How to Make Beef Jerky
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In this recipe, I am going to show you how to make beef jerky my way and I am going to share the marinade that I use and a few tips and tricks to help you be successful.
If you have never made beef jerky before then you might have the erroneous idea that it is difficult or that you need special equipment to make it but, on the contrary, you can make it with a smoker, your home oven or a dehydrator.
I have made multiple batches of this smoked beef jerky recipe to perfect the process and you are the lucky recipients of all of that hard work, time and dedication.
I love this stuff!
Disclaimer: This beef jerky recipe does not use the traditional cure and therefore must be cooked to 160°F internal temperature before you call it done and it must maintain 140°F or above while it is drying. While dried beef jerky will last outside of the fridge much longer than meat with the moisture still intact, it is best to store it in the refrigerator to keep it safe and fresh.
Helpful Information
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Marinade Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 6-10 hours
- Smoker Temp: 180°F (82°C)
- Meat Finish Temp: 160°F (71°C)
- Recommend Wood: Oak, Hickory or Pecan
What You'll Need
- 3 lbs eye of round or similarly lean beef
- Low-sodium soy sauce (you can use regular but I prefer less salty beef jerky)
- Bourbon or whiskey (alcohol evaporates but leaves great flavor behind)
- Honey
- Jeff's original rub
- Jeff's original barbecue sauce
About the Meat for Making Jerky
I always use eye of round but you can also use top round, bottom round and possibly others. The eye of round is lean, has a small bit of fat on the top but it is easily trimmed off leaving you with the best meat for beef jerky in my opinion.
The butcher will usually slice this for you if you ask and I usually tell them to cut it at about 1/8 inch thick. If you think about it, you can ask them what number they used on the slicer and you can then give them the the slicing number the next time which is more accurate than giving them a thickness in inches.
Note: A commenter below let us know that 1/8 inch is just under a number 3 on most slicers. Great information!
Be sure to tell them whether you want it cut with or against the grain. I like it super tender so I have it cut against the grain most of the time.With the grain will make it more chewy if that is the way you like it.
If you want to slice it yourself, use a very sharp knife and try to keep your slice thickness very consistent. Some will tell you to place the meat in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing and this does help but it's not a substitute for an extremely sharp knife.
Marinate the Meat
Note: you do NOT have to marinate the meat but I highly recommend it.
This is a great way to get some great flavor into the meat and if you follow my instructions, you will not have to season the meat at all after it marinates.
I have played around for several years with using my original rub and my original barbecue sauce along with other ingredients to create a marinade that just works.. perfectly.. every time and I think I have finally come up with something that you will really like.
My family and friends (my most honest critics) are telling me to not change a thing with this latest iteration and I have to agree that it is near perfect.
And yes, you can use a different rub, a different sauce and even a different marinade altogether but don't complain to me when it's not as wonderful as you had hoped;-)
Here's the recipe:
Jeff's Beef Jerky Marinade
- 1 cup (8 oz) low-sodium soy sauce (you can use regular but I prefer less salty beef jerky)
- 1/2 cup of Jim Beam Bourbon*
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/3 cup Jeff's original rub
- 1/4 cup Jeff's original barbecue sauce
Measure all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk everything together to combine.
*You can substitute apple juice for the bourbon if you are so inclined, however, the bourbon does add a lot of flavor and the alcohol has plenty of time to evaporate before it is to the eating stage.
This recipe makes a little more than 2 cups of marinade and should be plenty to handle about 3 lbs of meat.
Once the marinade is complete, stir well then add the meat and the marinade into a 1-gallon ziptop bag.
Seal the bag closed and tumble/massage the meat and the marinade gently to make sure all of the meat is in contact with the marinade.
Note: Be sure to press out as much of the air as possible so that the bag and the marinade stay pressed up close to the meat.
Place the bagged meat/marinade into a bowl to prevent leakage (this is always a great idea) and place the bowl into the fridge for 24 hours.
Every few hours or whenever you think about it, take the bag and massage it around a little bit to make sure the marinade is able to affect all of the meat equally.
Dry/Smoke the Strips of Meat
Once the meat has marinated for 24 hours or so, discard the marinade and place the slices of meat onto racks.
Here's the racks that I like to use:
SS Pans with Racks
You can also just place the meat directly onto the grate of your smoker.
Place the racks in the smoker and smoke the meat at 160-180°F for 6-10 hours** or until the meat has reached the proper level of “dry” that you like.
