There's nothing better than some Homemade Beef Jerky. Much easier to make than you think but you do need to plan ahead as this jerky recipe will take a minimum of 6-7 hours to make.
If you are wondering how long you need to marinate beef jerky, you need at least 3 hours in the refrigerator but ideally, you should leave it in the fridge overnight. Cook time will be 3-4 hours depending on. your cooking conditions.
Like many of my recipes, this beef jerky recipe is super simple to make. It merely involves making a marinade, letting the beef marinate then cooking the beef low and slow.
The hardest part will be cutting the thin slices of beef against the grain. If you can't tell which way the grain of the meat is going, don't fret too much. It won't ruin jerky. It will just be better if cut against the grain.
💭 Recipe Tip
If you are finding it difficult to slice thin pieces around ¼ inch thick, having the meat partially frozen will make it easier to cut. Additionally, a good sharp Chef's knife is recommended over a serrated knife.
♨️ Cooking Alternative
Since everyone looking for recipes on the Internet probably has an oven, I included the instructions for making the jerky using the oven.
You can however cook the jerky in a BBQ or smoker as long as you can maintain a consistent temperature of 175°F-180°F for the duration of the cook.
Because of the Soy Sauce and Worceschire Sauce, the slices of beef will darken fairly quickly and you might think they are going to burn and might be inclined to take them out of the oven or off the grill before the time is up.
If you maintain a consistent temperature, they will take at least 3 hours to cook. They should be dry and have a little bend to them.
🥩 What are the Best Cuts of Beef
In my experience, the best cuts of beef to make homemade beef jerky are Top Round or Flank Steak. While I typically use Top Round, both are excellent choices and will yield tender jerky.
For more great recipes with Boneless Beef Top Round, I suggest you check these recipes out:
📋 Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Homemade Beef Jerky recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Worcestershire Sauce, Low Sodium Soy Sauce, Smoked Paprika, Honey, Ground Black Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and a Boneless Beef Top Round.
🥣 How to make Homemade Beef Jerky
With a very sharp knife, trim any fat or connective tissue off the meat.
Slice the beef into ¼ inch thick slices against the grain.
In a bowl, whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, paprika, honey, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Add the sliced beef to the bowl and turn to coat the beef completely with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably overnight. Alternatively, you can place the sliced beef and marinade in a large freezer bag.
Preheat the oven to 175ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack over the foil.
Transfer the beef slices to paper towels to dry. Discard marinade. Arrange beef slices in a single layer on the prepared wire rack on the baking sheet.
Bake beef in the preheated oven until dry and leathery, 3 to 4 hours.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Beef Jerky
Equipment
- Bowl for Mixing
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- ¾ Cups Worcestershire Sauce
- ¾ Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Honey, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 lbs Boneless Beef Top Round, thinly sliced
Instructions
- With a very sharp knife, trim any fat or connective tissue off the meat.
- Slice the beef into ¼ inch thick slices against the grain.
- In a bowl, whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, paprika, honey, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the sliced beef to the bowl and turn to coat the beef completely with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably overnight. Alternatively, you can place the sliced beef and marinade in a large freezer bag.
- Preheat the oven to 175ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack over the foil.
- Transfer the beef slices to paper towels to dry. Discard marinade. Arrange beef slices in a single layer on the prepared wire rack on the baking sheet.
- Bake beef in the preheated oven until dry and leathery, 3 to 4 hours.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
Sidney
We loved this Jerky! I am curious to try it with ground beef next.
Jason Sindelar
Reminds me of my Dad's. Like most old timers, including my Grandparents thier recipes were in their hearts n heads. Very seldom wrote down. Just help make and pay attention were only way to get them. This seems fairly similar so I'm hoping just as good. The meat is bathing in this concoction of Love. Kissing with Hickory in the a.m.