Make Beef Jerky at Home: Recipe for Oven, Dehydrator & Air Fryer

Making jerky yourself is easier than many people think, and you decide on the meat, the salt and the heat. It pays off, because store-bought beef jerky is expensive: drying removes about 60 to 70% of the meat's weight. If you want to know where the snack comes from in the first place, you'll find the story in our Jerky Guide. This article is about making it.

Table of Contents

• Which meat works best?
• Ingredients (basic recipe)
• Safety: 71 °C and clean work
• Step by step
• Drying: dehydrator, oven or air fryer
• Chili jerky: how to make it hot
• Storage
• Frequently asked questions

Which meat works best?

Use lean meat from the beef round, for example top round or bottom round. Fat doesn't dry and quickly turns rancid, so trim it away carefully before marinating. If you're in a hurry, reach for thin beef roulade slices (Rouladen): they're already cut thin and only need to be sliced into strips.

For texture: cutting with the grain makes the jerky chewier and tougher. Cutting against the grain makes it more tender and easier to bite off. The strips should be about 3 to 5 mm thick. With slightly frozen meat (1 to 2 hours in the freezer) it's much easier to get even slices.

Ingredients (basic recipe)

For about 500 g of beef, which yields roughly 150 to 200 g of jerky:

• 500 g lean beef from the round
• 60 ml soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Optional for heat: 1 to 2 tsp chili flakes or cayenne pepper

You usually don't need extra salt, the soy sauce brings enough. Soy sauce typically contains wheat. If you want to go gluten-free, use tamari and check the ingredient list.

Safety: 71 °C and clean work

This is the part people like to skip, and it's the most important one. Raw meat can carry germs such as Salmonella or E. coli. At the low temperatures of a dehydrator they don't reliably die off just because the meat gets dry. The US agency USDA therefore recommends bringing the meat to a core temperature of 71 °C (160 °F) before or after drying (74 °C / 165 °F for poultry). Check this with a probe thermometer.

• Always marinate in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
• Don't reuse marinade that raw meat has been sitting in.
• Clean the work surface, knife and hands thoroughly after handling raw meat.
• If in doubt, check with an official body. We are not food safety experts.

Step by step

1. Prepare the meat: Remove visible fat and sinews. Freeze the meat for 1 to 2 hours and cut it into strips 3 to 5 mm thick.

2. Mix the marinade: Stir soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey and all spices together in a bowl.

3. Marinate: Put the strips in a freezer bag or container, add the marinade and knead well. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, better overnight (up to 24 hours).

4. Pat dry: Take the strips out of the marinade and pat them dry with paper towels. This shortens the drying time and the jerky is less sticky.

5. Dry: See the next section. Lay the strips out individually, they must not touch.

6. Secure the core temperature: Either briefly heat the strips in the oven to a core temperature of 71 °C before drying, or after drying finish them for about 10 minutes at roughly 135 °C in a preheated oven and check with the thermometer.

7. Cool: Let cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before packing.

Drying: dehydrator, oven or air fryer

Dehydrator

The easiest method. Lay the strips in a single layer on the trays and dry at about 60 to 70 °C. Expect 4 to 6 hours, depending on thickness and device.

Oven

Place the strips on a rack over a baking tray (it catches drips). Lowest setting, ideally around 70 °C, fan on. Keep the oven door slightly open with a wooden spoon so moisture can escape. This usually takes 3 to 5 hours.

Air fryer

Many air fryers have a dehydrate function. Otherwise use the lowest setting around 70 °C. Lay the strips in a single layer, turn them in between and check. Depending on the device it's roughly 2 to 4 hours. This works well for small amounts, for larger batches a dehydrator is better.

Jerky is done when a strip cracks when bent but doesn't snap. It should be dry and leathery, not damp and not brittle. All times are guidelines, so check early and often.

Chili jerky: how to make it hot

As Pikantistas we want it hot, of course. The simplest variation: add 1 to 2 tsp chili flakes or cayenne pepper to the marinade. Chipotle powder works for smoke and depth, habanero powder for fruity heat. To find out which chili is how hot, take a look at the Scoville scale or the chili variety encyclopedia. Go slowly, because drying concentrates the heat: the finished jerky is noticeably hotter than the raw marinade.

Storage

Homemade jerky contains no industrial preservatives and therefore doesn't keep as long as store-bought. As a rule of thumb: airtight in a jar, cool and dark, about 1 to 2 weeks. In the refrigerator it keeps a little longer. For larger batches, freeze portions. If it molds, smells odd or feels damp, throw it away.

FAQ – Frequently asked questions about homemade jerky

Which meat do you use for beef jerky?

Lean beef from the round, for example top round or bottom round. Fatty meat is a poor choice because fat doesn't dry. Beef roulade slices are a handy shortcut because they're already cut thin.

How long does jerky need to dry in a dehydrator?

Usually 4 to 6 hours at 60 to 70 °C. It depends on thickness and device. Test by bending: the jerky should crack but not break.

Can I make jerky in the oven?

Yes. Lowest setting around 70 °C, fan on, door slightly open with a wooden spoon. Usually 3 to 5 hours.

Does beef jerky work in an air fryer?

Yes, especially for small amounts. Use the dehydrate function or the lowest setting around 70 °C, lay the strips in a single layer and check regularly. Roughly 2 to 4 hours.

How long does homemade jerky last?

Stored airtight, cool and dry, about 1 to 2 weeks, a bit longer in the refrigerator. Frozen in portions it keeps much longer.

Why is my jerky too hard or too brittle?

Usually it was dried too long or too hot, or the strips were too thin. Check earlier and cut a bit thicker next time.

You'll find more about the history, varieties and protein in our Jerky Guide.