New to Beef Jerky, Start Here

The following guides are a culmination of everything I’ve come to understand about making beef jerky at home.

These guides start from the most basic understanding of how to use a dehydrator or a smoker to make beef jerky. I then break down the individual steps in far greater detail.

After these you'll find common jerky questions as well as a few of my beef jerky recipes (more to come soon!).

General Guides to Beef Jerky

Start Here: How to Make Beef Jerky in a Dehydrator

Start Here: How to Make Beef Jerky in an Electric Smoker

Individual Steps to Making Beef Jerky

1. Selecting the Correct Meat to Use for Beef Jerky

2. Slicing the Meat for Beef Jerky

3. The How and Why of Jerky Cures and Salt-Based Ingredients

4. How Long You Should Marinate Your Beef Jerky For

5. The Importance of Heat Treatments for Pathogen Lethality

6. Dehydrating Your Meat and For How Long

7. Determining When Your Beef Jerky is "Done"

8. Storing Your Homemade Beef Jerky

Common Beef Jerky Related Questions

These are common questions that tend to come up during the jerky making process.

Jerky Too Salty? Use Tamari Soy Sauce Instead!

Dehydrator vs Smoker for Jerky: What are the Differences?

How to Make Your Beef Jerky “Softer”

Best Wood for Smoking Beef Jerky: Creating Layers of Flavor

Biltong vs Beef Jerky: Heat Treatment, Drying, and More

Beef Jerky Recipes

Some of my Personal Beef Jerky Recipes that I've created over the years.

Basic, “Original” Beef Jerky Recipe

Jalapeno Beef Jerky Recipe

Chipotle Bourbon Beef Jerky Recipe

Crushed Red Chili Pepper Beef Jerky Recipe

Simple Garlic & Onion Beef Jerky Recipe

Hot Honey Garlic Beef Jerky Recipe

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