We’re excited to introduce a new and mouthwatering beef jerky recipe that’s sure to become one of your favorites.
Infused with the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness, this irresistible creation will leave your taste buds craving more.
It’s honestly so tasty and easy to make that you almost have no reason not to give it a try.
Trust me, once you taste this jerky, you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought stuff.
Step 1: Beef
For most folks, choosing the right cut of beef is their biggest challenge.
I’ve made beef jerky using a variety of beef cuts, but the eye-of-round has been my favorite the last few years because it’s a lean cut with minimal fat, resulting in a better texture.
Additionally, it’s easy to slice into thin, uniform strips, ensuring even drying and great flavor.
London broil, top round, or bottom round are also excellent choices.
For this recipe, I choose eye-of-round (as observed below).
Next, we need to prepare approximately 1 pound of beef.
Cut your beef into the thinnest possible slices, making sure to remove any visible fat.
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I recommend cutting the meat into thin slices, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
You can also buy pre-sliced beef to save time.
For softer jerky, cut the meat in the opposite direction to that of the muscle fibers.
Just put the beef in the freezer for 50 – 60 minutes before slicing to help firm it up a bit.
Step 2: Prepare Your Marinade
My marinade consists of the following:
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Onion powder
- Minced garlic
- A mix of fresh red peppers
If you like hot flavors, you can crack extra black or red pepper on top of the strips when you lay them out to cook.
Try to experiment.
If you like sweeter beef jerky, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar instead of extra pepper.
Ingredients for Wild Bills Beef Jerky
For the Wild Bills Beef Jerky recipe, mix the ingredients listed below:
- 1 lb of beef
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of Worcestershire
- 1.5 tsp freshly ground paper
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 6 cloves minced garlic
Combine the sliced beef and marinade in a big ziplock bag or a container and toss it until the meat is thoroughly covered.
Then place the bag in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld for at least 4 hours, or for even more flavor, up to a day.
Step 3: Drying
Put the beef strips on a paper towel to soak any marinade left after the beef has finished marinating.
Although beef jerky can be made in an oven, in my opinion, a dehydrator produces a better result.
You can get an excellent dehydrator for between $45 and $85 dollars.
And it’ll quickly and evenly cook your jerky.
Dehydrators are multi-purpose, too, so if you don’t think you’d make enough beef jerky to make it worth your while, don’t forget that you could produce a variety of other dishes with it, like vegetables, fruit, and chips.
If you share my love of beef jerky, I’d highly recommend the NESCO dehydrator, which is the one I own.
- EVEN HEAT DISTRIBUTION: 600 watts of drying power provides even heat distribution; consistent drying that is four times faster than other food dehydrators
- ADJUSTABLE TEMPERATURE CONTROL: The adjustable temperature control (95°F -160°F) gives you the flexibility to achieve the best results when drying different foods that need varying temperature settings
- EXPANDABLE TO 12 TRAYS: Comes with five (13 1/2″ diameter) trays and expands up to 12 trays so you can dry large quantities at once with no tray rotation needed; additional trays sold separately
- EXPANDABLE TO 12 TRAYS: Comes with five (13 1/2″ diameter) trays and expands up to 12 trays so you can dry large quantities at once with no tray rotation needed; additional trays sold separately
- ACCESSORIES INCLUDED: (2) Fruit Roll Sheet, (2) Clean-A-Screens, a sample of Jerky Seasoning & Cure, and (1) Care & Use Guide
Now it’s time to arrange your beef strips on your dehydrator’s trays.
Then dry them at 160 degrees F for between 4 and 7 hours.
It’s very important that you check your jerky every 30 minutes after the 4-hour mark.
The best result will be when the jerky has dried to your preferred level.
I prefer my beef jerky to be a bit dry.
Generally speaking, your jerky will be ready when it’s black and barely bendable so test for this.
After dehydrating, I weighed my beef jerky (see below).
Recipe of Wild Bills Beef Jerky Recipe
Makes 5 servings
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Marinade Time: average 8 hours
Drying Time: 4 – 7 hours
| Ingredients | Costs |
| 1 lb beef — eye-of-round — or your favorite cut (any could work) | $3.98 for a 3.12 ounces container at Walmart (which comes out to 0.33 cents for 1.5 teaspoons of ground black pepper) |
| 1.5 teaspoon of freshly ground paper | $3.98 for a 3.12 ounces container at Walmart (which comes out to 0.33 cents for 1.5 teaspoon of ground black pepper) |
| 1 teaspoon of onion powder | Between $4 and $5 for a 1.73 oz. container (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.38 cents) |
| 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper | $0.98 per 1.75 oz. container at Walmart (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.09 cents) |
| 1/4 cup of Worcestershire | $1.00 for a 10 oz. container at Walmart (1/4 cup or 2 oz. = 0.2 cents ) |
| 6 cloves of minced garlic | $3.98 for a 3.12 ounces container at Walmart (which comes out to 0.33 cents for 1.5 teaspoons of ground black pepper) |
| 1/4 cup of soy sauce | $1.52 for a 15 oz. container at Walmart ( 1/4 cup or 2 oz. = 0.20 cents ) |
| Total Cost: | $8.24/6.6 oz. (full cost: meat + ingredients) |
Step-By-Step Instructions
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb eye of round or your favorite cut (any could work)
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of Worcestershire
- 1.5 teaspoon of freshly ground paper
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
- 6 cloves of minced garlic
Instructions
- Slice the meat into 1/8-inch thick strips either with the grain for chewier beef jerky or against the grain for more tender beef jerky.
- I suggest chilling the beef for between 50 and 60 minutes before slicing it to make it easier to cut.
- All the ingredients should be combined together, then add the mixture into a sealed ziplock bag. Now toss the bag until the beef is completely coated.
- Keep the meat chilled for at least four hours, or, for more flavor, up to a day.
- Spread the strips onto your dehydrator's trays.
- Dry your beef at 160 degrees F for between 4 and 7 hours. Check your beef jerky every 30 minutes after the 4-hour mark and stop the dehydrator when the beef is black and barely bendable.
Nutrition
"You might be a redneck if you think that beef jerky and moon pies are two of the major food groups."
-- Jeff Foxworthy
Delicious!