Do you remember what was on your Christmas list back in 1998?
Back then, I’m pretty sure that all of my girlfriends were asking for Abercrombie jeans, or the first-ever Harry Potter book, or the VHS of Titanic, or the latest Jewel or Matchbox 20 or Destiny’s Child or Spice Girls albums for Christmas. But me? I had one very important request of Santa that year, and I’m happy to say he (literally) delivered me my very first…dehydrator!
I mean, what 16-year-old girl doesn’t dream of having her very own dehydrator, right?! ♡
Well, having been an enormous fan of homemade beef jerky ever since I was little, I had been dreaming about having a dehydrator to make some of my own for years. It all began thanks to my great aunt Chris, who generously made batches upon batches of her famous beef jerky for our huge family holiday gatherings each year. And all thirteen of my cousins would scramble to the kitchen to see who could get the biggest handful for themselves to munch on, because her beef jerky was heavenly. And actually, I had no idea how good it was until I tried some of the store-bought stuff from a gas station years later, and could hardly believe that those weirdly sweet, sticky, and artificial-tasting strips of “beef” were the same thing. (Actually, I still feel the same way…)
So even as a teenager, I realized that if I wanted amazing beef jerky like Aunt Chris’ year-round, I was going to have to learn how to make it myself. So I called her and asked for the recipe. And 17 years, 2 dehydrators, and dozens upon dozens upon dozens of batches later, I’m still making her beef jerky recipe.
So today, I thought it was about dang time I shared about it with you too. Because in my experience…it truly is the best!
How To Make Beef Jerky | 1-Minute Video
Ok, my heart is seriously pounding as I’m writing this post because I get so dang excited giving people tips on making killer beef jerky! (<– So weird, I know, but don’t forget I’m also the girl who begged Santa for a dehydrator. #Perspective.) Here are some of my tips and answers to frequently-asked questions from friends:
Beef: The biggest question is probably what cut of beef to buy. I’ve made beef jerky with all different kinds, but my favorite the past few years has undoubtedly been flank steak. It’s definitely one of the priciest options, but it’s one of the leanest cuts and I love how it makes nice thin strips of beef jerky. Other great options are eye of round, top or bottom round, or London broil. Generally, I just recommend going as lean as possible, and trimming off any extra large sections of fat that you see.
When it comes to slicing the meat, I recommend slicing it about as thin as possible (1/8 to 1/4-inch thick). And then if you want a chewier jerky (which I weirdly like), slice the meat with the grain. And if you want a more tender jerky, slice the meat against the grain. You’re welcome to do this yourself at home (just pop the steak in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before slicing to help firm it up a bit). OR, chances are, the butcher behind the meat counter of your local grocery store would be happy to do it for you too. (<– Probably for free!)
Marinade: So, my biggest gripe with most store-bought beef jerky is that it is waaaayyyyy too sweet. I love my beef jerky nice and peppery and savory. So my marinade consists simply of soy sauce, worcestershire, black pepper, liquid smoke, onion powder, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. And then for those of you who love pepper as much as I do, I highly recommend cracking some extra black pepper on top of the strips once you have laid them out to cook. The pepperier, the better if you ask me.
If you do happen to like sweeter beef jerky, just add 1/4 cup of maple syrup to the marinade. And if you like a spicier beef jerky, I recommend sprinkling some crushed red pepper flakes on top of the jerky as it cooks.
Dehydrator vs. Oven: Probably the main question I hear from friends is how to make beef jerky without a dehydrator. It’s totally possible in the oven. But in order for it to cook evenly, I recommend laying the jerky out on wire racks that are placed on top of foil-covered baking sheets. I know that some people like to just lay the jerky out directly on the oven racks themselves, and then place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to catch the dripping juices, but I’ve tried it and — heads up — it’s messy. So instead, I recommend the wire rack method.
But that said, I still think cooking beef jerky in the dehydrator yields the most consistent and best results. I’ve owned 2 different dehydrators, and will say that the technology has improved significantly over the years. For between $35-75, you can purchase an awesome dehydrator nowadays that will cook the jerky evenly and quickly. And of course, you can also use the dehydrator to make all kinds of fruit and veggie and kale chips, and all sorts of other good stuff. So if you happen to love beef jerky as much as I do, I would totally recommend the Cuisinart dehydrator that I currently own.
Anyway, go with whatever cooking method works best for you! I’ve included instructions for oven and dehydrator beef jerky in the recipe below.
So all that said, to make your beef jerky, just toss the sliced beef and the marinade together in a large ziplock bag until the beef is evenly coated. Then pop the bag in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day to let those flavors sink in.
Then lay the strips out in an even layer on your dehydrator trays, or your wire-rack trays in the oven, and cook according to the instructions below. (Fair warning — this is going to absolutely fill your home with the most irresistible smell of jerky ever!)
And then once the jerky reaches your desired level of dryness (I like mine really dry, but as long as it is cooked and dark and just slightly pliable, it should be good to go) — the BEST batch of beef jerky will be yours to enjoy and share!
Well, props to you if you make it to the sharing, because I tend to want to hoard this stuff. ;) But I am convinced this beef jerky makes the world a better place, so be generous if you can.
