The Best Beef Jerky Recipes

Here I've got 2 of the best beef jerky recipes together with some great tips to make homemade a really easy option.

Use the smoker for dehydrating jerky rather than the oven gives a much more natural feel to the drying process and at the same time you can go for smoking jerky to add more flavor.

To start off you need a hunk of lean beef. If you can afford to use rump then great but if not go for the round which is the cut just below the rump and you want it to be approximately 2.2lbs or 1kg.

Trim any excess fat and then cut the beef into strips along the grain (this is why we've used a hunk of beef rather than steaks) that are about ¼” or 6mm thick. To get the beef this thin make sure that you start with the beef super chilled and you can do this by placing the hunk in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting.

If you're not sure which way the grain is just cut a slice and then try and pull it apart lengthways. If it stretches you got it right but if it tears, then try again.

Once you've sliced up your beef I have a couple of seasoning marinades for you to try. You need to marinate overnight and on the first couple of hours give everything a stir just to agitate all the ingredients.

Try either:-

California Jerky Seasoning Recipe

Wild West Beef Jerky Marinade Recipe

Next is the drying process and this takes place at three different temperature settings and with your chimney damper open to the full. You can either hang your meat in the smoker or lay the meat in a smoker basket.

If you do go for hanging the beef, don't just fold it over a drying rod otherwise the two lengths of meat draping down will be almost touching one another and there will be uneven drying.

1. For the first hour go at 140°F (60°C) and turn your smoker baskets over on the half hour if you are using them.
2. Next step it up a notch to 160°F (71°C) for 2 or 3 hours and smoke it.
3. Finally complete the dehydration process without smoke for a further 3 hours at 175°F (80°C)

Allow the jerky to cool and are you tasting one of the best beef jerky recipes ever? Congratulations!

The jerky should still be flexible ie. it still has some moisture content. It's better this way because it holds more flavor and now you can refrigerate or freeze dependent on your needs.

See Also:-

Venison Jerky Recipes
Homemade Beef Jerky Recipes For The Oven
Smoked Beef Brisket Recipe
Grilled Ribeye Steak Recipes
More Barbecue Beef Recipes

New! Comments