Packed with protein for the perfect snack, this homemade jerky won’t last long in your home! First gather your meat — whether ground or muscle, beef or venison — and marinade it with spices for an extra kick of flavor, then pop in the dehydrator. Enjoy!
Snacks can be addicting, can’t they? This is one snack I don’t mind our boys overloading on, with its high protein content and natural flavors.
Jerky-making week (yes, it is a process) is certainly not a dull period of time in our home full of boys. This is especially true if my husband harvests a deer and processes it to use in the jerky.
My husband is not one to be seen in the kitchen much, so jerky-making week is a joyful family affair. There are jobs for everyone, even the little ones.
My older boys enjoy mixing the spices and pressing the lever on the jerky gun. We all enjoy the wafting smells coming from the dehydrator, and of course, the taste-testing.
Jerky is such a beloved treat in our home that we literally have to freeze small batches immediately, or it will be gone in a matter of three days!
Table Of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Before I met my husband, I gave up on jerky. I had tried too many kinds (either store-bought or homemade) that were too tough, too chewy, or too plain-tasting.
Not to sound like Goldilocks, but I was just done with finding the perfect jerky.
So naturally, when my husband asked me to try his own jerky recipe made from venison, I was skeptical. Well, I’m here to tell you I’ve been sold on jerky ever since that first bite!
Over the years, we’ve tweaked the recipe and enjoyed it many times, whether using venison or beef as the base meat. You can swap out whatever meat you have on hand — venison, beef, pork, chicken, or a combination!
Ingredients
The ingredients for homemade jerky are simple:
- A marinade with sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger, marjoram, and garlic powder.
- Ground or muscle meat (I use beef or venison, but you can use pork or even chicken for this recipe too).
The spices are mixed with natural liquid smoke and then mixed with the meat and marinated for up to 24 hours. Be sure to choose natural liquid smoke without added colors, additives, or preservatives.
Supplies Needed
Whether you are using beef or venison, several supply items are needed:
- Dehydrator. Learn which dehydrator might be right for your family here!
- Sharp knife or jerky slicer (if using muscle meat).
- Jerky gun (if using ground meat). Most jerky guns come with three attachments — use the attachment with one narrow, long opening.
How To Make Homemade Jerky
Typically ground meat is used for this recipe. However, the past couple of years my husband has tried muscle jerky with the recipe, and the result is just as good, if not better.
This can be a painful trade-off as you have to use the portions of the animal typically used for steaks as your meat for jerky.
Ground Beef Jerky (Or Venison)
The process for ground meat jerky is much simpler than muscle meat jerky.
- Mix together spices and liquid smoke to make a marinade.
- Add to ground meat.
- Soak for 24 hours.
- Several times during the soaking period, remix the meat/marinade mixture (usually with your hands) to make sure the marinade is evenly distributed and the spices infuse well.
- Once marinating time is up, simply pack the jerky gun canister full of meat and fill dehydrator trays with single layer jerky strips. Parchment paper may be used for an easier clean up. It is better if the strips aren’t touching for optimal cooking and air circulation.
- Set dehydrating temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The jerky will take 5 to 9 hours, depending on the brand and quality of the dehydrator.
- Towards the end of the cooking time, you may choose to check the jerky every 30 minutes so it doesn’t dry out.
- Taste test until you’re happy with it! Look for no pink in the meat, and a good crisp chew to the texture, but not too chewy, like it might be undone. Some meats are fattier, and using a paper towel to blot the fat off may be useful.
- Store jerky in an airtight container or freeze.
Looking for more ways to use ground meat? Check out 25+ Healthy Ground Beef Recipes for Easy Meals.
Muscle Meat Jerky
The easiest way to make muscle meat jerky (after you’ve processed the cow or deer) is to use a jerky slicer.
The best portions of meat for muscle jerky, according to my husband, are the hindquarters and front shoulders. The back straps and the tenderloins are of course off-limits. 😉
We turn all other portions of the deer into ground venison, and then jerky, as well.
- Thinly slice the meat about one inch thick (depending on the brand of your slicer) and feed it through.
- If you don’t have a jerky slicer, you can simply cut the meat by hand.
- After the slices are cut, mix the meat with the marinade.
- Soak for 24 hours.
- Once marinating time is up, drain the marinade if necessary from the meat.
- Place pieces of meat on dehydrator trays.
- Set dehydrating temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The jerky will take 5 to 9 hours, depending on the brand and quality of the dehydrator.
- Towards the end of the cooking time, you may choose to check the jerky every 30 minutes so it doesn’t dry out.
- Taste test until you’re happy with it! Look for no pink in the meat, and a good crisp chew to the texture, but not too chewy, like it might be undone. Some meats are fattier, and using a paper towel to blot the fat off may be useful.
- Store jerky in an airtight container or freeze.
Don’t Have A Dehydrator?
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use the oven instead.
- Follow the directions above, yet lay out strips of meat on baking trays.
- Set oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, or as low as your oven will go (propping the door open with a wooden spoon if necessary).
- Turn the tray multiple times until jerky is dry, with no pink in the middle and desired texture.
More Dehydrator Recipes
- Homemade Sourdough Croutons In The Dehydrator
- How to Dehydrate Apples
- Soaked Granola Recipe (raw & enzyme-rich!)
