DIY Beef Jerky
The other day, I grabbed a couple of packs of beef jerky from the grocery store for my kids to have as snacks when we are out and about. We are really love beef jerky and it goes fast around here. In fact, my kids love it so much that they label their packs of jerky so that Dad won’t eat it before they can!
And then my daughter asked how beef jerky is made.
I gave her a basic run-down of the process… and then she asked if we could make our own.
I’ve never made beef jerky but thought the process can’t be that hard with a dehydrator— which we don’t have. But shouldn’t it be possible to make beef jerky in a regular oven? Turns out, YES, you can make it in a regular oven, and it’s pretty easy to do!
To start with, I used a 3-4 lb rump roast for the meat. Rump roasts are really good for low-and-slow cooking and for sliced meat dishes. I cut it in half (to make it more manageable) and then sliced the beef as thinly as I could using the sharpest knife I have. Then the beef went into a large zipper-lock bag.
Then, I needed to marinate all those slices. We like teriyaki-flavored jerky— so we used ingredients that would give us those flavors. Once I mixed up the marinade and poured it over the meat in the bag, I mushed it all around a bit and then put it in the fridge overnight.
Finally, I cooked it LOW and SLOW. I set a wire rack in a foil-lined baking sheet, put the marinated beef on top in a single layer, and popped it into the low-temp oven for 3-4 hours.
Before and…
After!
Y’ALL.
Oh my goodness. This was so much better than any jerky I’ve ever bought at the store. It had a pleasant chew, with a bit of juicy tenderness and no hint of shoe leather. And the flavor was amazing! It was absolutely worth the effort and time it took to make the jerky at home.
Maybe you’d like to try it for yourself? Check out the recipe below!
DIY Beef Jerky
Prep Time: 30 minutes hands-on, plus 12 hours hands-off
Cook Time: 3.5 - 4 hours
What You’ll Need
One 3-4 lb rump roast, or other roast for slicing
Large zipper-lock bag
1 c brown sugar
1 c soy sauce
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T smoked paprika
2 t meat tenderizer, unseasoned, found in the spice aisle
1 t black pepper
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
What You’ll Do
Slice the roast: To do this, you may need to first cut the roast in half to make it more manageable. Then slice the meat as thinly as possible across the grain, no more than 1/4 inch thick. Place the slices in a large zipper-lock bag.
Marinate: Whisk all ingredients from brown sugar to garlic powder in a medium bowl until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour the mixture over the meat in the bag. Place the bag on a tray in the refrigerator and marinate at least 12 hours, or overnight. If you can manage to flip the bag over once, that will ensure all the meat is thoroughly seasoned.
Dehydrate: When you’re ready to make the jerky, line two baking sheets with foil and set a wire rack in them. Preheat the oven to 175. Place the marinated meat in a single layer on the wire racks and place them in the oven. Cook for 3.5 -4 hours, rotating the pans front-to-back and top-to-bottom twice during cooking. When the jerky looks dry, remove one piece to cool and try it. If it’s to your liking, the jerky is done; if not, let it cook a bit longer.
Storage: You can store this jerky in air-tight containers for a week in the fridge, or indefinitely in the freezer. But, honestly, if your family is like mine, it’s so good it probably won’t last more than a couple of days!
**The original recipe that I modified slightly can be found here.**