Posted October 29, 2026
Hi again, it's Aaliyah. People who aren't from here sometimes ask me what makes New Mexico jerky different from the stuff you can grab anywhere. I grew up with the answer, but I had to stop and think about how to explain it. The short version is chile. The longer version is chile, tradition and a family that likes to have fun with flavor.
What carne seca means here
Jerky and carne seca are both dried, seasoned beef. In New Mexico, carne seca is the traditional name, and it carries a lot of home feeling with it. When we say we make small batch carne seca, we mean thin cut beef, a heavy hand with the seasoning and a long, slow dry. Nothing fancy, just done carefully, and done by hand by the same crew you meet at our booth.
A lot of what you see on store shelves leans on one or two safe flavors. New Mexico jerky tends to lean on chile, and once you've had it that way, plain can feel like it's missing something.
Green chile jerky, the New Mexico classic
If you ask me what jerky nm lovers should try first, it's green chile. Our Green is classic New Mexico green chile carne seca. It's earthy and bright, with just the right burn. It sits around a 3 on our 0 to 5 heat scale, so it has a real kick without being scary.
Green chile shows up all over our menu, because we can't stop ourselves:
- Green is the classic. Earthy, bright, the right burn.
- Lemon Pepper Green mixes zesty lemon pepper with green chile heat.
- Garlic Parm Green is savory garlic and parmesan with a green chile kick.
- Honey Teriyaki Green is sweet honey teriyaki with a little green chile bite on the finish.
- Green Chili Ranch is cool ranch seasoning with a mellow green chile warmth. This is a good one if you want the chile flavor without much fire.
- X-Hot Green is our hottest green chile jerky. It's green chile heat stacked on more green chile, and it's one of our top sellers.
- X-Hot Green Chili Lime Salt takes that X-Hot green chile and adds lime and a hit of salt. Tangy, salty and very hot.
So if you're searching for green chile jerky, you have a whole range to work with, from mellow to "bring a drink."
Red, green or Christmas
Anybody from New Mexico knows the question: red or green? Our Red is red chile beef jerky with deep, smoky New Mexico red chile flavor. And if you can't pick, we have you covered. X-Mas is red and green chile together, Christmas style, the way New Mexico does it. It's a 3 on the heat scale, and it saves you from a hard decision.
The fun side of New Mexico jerky
Here's where my family likes to play. We grew up on chile, but we also grew up on snack aisle favorites, so a bunch of our flavors borrow from those:
- Hot Cheetos has red hot cheeto dust packed into every strip.
- Hot Cheeto Pickle is dill pickle tang meets hot cheeto heat.
- Takis brings rolled chile lime crunch flavor to thin cut carne seca.
- Tajin Limon is chile lime Tajin style seasoning with a bright limon finish.
- Mango Habanero is sweet mango up front with a slow habanero burn.
- Asian Zing is savory, tangy and a little sweet.
That playful streak got noticed. We won Most Exotic Flavor at New Mexico Jerky Fest, and we also took home Best Booth. Honestly, that tells you a lot about us. We take the food seriously, and we also think a pickle and hot cheeto jerky is a great idea.
Not everything has to be hot
I don't want anyone to think they need a cast iron stomach. Plenty of our flavors have no heat or very little. Salt, Garlic, Garlic Parm, Teriyaki and Honey Teriyaki are all a 0. Salt x Pepper, Lemon Pepper and Pickle sit at a 1. These are great for kids, for picky eaters and for anyone who wants New Mexico jerky without the burn.
A good trick for a first order is to pick one mild bag, one medium chile bag like Green or Red, and one wild card. Then you can see where your taste lands.
How to try it
You can order from the full menu, where every flavor has its heat level and description. A small bag is $7 and a large bag is $20. Send your order from the cart page or the contact form, and we'll text you to confirm. You can pay with Cash App, Venmo, Apple Pay or cash, and the dealer drops it at your door and sends a photo once it's delivered.
Prefer to taste first? Come see us at New Mexico Jerky Fest, Halloween Edition on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Isleta Resort & Casino. Samples are the best way to decide.
Keep exploring
If you're in town and want the practical side, read where to buy jerky in Albuquerque. And if you want to know who is behind all this chile, meet the family.
Green, red or Christmas, I hope you find your flavor. Text us and tell us which one you picked. We love hearing it.
