The BEST Ground Beef Jerky Recipe - Hey Grill, Hey (2024)

FAQs

How much jerky does a pound of ground beef make? ›

You can understand why, since processing jerky takes time, and a pound of meat only produces about 1/4-pound of finished jerky. However, it really is a manageable process that you can do at home.

If you don-t have a jerky gun; spread ground meat on dehydrator sheet and cover with another sheet. Use a rolling pin to roll meat about 1/4 inch thick. Place in a dehydrator and dry at 160°F for 3 hours or until ground jerky is dry when touched.

Top round is considered to be one of the best cuts of meat to use for jerky. In fact, this is the cut that many commercial jerkies are made from. This is a good cut because it comes in large pieces, is a lean cut of meat, and is economical. Top round can also be referred to as London Broil or inside round steak.

A typical jerky loses half of its starting weight in moisture, so 2:1 is the proper ratio. "Low moisture" jerky can actually be 1/3 the starting weight, a 3:1 ratio. So 2-3 pounds of beef will make 1 pound of jerky.

My jerky turned out very salty

How long did you let it cure for? Recommended curing time is 24 hours for stripped meat and 12 hours for ground meat. Letting it cure too long will make it too salty as well. If done correctly, you can cut the cure down by ½ tsp per pound of meat.

Place your strips of meat into a large, ziplock plastic bag, pour in the marinade, and give it a nice, thorough bath. Place the whole bag into the fridge to thoroughly marinate for up to 24 hours, but no fewer than 4 hours. The longer you marinate, the deeper your flavor and tenderizing action.

Using curing salt when making jerky is not essential, however it does have a lot of great benefits. Using curing salt correctly helps to reduce the chance of harmful bacteria growing on meat and ensures a safer curing process. It also improves flavour, colour and extends the shelf life.

Spread small pieces of ground beef on dehydrator trays with Excalibur Paraflexx® sheets under the mesh sheets. The nonstick sheets will catch any small pieces of dried beef that fall through the mesh. With Nesco Dehydrators, use the clean-a-screen or fruit-roll trays. Dry at 145°F (63°C) for approximately six hours.

According to our social media answers, the best flavors of beef jerky are Teriyaki, Original, Peppered, and Hot & Sweet. Pepper Dill Pickle again shows up, but not as much as the other flavors.

The best cuts of meat for beef jerky are Top Round, Bottom Round, Lifter and Pectoral, but a variety of cuts can be used such as Flank Steak and Skirt Steak. These cuts of beef check all the boxes for beef jerky—economical, lean, and full of flavor. Selecting a lean cut of meat that has very little fat is key.

How long should I marinate meat for beef jerky? ›

The ideal time to marinate jerky is 16 hours, but an acceptable range is 8 to 24 hours. This time frame allows the marinade to saturate the outside of the meat and the salt to penetrate beyond the surface, seasoning the entire piece of meat.

35ml apple cider vinegar: Acids are essential for food safety since they inhibit the growth of microbes. This ingredient will not just add a distinct taste but help ensure your jerky is safe for consumption.

Main Takeaways for Tender Beef Jerky

Cut against the grain when slicing meat. Use a marinade with at least one acidic ingredient. Marinate the meat strips for about 24 hours. Watch the meat strips closely while cooking/dehydrating to make sure they don't get too tough (that is, lose too much moisture).

The short answer is that your jerky is so tough because it's too dehydrated. For some people, this is a great thing and the tougher the jerky, the better! But maybe toughness isn't what you (or your teeth) want in a jerky.

A typical jerky loses half of its starting weight in moisture, so 2:1 is the proper ratio. "Low moisture" jerky can actually be 1/3 the starting weight, a 3:1 ratio. So 2-3 pounds of beef will make 1 pound of jerky.

Assuming you like moist jerky (which takes about 2 pounds of beef to make 1 pound of jerky), and you're eating our grass-fed Red Devon Cattle, one Red Devon cow can make around 550 lbs of beef jerky.

A pound of meat or poultry weighs about four ounces after being made into jerky. Because most of the moisture is removed, it is shelf stable — can be stored without refrigeration — making it a handy food for backpackers and others who don't have access to refrigerators.

The leaner the better. 80/20 works well.