The Most Amazing Beef Jerky is so easy to make and produces the most delicious beef jerky ever. We’ve included instructions for the dehydrator, smoker, and oven!
Growing up, we started our love affair with beef jerky on road trips. It was tradition to pick out road trip snacks at a gas station on the way out, and we instantly fell in love with these little morsels of savory heaven. Whether it was spicy or sweet, we didn’t care, we loved it all. However, everything changed once we tasted homemade jerky, and there was no going back to store-bought. It was surprisingly easy to make, and we now always keep a small baggie wherever we go in case of emergency snack needs!
CAN I USE THIS RECIPE TO MAKE WILD GAME JERKY?
You absolutely can! Just make sure to still slice your meat super thin, against the grain.
BEEF CUT OPTIONS FOR MOST AMAZING BEEF JERKY:
The key to a good beef jerky is to use extremely lean cuts of beef. Fat does not dehydrate well at all, so you will also want to trim off any large pieces of fat.
Recommended cuts include:
- Eye of Round
- Top Round
- Bottom Round
- London Broil
SLICING TIP:
Freeze your meat for a few hours before slicing to help keep the shape and uniform thin slices.
SPICE LEVEL:
Chili flakes and cayenne pepper are optional spices to add. If you want to keep your jerky mild, leave them out. Alternatively, you can add the spices to your own personal taste preferences for a medium to more hot spice level.
SOY SAUCE AND WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE SUBSTITUTE:
Liquid aminos can be used as a direct replacement for either soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, or both!
SMOKER INSTRUCTIONS:
Using a smoker is a great way to make beef jerky. Simply omit the liquid smoke from the recipe and keep the temperature below 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Watch closely and rotate.
OVEN INSTRUCTIONS:
If you do not have a dehydrator or smoker, you can still make beef jerky in your oven so long as you can adjust the temperature low enough. Keep the temperature at or below 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:
Store your jerky in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds beef sliced 1/4″ thin, against the grain
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes optional
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke optional
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl or ziplock bag, stir together soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, liquid smoke, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Place sliced beef into the bowl and make sure all of the pieces are covered in the marinade. Cover or seal tightly. Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, up to 36 hours total.
- Remove from marinade and pat dry. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Evenly distribute the meat onto dehydrator racks and let the meat dehydrate on a low heat setting. Dehydrate for 8-12 hours, or according to your dehydrator instructions. May need to rotate occasionally.
- To check doneness, you want a slight bend to the jerky, but not any remaining juice, approximately 4-6 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
