This jerky starts slightly sweet due to the Honey, but it quickly accelerates into a wave of heat from the Habanero Flakes.
Just like hot wings, you’ll keep eating until your whole mouth is ablaze.
Beef to Use for Jerky
This recipe uses 1 lb of top round (london broil).
If you don’t have top round, use:
- Round tip
- Bottom round
- Eye of round
- Brisket flat
- Flank steak
Slicing the Meat for Jerky
If you bought the meat in a grocery store, pop it into the freezer for 30 minutes – 1 hour; This makes slicing far easier.
- If you prefer soft beef jerky = Slice against the grain.
- If you prefer jerky with a tug = Slice with the grain.
If you’re unsure of what grain is, read this article.
Slice the meat roughly 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick.
My preference is against the grain and roughly 1/8″ thick.
Dylan’s Honey Habanero Jerky Marinade Ingredients
The marinade below is for 1 lb of meat; If you have more than 1 lb, work in 1 lb batches rather than scaling this recipe.
- 1/4 Cup Kikkoman Tamari Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce Low sodium
- 1/4 Cup Honey Granules*
- 2 Tablespoons Distilled White Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1 Tbsp Molasses
- 1/2 Tsp Granulated Garlic
- 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 Tsp Granulated Onion
- 1 Tsp Habanero pepper Flakes**
- 1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 Tbsp Cloves – whole with nail (remove these from marinade before dehydrating)
- 1/4 Tsp Citric Acid***
*If you don’t have honey granules, use dark brown sugar.
**The amount of habanero flakes to use is personal preference. The amount listed is a good middle-ground, but if you prefer more or less spice use 2 or 1/2 tsp respectively.
**If you don’t have citric acid, use 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice.
Marinating the Meat
Take your marinade and sliced beef and add it to a ziplock bag.
Roll the air out and massage the marinade into the meat – then place in your refrigerator.
At a minimum you want to marinate for 2 hours, but overnight is ideal.
Heat Treating the Jerky Before Dehydrating
I like to heat treat my beef jerky so that I can dehydrate at a lower temperature – I find the jerky is much softer this way.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then top with oven-safe cooling racks.
Place the marinated jerky on top ensuring none overlap.
Once preheated, place the baking pan on the middle rack and heat treat for 10 minutes.
While heat treating, set your dehydrator to 130F.
Dehydrating the Beef Jerky
Once the jerky is heat treated, transfer to your dehydrator, ensure none of the strips are overlapping.
Allow the jerky to dehydrate for at least 3 hours before checking for doneness.
Checking the Jerky for Doneness
Jerky that is sliced rather thin – 1/8″ – 1/4″ – will take 3-5 hours to fully dehydrate.
At 3 hours take a few strips out that you suspect are done and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
Once cooled, take a piece and bend/tear it and check for spider webbing. If it has this spider webbing, it’s done.
If the jerky still feels like a rubber band and has hues of red/pink at the tear, it’s not done.
Storing the Jerky
Once the jerky starts finishing, transfer to a Ziplock bag with the top open – this allows the jerky to aerate.
Once cooled, zip the top and store in a cool, dry, dark place.
Honey Habanero Beef Jerky
Slightly Sweet that Builds into a Fire of Heat
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Active Time3 hours hrs
Marination Time16 hours hrs
Total Time20 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Honey Habanero Jerky Marinade
Slicing and Marinating Jerky
Take 1 lb of lean beef and cut against the grain. Slice so that the strips are 1/8-1/4" thick.
In a bowl combine the marinade ingredients in the specified quantities. Ensure the honey, honey granules, and molasses are well combined.
In a non-reactive container or ziplock bag, add your marinade and sliced jerky. Massage the marinade into the beef.
Put in your refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours. Ideally, you'd marinate overnight for 16+ hours.
Heat Treat the Jerky
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Then place oven-safe cooling racks on top. Put your marinated beef jerky on top of the cooling racks, ensure that pieces aren't touching or overlapping. Pre-heat your oven to 350F.
Once pre-heated put your jerky in the oven on the middle rack for 10 minutes.
While your jerky is heat treating, set your dehydrator to 130F.
Dehydrating the Beef Jerky
Once your jerky is done heat treating, place your beef jerky in your dehydrator. Ensure pieces aren't touching or overlapping.
Allow the jerky to dehydrate for 3 hours and then start checking for doneness.
Testing Beef Jerky for Doneness
Storing the Jerky
Once done, place in a ziplock bag with the top open and allow the jerky to aerate for 30 minutes. Once aerated zip the top and store in a cool, dry, dark place.
If you don’t have honey granules, use loosely packed Dark brown sugar.
If you don’t have citric acid use 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice.
The amount of habanero flakes is personal preference. The amount listed is a good middle-ground, but if you prefer more or less spice use 2 or 1/2 tsp respectively. 
