Our Story

Old Santa Fe Trail Beef Jerky got its start in 1988, when founder and CEO Matthew Chavez began making traditional New Mexico beef jerky (carne seca) at a meat market he co-owned with his brother and sister-in-law in the North Valley area of Albuquerque.

It was during this time that Matthew created four simple recipes that we still use today: original, peppered, green chile, and red chile. The flavorful, hand-crafted beef jerky was a major success, and soon retailers all over New Mexico were placing bulk orders to sell it in their stores.

To keep up with ever-increasing demand, Matthew moved the jerky operation to a new facility on Route 66, where he designed and built his own unique ovens to increase capacity and improve the slow-drying process. These innovations helped the business grow to 18 employees, including Matthew's sons, Andrew and Adam Chavez.

We now produce more than three tons of beef jerky per week for distribution to retailers throughout the southwestern United States, as well as online orders and sales at our retail store on Route 66.

For over 30 years, we've been making healthy, all-natural beef jerky right here in the USA, with top round beef in a USDA-inspected facility. To learn more about our wholesale products, please contact us.