The Cozy Cookbook is here! Thin slices of fresh meat are immersed in a flavorful marinade for several hours and then dehydrated or baked to create perfectly textured homemade beef jerky.
Beef Jerky has been on our list of things to make for a longgg time now. We’ve made it in the smoker before, but now that we have our dehydrator…. things just got serious. Don’t worry—If you don’t have a dehydrator you can still match a batch in the oven, I’ve got the instructions in the recipe for that.
Making this beef jerky is actually pretty easy, but there are some frequent FAQ’s that come up- (which way do you cut it? What kind of meat is best? How long do you dehydrate it?) I did some research and compiled some tips for you so that you can make the best beef jerky right at home.
Homemade Beef Jerky Tips:
- The leaner the meat, the better.
- Placing the meat in the freezer prior to slicing makes it easier to slice. Not for too long, but long enough for it to firm up a bit.
- Cutting against the grain is best- this makes it easier to chew. Especially if the meat is a littler fattier. Look at which direction the strands of meat are going, and slice the opposite way.
- 1/4 inch slices is what you should aim for.
- Dehydration times can vary based on temperatures, moisture content of the meat, thickness of the cut, etc.
Is Beef Jerky good for your health?
-Beef jerky is a great snack between meals. It’s packed with protein so it will keep you satisfied longer, and it doesn’t raise your insulin levels, which is the hormone that tells your body to store fat.
-When you make it at home, you know exactly what’s in it. No chemicals or mystery meat… Bingo. (Not to mention, beef jerky at the store is so expensive.)
Like meat? Try these recipes!
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Steak Rub
- Island Chicken Marinade
- Bobby Flay’s Meatball Recipe
- Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
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Beef Jerky
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. of one the following meats: round roast, rump roast, or flank steak
- 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Using a dehydrator:
- Slice the meat against the grain into strips ¼ inch thick.
- Combine other ingredients together in a freezer bag and add the meat. Cover the meat all over with the mixture and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, the longer the better. (We gave ours just 2 hours and it came out very flavorful.)
- Place the meat into the dehydrator. Ours took 7 hours to dehydrate at 150 degrees. Times can vary based on temperatures, moisture content of the meat, thickness of the cut, etc.
Oven Method
- I haven’t yet tried this method, but I’ve heard that you can bake the jerky in the oven at 160 degrees for about 5 hours. (But check on it every 30 minutes after the first couple of hours.) Ideally, you would also leave the oven door cracked open a tad. You can use skewers to pierce the meat at the top and lay the skewer across the oven racks so that the meat hangs down.
Nutrition
Source: Alton Brown/TheFoodNetwork
Yaaaayyyyy!!! Aren’t you ADDICTED to the dehydrator now?!?! Oh my gosh we made jerky last week too! …Buuuuttt then I left it in an open bag I had packed for our New Years mountain trip and NIGEL got into it. And he ate it ALL!!! Ahhhh saddest day ever ’cause this jerky is soooooo good and yours looks amazing!!!!!!
I’ve been reading more and more posts where a dehydrator has been used. Our family loves jerky but it is loaded with salt and other bad things.
Thanks for putting the idea in my head to get my own. Space to store it is the big unknown, I have way too many kitchen essentials.
Happy New Year, sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas.
Me too Liz- Seeing lots of tempting dehydrator recipes. Ours is fairly large but I think they have small ones that you might be able to get! The jerky was INCREDIBLE! I’m also munching on some banana chips that I made- trying a pineapple next!! 🙂 Thanks for visiting Liz and Happy New Year to you too!
I’m very jealous of your dehydrator, I’ve wanted one for ages but can’t justify buying myself one haha!
I have to admit though I’ve never had beef jerky before, of any kind! Looking at the ingredients though it looks delicious and homemade is always best!
Hey Michelle! I’ve wanted a dehydrator forever too!- You’ve never had beef jerky?!!? I’m tempted to mail you some….!!!!
Love this! Jerky is so expensive and filled w nasty stuff. My college kids would love this!
RIGHT?! I forgot to talk about how pricey it is! And like you said, it’s always filled with…. who knows…. making it at home is sooo the way to go 🙂
I’m so glad to hear you’re already taking advantage of your dehydrator. I love when people use their Christmas gifts right away! (It also shows good gift giving skills.) The worcestershire sauce in your beef jerky sounds like a great flavor. Thanks for bringing these to the fiesta, I’m sure they’ll be gone soon. And, HAPPY 2015!
Thanks Kaila! You’re so right, using the Christmas presents right off the bat is a definite sign that the gift was a keeper! I’ve been dying for a dehydrator for months! (New cooking devices- it doesn’t get much better than that, especially for a food blogger!)
Thanks for bringing back some good memories. I made homemade jerky for my husband for a very long time. One of his contributions to “deer camp” every year. 100% better when you make it yourself – your recipe is very similar so I know it is good 🙂
Ah what a great contribution to deer camp! Everyone loves jerky!! I’m glad to hear that we have similar recipes- I want to try other ones but it’s so hard to steer away from this one! 🙂
We love Beef Jerky and actually got some for our son and son-in-law for Christmas. With the price of the stuff it would be a totally great idea to make it yourself!
I agree Julie, the price is outrageous! So much more economical to make it at home, and this way there’s no preservatives and all of that other junk in it 🙂 Thanks for visiting, I hope you had a nice New Year!
Having just finally got a pasta and ravioli maker I’d better not get a new tool until I master that, but I love the look of this jerky, it does make a dehydrator tempting… 🙂
Ohhh pasta & ravioli, that’s so fun! I tried making ravioli once, it was bad news. I’d love to try again though. I know what you mean though- dehydrators are SO tempting, one day you can do it, once you’re a pasta chef! 🙂
Ok, I think I need to buy myself a “late” Christmas gift! I have always wanted to try making jerky at home. This looks incredible!
You have to do it, there are WAY too many things you can make with it, mine came with a giant book of a billion things you can put in there! I’ve already made banana chips and I bought an apple to try out and a pineapple too! 🙂
Right that’s it! I am sold! Am getting a dehydrator! Thanks for bringing this to FF
HAHA I know right Mr. Fitz?! After Tracy got hers, I was SOLD- this thing is amazing! I’m making dried pineapples next, MMMM! 🙂