High Quality Homemade Beef Jerky DIY
Please remember to properly wash your hands and preparation areas when handling raw meat.
You will need:
Eye of Chuck Beef
Marinade (Our two favorites are listed below)
Allegro Hickory Smoke Marinade
Allegro Hot and Spicy Marinade
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Bowl with Lid for Marinating
Food Dehydrator
Step 1: Remove any large areas of fat. Fat has the potential to make the jerky rancid.
Step 2: Thinly slice the beef with the grain. You want to go thin, but don't shave it. 
Step 3: Put the jerky in a seal-able bowl and pour in your marinade. I made Hot and Spicy and Hickory Smoked jerky. I split the jerky into 2 bowls: ⅔ Hickory Smoked and ⅓ Hot and Spicy. For the Hickory Smoked I used 2 bottles of marinade and 1 for the Hot and Spicy.
Step 4: Marinade overnight in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Step 5: Lay out several paper towels and dry each piece off (you can also press and flatten pieces that are thick). Lay each piece on the trays of the dehydrator leaving about a ¼ inch of space between each piece. Since I was using 2 flavors, I used a piece of tape (in this case electrical tape) on the trays denoting the spicy jerky.
Step 6: Turn on your dehydrator and salivate to the smell while waiting for it to get done. I usually run it for 4 hours straight before I start checking. Larger, thicker pieces will take longer than smaller, thinner pieces. Also, the pieces closest to the motor (top) get done faster as well.
Step 7: After 4 hours, turn your dehydrator off and check all of the pieces to see if any are done. You want the pieces to be rigid and firm. Set them on a plate or tray to cool. As you remove pieces, fill in the spaces on the top trays with those on the bottom trays. If you are doing more than one flavor and you want to keep the flavors separate, be careful when you combine trays to fill in spaces. Continue checking on your jerky every hour until finished.
Step 8: Once your jerky is done and cooled, keep it in a ziplock bag. I'm not sure how long it will keep honestly, because it’s eaten within 2 or 3 days around here. :) Sharing is optional!
Yummm, Looks good! :)
I didn’t know you had to cut off the fat. Good to know!
Yes.. we missed that too years ago and learned the hard way that it will make the meat go rancid! Eww! No bueno!!
@jeejee
Looks tasty! Thanks for sharing the information.
I am kicking myself bcuz when we butchered our cow in the fall I forgot to keep some back for jerky! We are butchering again in March and I have to remember to do this! Thanks for the tips!! Great post!
Thank you, and that's awesome that you all processed the cow yourself! I would love to see a how-to on the full process.
Eeeeeek!!! I LOVE JERKEY!!! It’s my favorite treat.
I use to have a dehydrator for just this very thing.... not sure what happened to it but I was in my 20’s.... so no tellin!
We are looking to purchase another one soon and luckily @beardo can get a discount on one through the company he is currently working for... eeeeek!!!!! I can’t wait!
What fruits have you tried in your dehydrator?
@jeejee
We haven't used it for anything, but beef jerky so far. One day when our fruit trees are producing, we will experiment.
I think apricots are sooooo good that way. Funny thing is... I don’t care for apricots any other way. Weird eh?
When we first bought it we lived in an apartment. It smelled up our apartment so bad we were worried the neighbors would be able to smell it through the walls. It wasn't a bad smell of course, but it was strong. We also used to joke about whether dogs would start congregating in the parking lot looking for the source.
Haha!! Yes, the smell is super aromatic 😋
This looks so much easier than I always thought it was. I have a dehydrator and I’m going to the grocery store tomorrow. I think I’ll make some! I think it would make a lovely gift!
It is very easy! I was a bit nervous the first few times I made it and probably over dried it.
Thank you for this straight forward tutorial with so many high quality photos. We resteem the best of homesteading, gardening, farming, and more earth-centered posts @the-hearth! Follow us for more!
@OriginalWorks