**Why the wide range on the cook time? the thickness of the beef jerky, how wet it is when you place it on the grates, how “dry” the smoker is and how well the smoker or oven expels humidity will all play a part in actual cook time.
In essence, it's done when it's done and not a minute before.
For safety reasons, you will also want to ensure that it has reached at least 160°F (71°C) internally using a high quality instant-read thermometer.
I use the the Thermapen One which reads in only 1 second (you read that correctly). It also has a very small tip which allows you to easily check the temperature of things that are thin such as beef jerky.
To dry and cook the jerky, you will utilize one of the following:
- Leave it in the smoker the entire time
- Leave it in the smoker for a few hours then transfer it to a dehydrator to finish
- Dry it in the oven (if you don't have a smoker or dehydrator)
Note: If you are using the smoker or oven, it is a great idea to keep the environment as non-humid as possible. For this reason, I recommend you leave the water pan/bowl dry so as to not create steam. You can also leave the door of the smoker or oven slightly ajar so the humidity can escape.
Check the meat every hour or so until it gets close then you will want to check it every 30 minutes or so until it has the dryness, and texture that you are looking for.
It is difficult to describe beef jerky that is done perfectly other than the fact that you should be able to bend it without it breaking in half.
I like to see some white fibers when I bend “properly done” beef jerky.
Once the meat is dry to your liking and cooked to at least 160°F (71°C) internally, it can be transferred to paper towels to cool.
Once cool, store it in zip top bags in the fridge for several weeks or the freezer for longer term storage.
My most important tip of the day: Do not overdry the jerky. It will always be more dry than it seems once it cools so take it out just shy of that point. Once it cools down, it will be more brittle, more dry and more done than you thought it was. Ask me how I know this?!
A Word on Dehydrators
I have the 2900ECB-9 Dehydrator by Excalibur. I've had it since 2010 and it still works as good as the day I got it.
With a 7-inch fan, adjustable thermostat (95-155°F) and 9 trays, it is wonderful for doing dried fruits as well as jerky. I just can't say enough good things about it.
One of my favorite features is that the fan blows air across the shelves rather than from the bottom. This dries meats and fruit much more evenly.
Also, because the shelves are not stacked like many dehydrators, I can easily pull out each individual shelf to check on it.
How to Make Beef Jerky
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Eye of round (most lean cuts will work fine)
Jeff's Beef Jerky Marinade
- 1 cup Soy Sauce (I prefer low-sodium)
- ½ cup Jim Beam Bourbon (Substitute with sparkling apple juice if desired)
- ⅓ cup Jeff's original rub
- ¼ cup Jeff's original barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup Raw honey
Instructions
- Slice the meat or have your butcher do it for you. About 1/8 inch thick or a #3 on most slicers is what I like.
- Make the marinade by adding all of the marinade ingredients to a small bowl and stirring well to combine.
- Place the sliced meat into a large zip top then pour the marinade over the top.
- Massage the bag for several minutes to make sure you have full coverage. Press out the air and seal well. Place the zip top bag in the fridge for 24 hours. Massage the bag several times during it's time in the fridge.
- Discard the marinade and lay the sliced meat onto racks or directly onto the grates of your smoker.
- Smoke the meat at around 160-180°F for 6-10 hours or until it starts to get close to the level of dry that you like. Once it gets close, check it often.
- Transfer the finished smoked beef jerky to paper towels for cooling.
- Once fully cool, store in zip top bags in the fridge for 2-3 weeks or in the freezer for several months.
Just finished smoking eye-of-round jerky. It only took 2 1/2 hours to get the right texture. The thickness was about 3/8″. It was marinaded for about 36 hours. And it turned out really good.
Have used your rub for years
can you leave the meat in the marinade longer than the 24 hours? if so how much?
i’m making this jerky for the first time and wondering if the 24 hour marinade time is a minimum also is there a maximum time that you should not exceed leaving the meat in the marinade? you see as this works out i happen to put the meat in the marinade at 9 pm so 24 hours is 9 pm the following evening. that means i need to be up at 2am/3 am checking how its going. will know better next time.
I am starting to marinade 7 pounds of eye of round. Needed one and a half roasts to get this much as trimming reduced weight by 36%. Anyway will let you know how this turns out. But what I wanted to ask in this section, as I see others have asked, since I’ve purchased the book, all recipes, can I get rid of the damned ads?
Thanks
Try a little thicker slice ya get a better chewk
sounds good i want to try it but leave out the alcohol. i have been following you for years just bought your sause and rubs. iam diebetic so i have to watch what i eat. we don’t care for the smoke flavor.
