Beef jerky. The epitome of the low carb, high protein snack.
Anytime we are trying to cut carbs, this is the first quickie snack item I buy to keep around the house. After all, beef jerky is just lean dried meat and spices, right? Well … yes and no.
If you flip the package over and read the ingredients, some beef jerky brands are packed full of preservatives, sugar, and even gluten. Can you believe that? Other brands use only mindful ingredients, but bump of the price of the jerky for every missing chemical.
The best way to provide quality control, and to keep the cost of beef jerky on the down low, is to make it yourself. However, most people believe you have to have fancy equipment, or at least a food dehydrator in order to make beef jerky at home.
Nope! Believe it or not, you can make delicious beef jerky right in your oven, and in just a few hours. By choosing the right ingredients, you can produce bold flavorful jerky for pennies on the dollar. Want to give it a try?
1. Start by selecting the right cut of beef.
Flank steak is often thought to be the best choice for beef jerky, but it’s expensive. By using a cheaper cut of beef and slicing it thin, you will save money without sacrificing flavor or texture.
Look for a very lean cut of beef without a lot of fat. Although marbled fat adds amazing flavor to steaks and prime rib, it causes beef jerky to turn rancid faster.
Choose a lean piece of top roast, London broil, or rump roast.
2. Flash freeze the beef and slice it thin.
Beef can be difficult to slice into thin even strips. The best trick I’ve leaned to create thin slices is to freeze the beef for a short time right before slicing. Just 30–45 minutes in the freezer will make the beef firm enough to slice easily.
Then look for the grain of the beef and slice the beef into 1/8th inch slices, against the grain. Cutting against the grain will give the dried beef jerky that tough-but-tender texture we love.
Your slices don’t all have to be the exact same thickness, so don’t stress out if they are not all precisely 1/8 inch thick. However, the closer they are in thickness, the better the results. You won’t have to pick through the jerky at the end to decide which pieces need to stay in the oven longer.
3. Marinate the sliced beef.
This is your moment to check all your ingredients and make sure no sneaky chemicals are flavoring your jerky.
Personally, I like to start with a marinade base of gluten-free soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. You can adjust my recipe easily by using low sodium soy sauce, or even coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
Add your favorite herbs and spices and let the beef sit in the marinade for 45 minutes, or up to a day.
4. Rack it.
For best baking results, place the wire rack over the top of a baking sheet and lay the beef strips across the rack. As the beef juices drip down into the pan, the jerky stays dry up top.
5. Bake low and slow.
Turn the oven to 175ºF and bake for 3 to 4 hours. If you have a convection oven, you can bake your jerky for 2 to 3 hours.
6. Check it.
Remember, the drier the beef jerky is, the more “preserved” it is, so you can leave it at room temperature for a week or two without worry. However, if you leave it in the oven too long, it will turn into tough beef crackers.
Take a strip of jerky out of the oven at the 3-hour mark. Let it cool. Then pull it, taste it, and chew it well. If it’s at the texture you like, take the pans out of the oven. If it looks a little too soft and meaty for jerky, keep it in the oven.
7. Store it.
Good quality beef jerky can be placed in an airtight container and left at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
If you are worried you under-baked your jerky, or used a cut of beef with too much marbled fat, you can store it in the refrigerator.
8. Get creative!
Try our marinade recipe as a starting point, but feel free to play with your mixture until it’s perfect for you. Adjust the spice level, or add a little sweetness. There are no limits on how you can season your jerky!
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