All you need is a few ingredients to make a delicious homemade Beef Jerky that's more budget-friendly than store-bought.
When I went to California in June, I forgot to pack snacks for the flight.
Big mistake because I was starving by the time I made it to the West Coast.
Not being the best hungry traveler, I had to buy a snack. Unfortunately, most airport options are over-priced and far from nourishing.
My typical on-the-run snack of choice is something high in protein like nuts, seeds, or jerky. So I grabbed a bag of beef jerky to squash my hunger.
A $12 bag of beef jerky that is.
$12?!
Yes, $12 for a 3.25-ounce bag of beef jerky. Basically, it was marked up to be what it cost for 4 bags on Amazon.
Unfortunately, I had to suffer the bill of the overpriced jerky because I knew I'd be miserable without food. And even the less nutritious options weren't much less expensive.
So when I was getting ready for my weekend vacation last week, I knew I'd be making my own beef jerky, especially since it's not complicated, it's much cheaper, and the ingredients aren't strange.
In total, it takes about 30 minutes of hands-on time for a batch, but the results are more than worth it.
You'll start by taking a piece of steak. I used top sirloin, but flank steak works equally well. Note: Flank is a little leaner.
You want a piece of meat that is on the leaner side because you don't want it to have too much fat.
A lot of fat in the meat will make the jerky less shelf-stable and go rancid faster. It'll also make it awkwardly chewy in parts and can potentially cause you to dry out the meat, making your jerky tough and undesirable.
Make a super-quick marinade -- I used this recipe for inspiration -- and thinly slice the meat.
It helps to freeze the meat for about an hour beforehand to make the meat easier to slice. I prefer very thinly sliced so it is quicker to dehydrate.
Then let the sliced meat marinate for a few hours or up to 24, and transfer your meat to a dehydrator.
Dehydrate for about 4-6 hours depending on the thickness of your sliced meat, and you're done.
This homemade beef jerky keeps about 1-2 weeks at room temperature in a zip-top bag.
I kept mine for 3 days before it was polished off...
Just a few more quick notes: this has a nice, spicy taste. Feel free to lower the amount of red pepper flakes and/or cayenne pepper if desired.
Also, you will need a dehydrator. I use the Nesco American Harvest Dehydrator, and it was the perfect size for my entire batch. I probably could have done a little larger batch before running out of room. I highly recommend it.
Beef Jerky
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs steak flank steak or top sirloin
- ยฝ cup tamari sauce or soy sauce
- ยฝ cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoon onion powder or dried chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ยฝ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the meat {Note: it helps to remove all fat and freeze the meat about 1-2 hours before thinly slicing}. Put in a zip-top bag or container.
- Whisk together tamari sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, liquid smoke, dried chopped onion or onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper.
- Pour marinade over meat and tightly seal. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours {turning at least once to evenly distribute marinade}.
- When ready to dehydrate, transfer slices of meat to the trays of a dehydrator in one layer {preferably leaving a little space between each slice}.
- Dehydrate for 4-6 hours, turning once halfway through cooking if desired. To extend shelf life, blot each slice with paper towels to absorb any excess fat {which can cause it to go rancid quicker}.
- Once completely cool, transfer to an air-tight container and keep at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or refrigerate up to 3 weeks.
Notes
Meme
Nutrition Facts
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
I know the feeling about forgetting to pack snacks at the airport! I'm hungry all the time, so I always need to have snacks handy, even if it's only for a 3-hour flight! I had to buy a $2 banana once!
I'm getting my sister's old dehydrator, so I can't wait to try this!
Meme says
It's crazy how they can get away with marking up the prices so much in airports!! $2 for a banana, what?! haha
You will be obsessed with the dehydrator. It can take up a lot of room but it rocks when you pull it out and use it ๐
Emily @ Zen & Spice says
Wow, my boyfriend would LOVE this!! I am totally going to make this for him and surprise him!
Meme says
Yes!! He totally will love you forever and ever ๐