Beef Jerky Recipes

Three amazing beef jerky recipes: Simple, Teriyaki, and Sweet & Spicy. All scaled to 2 lbs of meat. Store-bought jerky is expensive and full of preservatives - make your own with real ingredients and authentic smoke flavor.

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Prep Time
30 minutes
Total Time
10-18 hours (includes marinating + smoking)
Servings
2 lbs beef (makes ~1 lb jerky)
Difficulty
intermediate
#beef#jerky#smoked#cured#snack#protein

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Choose Your Recipe (3 Variants)

Simple Jerky Recipe

Classic tried-and-true recipe with minimal ingredients. Perfect for beginners.

⭐ Recommended

Ingredients - Simple Jerky Recipe

Recipe yield: 2 lbs beef (makes ~1 lb jerky)

  • 2 lb (907 g) Eye of round or top round beef(trimmed of fat)
  • 3/4 cup (188 ml) Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 cup (63 ml) Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Liquid Smoke(ONLY if using a dehydrator - omit if smoking. We prefer real smoke!)

Simple Jerky Recipe⭐ Recommended

Classic tried-and-true recipe with minimal ingredients. Perfect for beginners.

Ingredients (for 2 lbs beef (makes ~1 lb jerky)):

  • 2 lb Eye of round or top round beef (trimmed of fat)
  • 3/4 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Liquid Smoke (ONLY if using a dehydrator - omit if smoking. We prefer real smoke!)

Teriyaki Jerky Recipe

Asian-inspired with sesame oil, ginger, and coriander. More complex flavor profile.

Ingredients (for 2 lbs beef (makes ~1 lb jerky)):

  • 2 lb Eye of round or top round beef (trimmed of fat)
  • 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 tsp Liquid Smoke (ONLY if using a dehydrator - omit if smoking. We prefer real smoke!)

Sweet & Spicy Jerky Recipe

Bold and fruity with habanero heat and citrus brightness. Adapted from @stellanspice.

Ingredients (for 2 lbs beef (makes ~1 lb jerky)):

  • 2 lb Eye of round or top round beef (trimmed of fat)
  • 1/3 cup Low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup Brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp Fresh grapefruit juice
  • 1 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper
  • 1 1/4 tsp Onion powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp Black pepper
  • Habanero pepper (fresh, finely chopped)
  • Jalapeño pepper (fresh, finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp Liquid Smoke (ONLY if using a dehydrator - omit if smoking. We prefer real smoke!)

Recipe Notes: Scaled down from original 10 lb recipe to 2 lbs. Pepper blend uses 1 habanero + 1 jalapeño instead of original 5 habaneros.

Equipment Needed

  • •Sharp knife or meat slicer
  • •Mixing bowls
  • •Gallon ziplock bags or vacuum sealer
  • •Wire racks
  • •Smoker
  • •Weber Smokey Mountain
  • •Weber Searwood
  • •Dehydrator (optional)

Instructions

7 steps
1

Choose and freeze the beef

Start with a lean cut of beef like eye of round, top round, bottom round, or brisket flat. Put in freezer for 1 hour - partially frozen beef is much easier to trim and slice.

Tips

  • •Look for beef around $5/lb at your grocery store
  • •Leaner cuts work better - fat doesn't dehydrate well
  • •Freezing for exactly 1 hour gives the perfect firmness for slicing
2

Trim and slice the beef

Trim off all surface fat. Using a sharp knife or meat slicer, cut against the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Then cut those slices into strips.

Tips

  • •Cutting against the grain makes jerky easier to bite and chew
  • •Consistent 1/4 inch thickness ensures even drying
  • •A meat slicer makes this much easier and faster
3

Mix the marinade

Choose one of the three marinade recipes using the calculator above. Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. The calculator scales ingredients based on your beef weight.

Tips

  • •No salt needed - soy sauce and Worcestershire have plenty of sodium
  • •Never add liquid smoke - real smoke flavor is infinitely better
  • •Mix thoroughly to dissolve sugar completely
  • •The calculator above automatically scales all marinade ingredients
4

Marinate the beef

Add beef strips to the marinade, making sure all sides are well coated. Refrigerate for 6-16 hours. Flip or massage the bag every few hours to distribute marinade evenly.

Time:6-16 hours

Tips

  • •Vacuum sealing helps marinade penetrate better
  • •16 hours gives maximum flavor, 6 hours is minimum
  • •Use gallon ziplock bags if you don't have a vacuum sealer
5

Prepare for smoking

Remove beef from marinade and lay out pieces on wire racks. You can pat them down with paper towels, but leaving the marinade on adds more flavor. Optionally add extra black pepper.

Tips

  • •Don't rinse - you want that marinade flavor
  • •Separate pieces so they don't touch
  • •Extra black pepper on top adds nice crust
6

Smoke the jerky

Smoke at 180°F (82°C) for about 4 hours until jerky has a nice dark color and bends without breaking. If using a dehydrator: smoke for 2 hours at 180°F (82°C), then finish in dehydrator at 150°F (65°C) for 2-4 hours.

Time:4 hoursTemp:180°F (82°C)

Tips

  • •Perfect jerky bends but doesn't snap in half
  • •Dark mahogany color indicates it's done
  • •Dehydrator method gives more consistent results
  • •Use hickory, mesquite, or any hardwood for smoking
7

Cool and store

Let jerky cool completely at room temperature. Store in refrigerator in airtight container or ziplock bags.

Tips

  • •Eat within a few days without curing salt
  • •Keeps 1-2 weeks in fridge
  • •Can freeze for up to 6 months
  • •No preservatives needed when refrigerated

You've completed all 7 steps. Time to eat.

Important Notes

All recipes scaled to 2 lbs of meat unless otherwise noted. No curing salt (Prague Powder #1) is used in these recipes because they're stored in the fridge and eaten within days. Liquid smoke is included as an option for dehydrator users, but we strongly prefer real smoke flavor - it's infinitely better!

Pro Tips

  • •Don't have a smoker? After marinating, use a dehydrator at 150°F (65°C) for 4-6 hours
  • •For spicier jerky, add more red pepper flakes or cayenne to any recipe
  • •Experiment with different wood chips: hickory, mesquite, apple, or cherry
  • •Save money: homemade jerky costs ~$5/lb vs $20-30/lb store-bought

Gear for This Recipe

Check out the gear we use and recommend for this recipe.

Butcher PaperFuelKnivesSeasoningsSmokers