Bison Jerky Recipe

Are you ready for a recipe that harkens back to the Native American origins of jerky? Bison jerky is a classic among us enthusiasts, so let’s avoid the fluff and get right into it.

Ingredients for Bison Jerky

• 2 lbs. of top-round beef or tender buffalo meat if you’re a traditionalist
• 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic and crushed red chili
• 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper and sugar
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke
• 1 and a half cups of Worcestershire sauce

Instructions, Step-by-Step

Although it’s named Bison Jerky, you could actually begin with two pounds of top-round beef that you’ll slice to a thickness of 1/8th of an inch. If you prefer to keep it traditional, go with buffalo meat.

I hope you weren’t expecting us to go on a bison-hunting expedition!

Step 1: Create Your Marinade

First, mix the ingredients above — chopped garlic, crushed red chili, ground black pepper, sugar, honey, liquid smoke, and the Worcestershire sauce — in a large Ziploc bag to create your marinade.

Step 2: the Meat

Then, place your meat strips inside the bag, shake it thoroughly, and set it in your refrigerator for between 6 and 24 hours.

The longer it sits, the more bold and flavorful your jerk will be.

When it’s ready, remove the bag from the fridge and ready your beef. Doing so will require that you dry each slice on a paper towel, so they’re not too wet.

Step 3: Dehydration

You can either use a food dehydrator or a conventional oven for drying.

Place the beef strips onto the oven racks and set the temperature to the lowest possible setting (between 170° F and 180° F).

Dry the meat for between five and six hours, and check frequently, so it dehydrates in a manner of your liking.

Step 4: Storage

When it’s finished, store your jerky in an airtight container, which you can place in the fridge for extra shelf life.