What is your go-to midday snack? If you read the title of the post, you can likely guess mine… beef jerky!
It is probably unhealthy to think about just how much I love this stuff, but it is high in protein and low in carbs. Like most things, this can be easier if you just buy it from the store, but there are some great benefits to making it on your own!
- Beef – When you make it at home, you get to control the beef being used as the jerky. For starters, you will want a very lean cut of beef like sirloin or top round roast. You can also control the quality—we prefer grass-fed!
- Ingredients – Have you read ingredient labels these days… yikes! When you make it at home, you can make it nitrate-free and also reduce the amounts of sodium and sugar in the recipe.
Both of those reasons still don’t mean you can eat an unlimited amount, but with the right balance, quality, and ingredients, it can be a wonderful addition to your diet!
The other obvious reason you should consider making this at home is cost. If you have been to a grocery store lately, your jaw has probably hit the floor a time or two. Costs are on the rise, but beef has taken the brunt. With that, it costs more for things like store-bought jerky. However, when you buy a 3- 5 lb beef roast, it makes a lot of jerky.
As always, I will now walk through a few of the key ingredients and cooking tips to help you crush this meal and be the dinner time hero:
- Slicing – Thinly slicing room temperature beef isn’t easy (even with a sharp knife). I recommend putting your meat in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before you slice. Target a thickness of around ¼” for the optimal tenderness without drying out.
- Marination – I wouldn’t rest for anything less than 2 hours. Letting the beef soak in the flavors will only make this better. I usually marinate overnight.
- Slow Cooking / Smoking – The absolute preferred method for cooking is heating a smoker to 190 degrees and cooking for 3-4 hours. This can also work on a grill or oven but won’t get all the flavors. Whatever you do, just make sure the heat stays low and slow!
See below for full measurements and cooking instructions!
If you make this, please leave a comment or rate the recipe below! Also, feel free to leave a comment with anything else you want me to make! I love putting my spin on classic recipes or creating new ones!
Equipment
- Smoker (best), grill, or oven
Ingredients
- 3 lbs lean beef sirloin
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¾ tsp salt
Instructions
- To make slicing the beef easier, you can add it to the freezer for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
- Once ready, thinly slice into ¼” thick pieces.
- In a Ziploc bag, add the soy sauce, Worcestershire, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Add the sliced beef to the bag, seal, shake, and marinate for 2+ hours (or overnight).
- Preheat your smoker, grill, or oven to 190 degrees.
- Add to your smoker or oven and cook for 3-4 hours.
- Enjoy!