Enjoy, everyone!!
Beef Jerky
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak (or eye or round or top round steak)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons coarsely-ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Thinly-slice the steak into 1/8-inch thick strips, either with the grain (which will result in a chewier beef jerky) or against the grain (which will be more tender). I recommend popping the steak in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before slicing so that it is easier to cut. (Or the butchers working behind the meat counters at most grocery stores will also do this for you if you ask.)
- Transfer the strips of steak to a large ziplock bag*.
- In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until combined. Pour the mixture into the ziplock bag with the steak, seal the bag, and toss until the steak is evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day.
- If you’re making the jerky in a dehydrator, lay the strips out in a single layer on the trays of your dehydrator. Then follow the dehydrator’s instructions to cook the beef jerky until it is dry and firm, yet still a little bit pliable. (With my dehydrator, that meant cooking the jerky on medium heat for about 8 hours. But cooking times will vary based on the thickness of your meat, and the heat/brand of your dehydrator.) Remove jerky and transfer to a sealed container. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.
- If you’re making the jerky in the oven, heat oven to 175°F. Adjust the racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil, and place wire cooling racks on top of each sheet. Lay the strips out in a single layer on the wire racks. Bake until the beef jerky until it is dry and firm, yet still a little bit pliable, about 4 hours, flipping the beef jerky once about halfway through. (Cooking times will vary based on the thickness of your meat.) Remove jerky and transfer to a sealed container. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This post contains affiliate links for the products I use and recommend. :)
its great 5 stars
Thank you for the recipe! First time making beef jerky! Although, I used less than 2 lbs of flank steak it made it slightly salty (my mistake), but not overpowering. I’d probably add less amount of black pepper since I’m not much of a pepper person. It only took 5 hrs and it came out amazing anyway! Next time, I’m going to add maple syrup.
Made this in the oven today. Came out great! My Walmart sells stir fry beef in the perfect thin cut which made this recipe so much easier. Can’t wait to experiment with the marinade flavors – great base to start with.
Made a 4 lb eye of round roast cut into 1/8” strips in my Cabela’s food dehydrator and this recipe is absolutely perfect!! Thanks for sharing!!
I had this recipes for years made alot for my truck driver husband. He loves it and I got sick and have not made it for over a year he ask today if I could make some but my recipe got missed placed with outside cleaners, so I was happy to find this cause I know it was the one I used with a couple additional ingredients. Everglades Seasoning and honey not lot 1 or 2 Tablespoon. Letting it sit overnight in refrigerator then took it out and dried with paper towels then used dehydrator for 12 hours. Husband had to hide it when friends came over so he would have some to go to work . Make 6#’s at least a month.
Yup. This is a keeper! I used thin sliced top round with little fat and wasn’t able to use a full half cup of soy sauce (cause I ran out) but it turned out so perfect. Oven on 174 for 4 hours and flipped once just like the recipe said. I’m saving this one for sure.
About to make our second batch using this recipe. We could not believe how good this jerky turned out! So much better than store-bought jerky. We were able to fill four pint-sized mason jars using 3lbs of top-round beef using our electric dehydrator and also used liquid aminos instead of soy sauce to keep it ultra low carb. Perfect for on the go snacking! Five stars!
Thanks for the review lesson, only recipe needed to consult Only a couple small variations do I make. Lightly sauteing fresh garlic and onion may bring out a little more flavor in the marinade. Yes, freshly ground pepper is the only way to go, the dust has no flavor. After buying/trying SEVERAL pepper mills and garlic presses and reading reviews found the OXO pepper mill a good value and Zyliss makes a good garlic press among other handy dandy kitchen accessories. Also I like adding a plop of dry red wine to the marinade, Cabernet or other, as well as to a beef/buffalo roast or spaghetti sauce etc. Got my son a dehydrator for his 14th birthday; to “tease” him started 1st by having him unwrap a large roast ?. He has liked that sweet teriyaki stuff in the past, no thanks, hot pepper and black pepper please. Merry Christmas.
This is my first time making jerky. I got a pound of London Broil and a pound of Flank, both carved against the grain, 1/4 inch thick, and cooked in the oven. The flavors are really yummy, but I think I might have made two mistakes. The first was that I did the marinade for 20 hours (that wasn’t the mistake, that was good), which left about 2 tablespoons of marinade and I coated the pieces after laying them out with the left over marinade. I think that led to too much steam, which caused my second mistake: After 2 hours I got worried about the steam since the meat was supposed to be dehydrating, and wiped up the drippings. They took about 5 hours. They turned out a bit “chalky” so next time I won’t add more liquid or remove the liquid that comes out of the meat. Not like we won’t eat these because the flavor is just what I was hoping for! Thank you for the recipe!
I’ve found that letting the beef dry before putting it in the oven/dehydrator/smoker and form a shinny finish produces the best results. This is called pellicle, I picked this up from smoking salmon and found it works on any meat.
Dry your marinade meat with paper towels before you dehydrate it. Works great
Not only fantatic taste, but easy to do as well!! I’m addicted!! Thank you!