Posted November 3, 2026
Hi, it's Aaliyah. You'll see the words carne seca all over this website, and I realized we never stopped to explain them. If you've ever looked at our menu and wondered what carne seca actually is, but felt weird asking, this one's for you.
I'll keep it simple. No food science, just the plain English version.
The short answer
Carne seca is Spanish for "dried meat." At Jerky Fixx, that means dried, seasoned beef.
So is carne seca the same as jerky? Pretty much, yes. Both are dried, seasoned beef. Carne seca is the traditional New Mexico name for it, and it's a name people here feel at home with. You'll see us use both words all over this site, and that isn't an accident. Some people are looking for jerky in Albuquerque, some are looking for carne seca, and we want everybody to end up in the same happy place.
Then why use two names?
Mostly because of where you are. "Jerky" is the word you'll hear just about everywhere. "Carne seca" is the name with roots here in New Mexico, so it carries a lot of home feeling with it.
When we call ours carne seca, we're also telling you what kind of snack to expect. Ours is small batch, chile forward and thin cut, and every bag comes from the same family crew you'll meet at our booth. Not every bag that says jerky can say that, and that's the part I care about most.
How we make ours
You don't have to take my word for it, because the whole process is on our Lab page, video and all. Here's the quick version, using a lemon pepper and green chile batch as the example:
- Slice. The beef gets cut thin, to about 1/8 inch.
- Lay out. The strips go out on the drying racks.
- Season. The seasoning goes on heavy. This is not the step where we hold back.
- Chile. New Mexico green chile goes on top.
- Dry. The racks go into the dehydrator.
- Low and slow. The batch is held at 150°F until it's done.
- Bag it. Done means ready to bag, and then it's ready for you.
That's the whole method in one line: thin cut beef, a heavy hand with the seasoning and a long, slow dry. What changes from batch to batch is the flavor we stack on top.
What it tastes like
This is where "dried meat" stops being a helpful description, because carne seca tastes like whatever you season it with. Ours runs from simple to very loud. We have 25 flavors, and each one gets a heat number from 0 to 5.
If you want to taste the beef itself, Salt is the purest way to do it. It's simple, beefy and clean, just meat and salt, with a 0 on the heat scale. Green is the New Mexico classic, earthy and bright with the right burn, and it sits at a 3. And then there's the fun end of the menu, like Takis at a 4, which is rolled chile lime crunch flavor on thin cut carne seca. Same base, totally different snack.
I went deeper on chile in my guide to New Mexico jerky and green chile carne seca, and on how we dream up the wild ones in our flavor engineering post.
Your first bag
If carne seca is new to you, here's an easy way to start, based on how much heat you like:
- No heat, please: Honey Teriyaki is sweet, sticky and savory, and it's a 0. It's our gateway flavor for the kids and the grandmas. Garlic Parm is also a 0 and one of our top sellers.
- A little warmth: Lemon Pepper is a 1 and a classic. Green Chili Ranch is a 2 with a mellow green chile warmth.
- Real New Mexico heat: Green, Red and X-Mas are all 3s. X-Mas is red and green chile together, for when you can't choose.
- Bring it on: X-Hot Green is a 5 and our hottest green chile jerky. You've been warned, and you probably won't listen, which is fine by us.
One thing worth knowing before you order: everything contains beef, and some flavors contain dairy, soy, wheat or corn. If that matters for you or someone you're sharing with, text us and ask about the flavor you're eyeing.
Where to find carne seca in Albuquerque
The easiest way to try it is right from your phone. Browse all 25 flavors on the menu, add what you want to your cart and send your order. A small bag is $7 and a large bag is $20. The crew texts you to confirm, the dealer drops it at your door and you get a photo once it's delivered. You can pay with Cash App, Venmo, Apple Pay or cash.
If you'd rather try it in person, we set up at pop ups, festivals and ball games around Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. Our last stop was New Mexico Jerky Fest, Halloween Edition, on October 31, 2026 at Isleta Resort and Casino. Stay tuned for upcoming events. You can follow us on Instagram or check the dealer locator and sign up for alerts so you hear about the next one. For more on your options, read where to buy jerky in Albuquerque.
So that's carne seca. Dried, seasoned beef with a New Mexico name, made by my family one small batch at a time. Now you can skip the guessing and go straight to the fun question: how hot do you want it?
