How To Make Teriyaki Beef Jerky In A Dehydrator

Making beef jerky in a dehydrator is simple! Every bite is tender, full of flavor, and irresistible! The perfect high protein, low carb snack that is made in your own kitchen!

Jump to:

• ✔️ Quick Recipe Overview
• ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
• ❓ How Does A Food Dehydrator Work
• 🥩 Best Meat For Jerky
• 🔪 How To Slice Meat For Jerky
• 🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
• 📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
• 🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
• Storage
• 💭 Expert Tips
• 👩‍🍳 More Beef Recipes
• How To Make Teriyaki Beef Jerky In A Dehydrator

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If I would have know that making beef jerky in a dehydrator was this easy, I would have bought a food dehydrator a long time ago! Dehydrated meat is not only simple to make, but it's way healthier (no additives or preservatives) and less expensive than buying it at the store. While it can be made in a smoker or in the oven, using a dehydrator for jerky makes the process so much easier because of the temperature control.

Flavorful and tender, this is a great grab-and-go snack that is full of protein. With both sweet and savory flavors, it's a family favorite recipe that everyone will enjoy. This post will guide in helping you learn which cuts of meat are best for drying, how to properly slice beef, and how to marinate it for best tasting results.

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❓ How Does A Food Dehydrator Work

Dehydrating food is the process of removing moisture from food. A food dehydrator uses a heat element and air vents to allow air circulation. The dehydrator heating element, fans, and vents work together to remove moisture. The heating element warms the food causing its moisture to be released. Fans then blows the warm, moist air out of the appliance via the air vents. This process continues for hours until the food is dried to a lower water content.

I use this Cosori Dehydrator because it’s easy to use and clean. Not only is it great for making beef jerky, but it's great for making other dried foods such as dried apples, dehydrated peaches, dried strawberries, and even fruit leather!

🥩 Best Meat For Jerky

The best cuts of meat for dehydrating jerky are eye of round roast, top and bottom round roast, flank steak, sirloin tip steak, and London broil. I've had best results using top round steak. Top round comes from the back of the cow, is lean, and extremely tender. There's a small amount of marbling which helps contribute to the flavor and tenderness when making beef jerky.

Eye of round is another great option and comes from the rear leg of the cow. It's lean, but more tough. It's one of the most popular cuts for making beef jerky in the dehydrator, but the taste and tenderness of top round yields better results. Sirloin tip and flank steak are also good options. While both cuts have good marbling and are lean and tender, they do tend to be more expensive than round roast and eye of round.

🔪 How To Slice Meat For Jerky

The easiest and best way to slice beef when making jerky is to ask your butcher to do it for you! Regardless if the meat was purchased at a grocery store, butcher shop, or wholesale market like Costco and Sam's Club, the butcher or meat department will typically cut the beef for no additional charge. Tell them you are making beef jerky and they will slice it accordingly.

If slicing your own beef at home, ensure it's no more than ¼ to ⅛-inch thick. To make slicing even easier, place the steak in the freezer for 1-2 hours. When the meat is extremely cold, it's a lot easier to cut.

Depending on how you like jerky will determine how it should be cut. For a more tender beef jerky, slice against the grain. For a chewy texture, slice the beef with the grain. While slicing against the grain is most common, some people enjoy more of a chewy jerky. There is no right or wrong way to slice it. It all come down to preference.

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

This beef jerky marinade is full of flavor made with simple ingredients you can get at any local grocery store. For this recipe, start with marinating the meat. This beef jerky marinade will cover 2 pounds of meat. Soy sauce is the base ingredient and the sodium helps cut down on some of the sweet from the light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar tends to provide too much sweetness, so use light brown sugar instead.

Pineapple juice is another ingredient used in the marinade. It contains an enzyme that helps to naturally tenderize the meat. And, it provides an amazing sweet flavor that balances the saltiness in the soy sauce. Using fresh ginger provides a bold flavor while the garlic adds a "wow" factor. A very small amount of sesame oil is used to help bring forth a rich, nutty, and toasty taste. Sesame seeds are optional, but they looks amazing on the beef jerky!

📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

Start by combining all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Stir well with a small whisk.

Place the sliced beef in a gallon-size plastic bag and slowly pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and shake well until all the meat is covered. Place the bag filled with meat in the refrigerator and let it marinate overnight.

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After 12-24 hours, discard the marinade and place the marinated beef evenly on the dehydrator food trays.

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Set the food dehydrator to 165°F and dehydrate the meat for 4-6 hours. When done, remove each piece from the trays and allow to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying.

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This is the best dry beef jerky and it's so easy to make it in a dehydrator! Irresistibly delicious, this snack can be enjoyed anytime; at home, on the road, and it's perfect for those busy days when you're in a hurry and need to grab a quick snack!

🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

Storage

For best results, store the dehydrated meat in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. It also stores well in a glass jar with a lid or in a plastic bag. Before storing, make sure the beef jerky has completely cooled. The less air exposed, the longer it will last. Storing it in a brown paper bag will also help pull out any extra moisture. Vacuum sealing beef jerky also expands the shelf life.

💭 Expert Tips

• Too much fat makes homemade jerky spoil faster. If there is a layer of fat on the outside of the meat, cut it off before slicing the beef. There is no need to remove any intramuscular fat running through the meat unless it's in excess.
• While the marinade does a great job at tenderizing the beef, using a meat mallet can also help with ensuring the meat is extra tender. Using a mallet helps break down the muscle fibers, which results in more of a tender texture. Pound to an even thickness ensuring you don't overpound the meat.
• When placing the raw beef slices in the dehydrator, ensure the edges are not touching or overlapping. This will ensure that an even and balanced dehydration process occurs.
• This teriyaki beef jerky makes a wonderful gift during the holiday season! Take some to work and share it with your co-workers. It also makes a great teacher gift!
• If you have a juicer, you can take a pineapple and produce fresh pineapple juice. Fresh pineapple juice in this recipe is phenomenal!
• Looking for more school lunch ideas? This beef jerky is great addition!

👩‍🍳 More Beef Recipes

For more delicious beef recipes, try making this smoked tri tip! Full of flavor and incredibly tender, this is a fan favorite everyone will enjoy! And this beef stir fry with vegetables is another beef recipe that is perfect for dinner and can be made in less than 30-minutes. Braised beef with gravy is another great choice that is savory and is considered the ultimate comfort food!

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This post was originally published in November 2019, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step recipe instructions and tips in September 2022.