer-thin, and slow-cooked to perfection, providing a unique snacking experience.
Avalon Meat Candy uses 100% Angus beef and offers custom flavors, catering to customer preferences. The company also extends discounts to veterans and police officers as a token of appreciation. Beyond their crispy jerky chips, Avalon Meat Candy’s product line includes traditional jerky cuts, snacks, dog treats, sauces, and fruit rolls.
I had the pleasure of meeting Christian at his storefront, where I was given an educational tour of this United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved plant and its impressive setup. This Avalon Meat Candy brand is distributed under the same name as Avalon Meat Candy, and it is located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The next review on Avalon Meat Candy will focus on a 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag of their Thai BBQ flavored Angus beef jerky. This flavor is described as having light soy, water, chili paste, garlic, cilantro, a touch of honey, and other spices, making this an island treat. The jerky was kindly submitted for review by Master Chef/Owner Christian Petersen.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Angus Beef, Aloha Soy Sauce [Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Sugar, Fermented Soybeans, Caramel Coloring, Sodium Benzoate less than 1/10th of 1% as a preservative), Modified Food Starch, Granulated Garlic Powder, Tabasco (Distilled Vinegar, Red Pepper, Salt), Ginger Powder], BBQ Sauce [Tomato Ketchup (Tomato Concentrate, made from red ripe Tomatoes, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Salt, Spice, Onion Powder, Natural Flavoring), Distilled Vinegar (Water, Distilled Vinegar), Brown Sugar, Spices, Salt, Garlic, Prepared Mustard (Water, Mustard Seed, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, White Wine, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Spices), Sesame Oil, Sesame Seeds, Habanero Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Real Hickory Smoke. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The Angus beef used is ethically raised, meaning it is guaranteed to be free of growth hormones and additional antibiotics. The cattle have partial free range access to roam about and graze on grass as nature intended. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The liquid marinade used here is comprised of a fair brand of Aloha special sauce, which includes an average brand of soy sauce, a well-respected brand of Tabasco sauce, healthy distilled vinegar, a fair brand of tomato ketchup, healthy mustard, and super healthy sesame oil.
Some healthy ingredients added are granulated garlic, spices, and sesame seeds. The heat is achieved from Habanero pepper and red chili pepper flakes.
The sugar content is high at 9 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 5 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of sugar for a sweet based flavor. High fructose corn syrup is used in the soy sauce and ketchup to lose a rating. The salt level is somewhat high at 420mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose another rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
AVALON MEAT CANDY – THAI BBQ BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell BBQ with an Asian flair. The jerky is medium in both size and thickness. The jerky is soft(ish) and reasonably dry, with a very slight residue left on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky, I am met with salt at a reasonable level, sweetness at a decent level, pepper and garlic at lower levels, and a definitive kick, likely from the Thai flavor. The spicy kick is turning out to be the most prominent flavor going forward, it is at a very good level. This flavor has a fair bit of a kick, and I am truly enjoying the spiciness. Ironically, I am not picking up on much of the BBQ flavor. I smell it more than I taste it. The overall flavor is actually quite enjoyable. Therefore, I am inclined to award an 8/10. Gentlemen?
Here is what Mark had to say about this Game Day Angus beef jerky flavor from Avalon Meat Candy: “Thanks Paul for the straightforward taste review. We are pretty much in agreement here. The only minor difference for me is that I don’t think the spiciness is the prominent flavor. The spiciness is certainly there, but so are a bunch of other flavors present. The heat would rate a 2 out of 5 on a scale.”
“I agree with Paul that this flavor does not come across as a barbecue flavor. Certainly not your traditional tomato based barbecue flavor. This barbecue flavor more resembles a Korean BBQ flavor, but even then, only to a certain extent. I also agree with Paul that this flavor is quite enjoyable, but not to the point where it contains a ‘wow’ factor with arguably too much sweetness. A unanimous Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 2.5 ounce/71 gram bag of jerky sells online for $13.00. That works out to $5.20 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has things imprinted on the front and back, and labels affixed to the front and back. The logo of the Avalon Meat Candy has a bull’s head in the center. There is an illustration of some cows on a farm on the back, and Las Vegas on the front.
A slogan printed could be “Thin Cut Gourmet Jerky”. Some facts printed on this bag are “Real Hardwood Smoked”, “Made in Las Vegas”, “Made with Aloha Shoyu”, “Gourmet Beef Jerky”, and “Veteran Owned”.
Some missing bag categories include the jerky weight not stated in grams and no transparent window to view the jerky. A phone number is provided for customer inquiries to the credit of Avalon Meat Candy. A great blurb is printed on the back about this jerky.
Order their jerky online: www.avalonmeatcandy.com
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