Making Your Own Beef Jerky Is Much Easier Than You Thought

beef

🥗Healthier: turkey

💰Cheaper: pork

Turkey is leaner, while pork is often less expensive.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: coconut aminos

Tamari is gluten-free, while coconut aminos is lower in sodium.

brown sugar

🥗Healthier: coconut sugar

💰Cheaper: granulated sugar

Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index.

liquid smoke

🥗Healthier: smoked paprika

💰Cheaper: smoked salt

Smoked paprika adds flavor without liquid.

Make rosemary salt by stripping fresh rosemary leaves off the stem and combining with kosher salt, fresh garlic, and lemon zest in a blender. Blend for about a minute until mixed well.

Dump the rosemary salt into a bowl and set aside.

Slice the top round beef into thin strips against the grain, aiming for an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick. Cut the beef in half if necessary to manage length.

To make slicing easier, place the beef in the freezer for 45 minutes before slicing.

Sprinkle the sliced beef evenly with rosemary salt and black pepper on one side, then flip and repeat on the other side.

Choose a method to hang the beef: use meat hooks, metal skewers, or toothpicks to suspend the beef over a rack in the oven. Alternatively, place the beef on a sheet pan with a rack.

Line the bottom rack of the oven with foil to catch drippings.

Set the oven to 180°F (82°C) and place the beef in to dehydrate for about 3 hours.

For a different flavor, marinate some beef in chipotle barbecue sauce overnight, or for 3-4 hours if short on time. Follow the same hanging instructions as the rosemary salt beef.

After dehydrating, remove the beef from the oven and pull it off the skewers.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens