The Best Beef Jerky Recipe

There is nothing like chowing down on your favorite comfort food snack in the evening after a busy day at work and at weekends. Healthy snack foods are a great way for you to fill the void between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner without spoiling your appetite.

Today we will be discussing one of the nation’s favorite snack foods – beef jerky, and you will even be able to get your hands on one of the most sought-after recipes so that you can make a scrumptious pack of homemade jerky to eat whenever you have got a little downtime. 

Are you in the need for something tasty to pop in your mouth as a quick filler before running out of the door? Then I am sure you will love the beef jerky recipe included in this article. Not only does this article contain a super simple beef jerky recipe that is a dream to follow, but it will also go on to answer some of your burning beef jerky questions such as “What is the best meat for beef jerky?”, and “How do you make beef jerky taste better?”. All this and more is coming up for you in this article. You won’t want to miss it!

What Is The Best Meat For Beef Jerky?

One of the biggest doubts among us when making an excellent batch of jerky is choosing the best meat out there. So what is the best meat for beef jerky?

To make a terrific batch of jerky, it is best to use the most tender and most flavorsome cuts of meat. That is why we recommend using top round and bottom round, as these cuts are by far the yummiest and the most supple, making jerky that easily tears away and is not overly chewy. 

Although you can make jerky from a variety of different meat, beef is by far the easiest to get hold of and may even be the tastiest. But you can also get your hands on anything from fish jerky to a wild and wonderful yak jerky should you desire. But for now, let’s stick with the beef.

Of course, you are not limited to using top round and bottom round if you cannot get a hold of it at your local butcher. You can also make some delicious jerky from sirloin tip and flank steak, although you will have to trim some of the fat away from these cuts before making the jerky.

How Do You Make Beef Jerky Taste Better?

The secret with beef jerky is in the marinating, the longer you marinate it the better it tastes. So, if you are thinking about making some beef jerky, why not make a large batch so that you can have it all marinating at once and then keep it in the refrigerator to enjoy again at a later date. 

Another top tip is to use a wide variety of spices in your beef jerky marinade. A good mix of spices will help to make the meat exciting to taste and flavorsome. If you are in the need of some inspiration for your spice mix, check out the recipe below!

How To Make Beef Jerky

So, we have arrived at the most important part of this article – the beef jerky recipe. The following is a list of ingredients and instructions that will help you to make the best beef jerky yet! 

Ingredients

• 1 pound of top round or bottom round beef sliced against the grain
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• ½ cup of soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of white vinegar
• 2 tbsp of brown sauce
• ¼ cup of packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp of onion powder 
• 1 tsp of chili powder
• 1 tbsp of freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup of beef stock

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the beef in a medium sized bowl and stir.
2. Add the slices of top round or bottom round beef to the bowl and coat with the marinade. Place it in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours to allow time for the flavors to sink into the meat.
3. Preheat the smoker to 170 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Once you have finished marinating, remove the meat from the bowl and place it on kitchen paper and pat dry. 
5. Place the dry jerky onto the grill grate and smoke for 2 hours, checking the jerky once an hour. Cook the jerky until it is firm but not crunchy. (Note: this process could take up to five hours depending on the thickness of your jerky).

(Top tip: sprinkle the jerky with curing salt in order for it to preserve itself for a few weeks at room temperature. Without the curing salt, you will need to store your jerky in the fridge.)