Made the jerky yesterday. It was wonderful. After allowing a few friends to try it. Now I have to make more. I use top sirloin and but pieces about 3/4 thick and cut in long straps then cut each to required thicknes.keep up the good work.
Hi Jeff. Is it ok to replace beef with venison from r this recipe?
Thanks
Ricardo, absolutely. Venison makes amazing jerky;-)
Jeff, I am making a big batch of your jerky for an upcoming trip. Can you freeze it to preserve it?
Dave, yes it freezes very well. Make sure it’s in air-tight freezer containers or bags.
Jeff, instructions at top of article call for 170-180F for 6-10 hours, ad then down 2/3 of article says smoke the meat at 180-200°F for 2-3 hours or until the meat reaches 160°F, and then continue with just heat. Continue with heat for how long and which temperature/time combo is correct? Thx
170 to 180°F is the preferred smoker temperature if possible. I have corrected the instructions to reflect this temperature range consistently throughout the page.
Hello Jeff,
When meat is sliced 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick, how do you get an accurate internal meat temperature reading?
Thanks, Eric
Eric, Using a basic thermometer, this can be difficult.
I use a Thermapen made by Thermoworks. It has a tip that is very small in diameter. It is also extremely accurate and super fast.
thanks for allowing me to be part of your website page . second like to know how much will the racks cost for beef jerky and is it heard to work with if using when making jerky. your response to these asap will be appreciated
Jeff is the sauce in which you speak of for jerky the same sauce as your bbq sauce. Just wondering
Quick question
Ive been useing my traeger to smoke
And a friend smokes in a bradly and his meat is more moist , can u tell me why ?
Hey Jeff,
I personally prefer using ground meat for jerky, is there a way to add the marinade into the meat mixer? If so how much would be a good starting point? Any help is appreciated.
Eric
Most meat slicers use the metric system and 1/8″ would be a hair over #3. just thought I would throw that out to ya.
Is there a secret other than a thermapen to check the temperature on meat that thin? I havent bought a thermapen yet and want to make some jerky. Do you have any suggestions. Thank You your sauce gets raves everytime I make it available.
My favorite thing to do is to bbq and smoke meat. I have several sizes and types of smokers from the patio size to pull behind trailers. I enjoy the emails and ideas. I also have ordered the rub and sauce recipes and love them. Some of my family likes a little vinegar base sauce so I have added a cup of apple cider vinegar to the recipe and did nothing else and they love it. So now I make a batch of both and have some for everyone. THANKS!
First, they won’t need a wet storage silo; the barley grain can normally be
stored in a dry barn after harvesting. There is no reason to cut out snacking
all together. Per the USDA, studies have shown that harmful bacteria can
survive temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius).
Could anyone advise as to the dimensions of the Bradley racks. They are packaged in the store and cannot measure. Would like to use in my Brinkmann electric. Ernie
I believe they are 13 x 16 if I am remembering correctly.
Hey Jeff, coming to you all the way from northern Ontario Canada here. I have had my smoker for almost one year now and have ordered your rub and sauce and have used them very often. I also own your book which I use a lot. I just recently made some smoked whole trout, chicken wings and also tried the pork tenderloin and chicken. Simply amazing. Thank you so much!
You never mentioned what type of smoke worked best. I tried a hickory\mesquite combo. Turned out pretty good but was first time smoking any type of beef.
I ordered your sauce and recipe for rub. Have been charged but have not received them yet.
Rick, The download email probably got caught by a spam filter. I have sent the recipes and your download access credentials to you manually via email. Please let me know if you need further help with this.
Jeff,
Same for me. I have had your recipes for quite a few years & just love the raving reviews I get every time I smoke thanks to you, your book, & your website. I would like to receive your news letter without the ads.
Thanks for all you do for us smokers
Jeff
Bought your rub and sauce recipes June of 2012. LOVE THEM on everything.
My question is the ads on the newsletter were supposed to go away–they haven't. Can you fix it?
Robert Clemons
I have added you to the customers list.. be sure to click on the confirmation link in your email.
I would like to know how to make “Salmon Jerky Sticks” Can you help me?”
Thanks, Mike
Several years ago I bought Jeff's Rub and Sauce Recipes and I love them both. I also have Jeff's book. How can I get moved to the ad-free news letter? Keep up the good work and keep those great recipes comming. Thanks Jim
I have added you to the customers newsletter.. be sure to click on the confirmation link in your email.
I do not have the bradley racks, but instead insert a toothpick in one end and hang meat from smoker racks. Best jerkey I have ever made.