All you need is a few ingredients to make a delicious homemade Beef Jerky without strange ingredients that's much easier on your wallet than store-bought.
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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.
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Unfortunately, I had to suffer the bill of the over-priced 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 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 over-dehydrate 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.
Mine kept 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
- 1/2 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce
- 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 TBSP honey
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 tsp onion powder or dried chopped onion
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp 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
What to use in this recipe:
Meme
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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 🙂
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 😉