- Soaking Nuts & Seeds (+How To Dehydrate Them, Too!)
- Cocoa Almond Crumbles
Did you make this homemade jerky recipe? What spices did you use? Please leave us a rating or comment below! We’d love to hear from you!
Homemade Jerky
Packed with protein for the perfect snack, this homemade jerky won’t last long in your home! First gather your meat — whether ground or muscle, beef or venison — and marinade it with spices for an extra kick of flavor, then pop in the dehydrator. Enjoy!
Ingredients
-
2-1/2
pounds
meat -
5
teaspoons
sea salt -
1
teaspoon
ground black pepper -
1-1/2
teaspoons
ground cayenne pepper -
1/4
teaspoon
ground ginger -
1/2
teaspoon
dried marjoram -
1
teaspoon
garlic powder -
5
teaspoons
natural liquid smoke
Instructions
-
If using muscle meat, prepare by slicing into smaller pieces. If using ground meat, proceed with recipe.
-
Mix all spices and salt together in a small bowl.
-
Add the liquid smoke to combine.
-
Place your meat in an extra large mixing bowl.
-
Slowly pour the marinade mixture over the meat.
-
Mix thoroughly by hand. This will ensure the spices are evenly disturbed.
-
Cover and place in fridge for 24 hours.
-
At least once during that time period take the marinate meat mixture out of the refrigerator and mix well by hand in a kneading motion. This step is especially important if you are using ground meat.
-
After the 24 hours is up, it’s time to make the jerky.
Ground Meat Jerky
-
Simply pack the jerky gun canister full of meat and fill dehydrator trays with single layer jerky strips. Parchment paper may be used for an easier clean up. It is better if the strips aren’t touching for optimal cooking and air circulation.
Muscle Meat Jerky
-
If you are using muscle meat, drain the marinade if necessary from the meat. Place pieces of meat on dehydrator trays.
Dehydrating
-
Set dehydrating temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The jerky will take 5 to 9 hours, depending on the brand and quality of the dehydrator.
-
Towards the end of the cooking time, you may choose to check the jerky every 30 minutes so it doesn’t dry out.
-
Taste test until you’re happy with it! Look for no pink in the meat, and a good crisp chew to the texture, but not too chewy, like it might be undone. Some meats are fattier, and using a paper towel to blot the fat off may be useful.
-
Store jerky in an airtight container or freeze.
Recipe Notes
2-1/2 pounds of meat dehydrates down to about 12 ounces.
Don’t Have A Dehydrator?
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use the oven instead.
- Follow the directions above, yet lay out strips of meat on baking trays.
- Set oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, or as low as your oven will go (propping the door open with a wooden spoon if necessary).
- Turn the tray multiple times until jerky is dry, with no pink in the middle and desired texture.
Calories from Fat 9
Here is Wardee’s homemade jerky recipe made with ground meat. She adds nutrient-dense grass-fed beef liver to her recipe… yet you can’t even taste it!
Tender Ground Meat Jerky
Ingredients
-
3
pounds
grass-fed ground beef
or venison, or lamb, or buffalo… -
1/4
pound
ground liver
optional -
2
teaspoons
sea salt
use 2 tablespoons for longer-term keeping -
1/4
teaspoon
ground black pepper -
2
teaspoons
garlic powder
or granulated garlic -
2
teaspoons
ground cumin
or more! -
pinch
ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
-
Blend all the ingredients together in a big bowl. Use clean hands.
-
Taking a portion at a time, press the meat mixture into about 1/8 inch thickness on a piece of natural parchment paper that is the same size as your dehydrator tray. Or use the ParaFlexx sheets that go with an Excalibur dehydrator.
-
You could also use a rolling pin to spread it out, but I find I can never get the thickness consistent, so I prefer to take extra time and press the balls out into a sheet myself.
-
When a sheet is full, square up the edges to your liking, using your fingers.
-
Then use a butter knife to score the meat into jerky-size pieces. Don’t use a sharp knife or you’ll cut through parchment paper or Paraflexx sheets!
-
Transfer the whole shebang to a dehydrator tray and put the tray in/on your dehydrator.
-
Repeat until you’ve spread out all your meat mixture.
-
This recipe fills 4 to 5 trays of my 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator, depending on the thickness I achieve.
-
Or use a jerky gun to make sticks!
-
Set the dehydrator’s temperature to 145 or 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Depending on thickness, expect total drying time to be 12 to 18 hours.
-
Flip over mid-way, which is usually when the jerky is curling up from the bottom and not sticking to the tray’s liner any more.
-
You have to play with how much it “cooks” — and keep in mind that coming out of the dehydrator it is going to be much softer than it will be when it cools. I look for no more pink and try to get it out of the dehydrator while it is still really soft. It always surprises me how much it hardens up once it is out.
-
Tear apart the pieces and put them in a bowl or tray to cool fully.
-
Then store in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. Or in the refrigerator if not using up within 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
Don’t Have A Dehydrator?
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use the oven instead.
- Follow the directions above, yet lay out strips of meat on baking trays.
- Set oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, or as low as your oven will go (propping the door open with a wooden spoon if necessary).
- Turn the tray multiple times until jerky is dry, with no pink in the middle and desired texture.
Calories from Fat 81
This post was originally published and written by Wardee Harmon on 2010/1/20. It was updated and republished on 11/30/20.
