Recipe: Homemade Beef Jerky

A few months ago, I did my first ever recipe post for an Easy Berry Pie, which turned into a huge success! Because I am definitely not what I would consider a routine baker, today I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes for homemade beef jerky.

Step one (the easiest way to do this!) is to buy yourself a dehydrator. Personally, I like the Nesco American Harvest Dehydrator that you can find here. It comes with the dehydrator, fruit trays, a jerky gun, and a recipe book. You'll also want to buy some cure & seasonings, which you can also get from Amazon here.

Once you have the dehydrator, spices, and cure, all you need is the meat for the jerky- and some extra seasonings/spices if you'd like! I always buy 93% lean ground beef for the best jerky. Its more healthy, and much less greasy as you are cooking the jerky! Without further ado, here is my recipe and instructions for cooking some of the best jerky you'll ever have!

3 lbs. 93% lean ground beef
3 packets cure
3 packets spice
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Mix together the above ingredients, and then mix them again just to be sure the spices are evenly distributed throughout the jerky! Load the meat into the jerky gun, get it on the dehydrator, and you are set to go. 3 pounds will fill up around 4 trays. Mark which tray is which (I label them 1-4, so I can keep track) and every hour or so rotate the trays to make sure they all receive equal cooking. The jerky will take 6-8 hours to fully dehydrate, depending on how well done you would like it.

Of course, there are TONS of different ways to season your beef jerky! I like spicy jerky, which is why I add in lots of extra cayenne, black, and white peppers. Once you establish your first batch of jerky, you can definitely experiment with different ways. Soy sauce is a great addition to any teriyaki jerky!

Tried out 3 new flavors: Inferno, sweet & spicy, and teriyaki

Pretty excited about my 3 new flavors and 6 pounds of jerky!