How to Make Beef Jerky In the Oven
Once I learned to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven I knew snacking at home had leveled UP. I love this oven beef jerky recipe and it’s pretty much my standard these days. Everyone who tries it can’t believe it’s homemade AND that it’s such an easy recipe to make.
Start with lean beef, a spice rub, refrigerator marination, and long slow cooking in an oven and you’ve got an amazing beef jerky recipe that people enjoy so much they as you to share the recipe.
What do I need to Make this jerky?
A few household tools and some pantry staples make this beef jerky easy to make. I have a few notes on the best cut of beef for jerky below this list
- lean beef
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- honey
- soy sauce
- salt
- pepper
- smoke flavor
- baking sheet
- An oven that can be set as low at as 175°
- a SHARP knife
- cutting board
- parchment paper OR foil
- oven proof cooling rack, all stainless steel
How To Slice Beef For Jerky
If your knife isn’t sharp you won’t get the thin slices of beef you need to make jerky. Use a knife sharpener on your knife and hone it as well to get the best results.
Freezing the beef for 15-20 minutes before slicing is also a great way to ensure you get thin slices.
Best Beef Cuts To Make Jerky At Home
Cuts marked London broil are a top choice for homemade jerky because it’s naturally lean. London Broil can be any thick cut of beef with very little fat. Which is exactly what you want since fat doesn’t dry properly and can turn rancid before the rest of the jerky is done curing.
If you’re not seeing a London Broil look for other lean, cuts like flank steak, top round, eye of round, or bottom round. All of these cuts trim up easily and slice into strips well, and none of them have marbling. Marbling is great for steaks but in jerky that makes fattier cuts a poor fit for drying.
Other Jerky Recipes on this site
I’ve made Ground Beef Jerky in the dehydrator, and it’s SUCH a great way to use ground beef for snacking. To make the ground beef jerky you need to have a jerky gun and a dehydrator but it’s totally worth it!
I’ve also made Beef Jerky in the Dehydrator AND Air Fryer Beef Jerky. So making this oven-jerky recipe seemed like a natural step.
Plus I JUST got a gas stove and I can finally set my oven low enough to make beef jerky. My old oven didn’t go lower than 225°!
This Beef Jerky Is Not Shelf Stable!
ANY homemade dried meats without curing salts, pink salt, and/or preservatives are best stored in the fridge. Even THOUGH a lot of places say you can store it in the pantry I am HIGHLY skeptical. How would you know it’s safe? When you store it in the fridge, you KNOW it’s safe.
Store the jerky in an air tight container the fridge for up to 5 days. For the best storage I suggest dividing the finished jerky in half and putting half of the jerky in the freezer and the other half in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy the second portion of the jerky let it thaw and it’s ready to enjoy!
Beef Jerky in the Oven
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean beef
- 2 TBSP Soy Sauce
- 2 TBSP honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked flavor
Instructions
- slice the beef as thin as you can and put it in a bowl
- mix together the spices from soy sauce to smoke flavor
- pour HALF of the mix over the beef, cook a small piece to test for flavor
- if you want MORE flavor add the remainder of the spice mix
- cover and refrigerate the beef for at least 2 hours, 4 is better
- when you're ready to dry the meat preheat the oven to 175°
- lay stainless steel baking racks over baking sheets
- pay the beef dry and lay the slices on the prepared pans
- place in the oven and let it dry for 3-4 hours, rotating pans as needed
- the beef jerky is done when it hits a temperature of 160° or it's tough and leathery
- remember it will get tougher as it cools so don't over-dry it
- store in a bag in the fridge because homemade beef jerky isn't shelf-stable as you haven't used any preserving salts
Video
Nutrition
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This looks fantastic! Love that it can be done in an oven. Dumb question – what’s the best way to check the temp of such a thin slice? Any hints on that? And what’s your favorite cut of beef to use? Can’t wait to try this out.
If you have any thick slices and thermometer works well! OR if the jerky is pliable and dry and you can bend it then it’s probably done.
This is a lot like my Dad’s jerky recipe except he used venison, more soy sauce and added 1/4 teaspoon of Prague Powder. As soon as he learned about Prague Powder (AKA Instacure, pink curing salts, curing salts) Dad used it in his recipes for safety. And Dad was a stickler for safety. If you had any suspicion that something was bad, out it went. He never forgot the babysitter who made me sick by insisting I drink the milk Mom had left for us–and had the gall to tell my parents I was faking it when I had been throwing up for hours. One whiff of the milk and Dad had me in car to take me to the hospital. He left Mom to deal with the babysitter because he was afraid he would half kill her! Mom refused to pay her and let it be known that I ended up in the hospital because she made me drink spoiled milk THAT SHE NEVER CHECKED EVEN WHEN WE TOLD HER IT SMELLED WRONG. According to some friends of mine, she couldn’t get another babysitting job after that.