United States kitchen

Beef Jerky

U.S. Cuisine Texas Cuisine Beef jerky is ideal for road trips and camping, as it will not perish as readily as fresh meat. It is suitable not only as a snack but also as a meal. This recipe for jerky is not heavily brined and flavored as commercial jerky is. Other meats may be substituted instead of beef, but use caution.

Beef Jerky prepared recipe
PrepNot statedCookFollow stepsServesFlexibleLevelHome cook
Cook with confidence

Before you start

A quick setup makes the method easier to follow and keeps important steps from being missed.

Preparation checklist

  • Read all 4 method steps from beginning to end.
  • Measure and arrange all 7 listed ingredients.
  • Keep the recipe open and follow each step in order; the source does not state a total time.

Recipe notes & preparation tips

Other common seasonings may include ¼ tsp each of cayenne pepper, cheese powder, and/or white pepper.

The meat should bend but not break when properly dried.

Adapted from the source recipe's notes.
Step by step

Method

  1. 01

    Mix all ingredients except beef to make brine.

  2. 02

    Slice beef into ¼-inch thick strips. Small chunks (about ¾-inch) of stewing beef may also be used. If possible, cut along the grain of the meat rather than across it. It may be easier to freeze the meat before attempting to cut it, as this will stop the meat pulling and deforming so easily.

  3. 03

    Marinate meat in overnight, or at least for an hour or two.

  4. 04

    Place meat on racks and dry in a food dehydrator at 145 °F (63 °C) for 6–8 hours. They may also be dried in a 150 °F (65 °C) oven with foil-covered racks. If using the oven, turn meat over 3–4 hours into drying time and reduce temperature to 130 °F (55 °C).

Ready to serve

Serve the dish as directed and enjoy it while it is at its best.

Bon appétit — enjoy your meal!
Transparent sourcing

Source & licence

This recipe was adapted and reformatted from Wikibooks Cookbook . Text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Image: CC BY-SA 4.0, credited to Kambai Akau; view original image record .