Homemade Beef Jerky

You might think that beef jerky is the unhealthiest snack there is. But in reality, it’s just a piece of meat that’s been dehydrated to remove excess moisture and help get you through long hikes or other situations where bringing along a lot of food might not be the best idea. Put simply, beef jerky is dried meat.

As with all foods, there are unhealthy versions available at the store. Most prepackaged beef jerky contains a lot of added salt, sugar and artificial preservatives. Thankfully, making your own homemade beef jerky at home is easy, affordable and much healthier than store-bought options. You just need time (about five hours!), some thinly sliced flank steak, fish sauce and other seasonings.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 30

Course Snack

Cuisine American, Vietnamese

Servings people

Equipment

1 Air Fryer or Oven

Ingredients

4 pounds top round beef
2 tablespoons lemongrass powder
3 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons brown or regular sugar
1/2 tablespoon cayenne or paprika powder
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons 5 spice powder
pepper
1 tablespoon korean chili powder
2 tablespoons fish sauce

Instructions

Cut the meat into thin slices. For those who are in the US, you can get the pre-sliced ones at the grocery stores, or you can ask your butchers to cut them for you. I got mine at Winco.
Mix all the spices together except for the fish sauce.
Marinate the meat by sprinkling the seasoning mixture to cover both sides of the meat. Do this for each slice, and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
After marinating the meat, cook it on a skillet or wok (medium heat) with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce until it is done. The meat should be cooked through, but not too overcooked.
Preheat the oven to 120 °F. On a baking rack, place the meat in a single layer. You can either bake the meat at 120 °F or dehydrate it for 2 hours. Remember to have a tray at the bottom of your oven to catch the drips.
Once your meat is partially dried, it might feel a little tough and chewy depending on the quality of the meat you get at the store. To tenderize them, you can use a tenderizing mallet to pound and flatten the meat and soften the muscle fibers.
Flip the meat every 30 minutes to make sure it is dried completely on both sides.

Video

Notes

Side notes: beef jerky tastes really good with chili sauce and soda. I use sriracha to add a little heat.

After you have your meat ready, you can store it in the fridge for up to a long time. The drier the meat, the longer it will last.

Keyword Homemade Beef Jerky, Dried Meat, Cured Meat

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