Honey Pepper Beef Jerky Recipe: An Umami Bomb of Flavor

This beef jerky is savory due to the tamari sauce but also slightly sweet due to the honey.

I’d describe it like an umami bomb of flavor in your mouth.

Beef to Use for This Jerky

This recipe uses 1 lb of top round (london broil).

If you don’t have Top round/London broil, use:

• Round tip
• Bottom round
• Eye of round
• Brisket flat
• Flank steak

Cutting the Beef into Jerky Strips

If the meat is thawed, 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 to roughly 1/8″ – 1/4″ thickness.

My preference is against the grain and roughly 1/8″ thick.

Dylan’s Honey Pepper Beef Jerky Marinade

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.

• 1/2 Cup Kikkoman, Low-sodium Teriyaki Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Kikkoman Tamari Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Honey Granules*
• 1/3 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Tsp Granulated Garlic
• 2 Tbsp 30 Mesh Cracked Black Pepper (Medium Grind)
• 1 Tsp Ginger powder
• 1/4 Tsp Citric Acid**

*If you don’t have honey granules, use dark brown sugar.

**If you don’t have citric acid, use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Marinating the Beef Jerky

Take your marinade and sliced beef jerky and add it to a Ziplock bag.

Roll the bag on top of itself to push air out.

Marinate for at least 2 hours – ideally overnight for 16+ hours.

Heat Treating the Beef 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.

Set your oven to preheat at 350F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then top with oven-safe cooling racks.

Place the marinated jerky on top of the cooling racks ensuring that none overlap.

Once preheated, place the jerky pan on the middle rack for 10 minutes.

While heat treating, set your dehydrator to 130F.

Dehydrating the Beef Jerky

Once heat treated, transfer to your dehydrator trays, ensuring none of the strips overlap.

Allow the beef jerky to dehydrate for at least 3 hours before checking for doneness.

Checking the Jerky for Doneness

Jerky that is sliced thin will take 3-5 hours to finish.

At the 3 hour mark, take a few strips out that you suspect are finished 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 spider webbing, it’s done.

If the jerky feels like rubber and has hues of red/pink at the bend, it’s not done.

Storing the Jerky

As the jerky starts finishing, put into a Ziplock bag with the top open; This will allow the jerky to cool and aerate.

Once completely cooled, zip the top and store in a cool, dry, dark place.

Print Pin Recipe

Honey Pepper Beef Jerky

Slightly Sweet, Peppery, and then an Umami of Flavor

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Active Time3 hours hrs

Marination Time16 hours hrs

Total Time20 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb London Broil

Honey Pepper Jerky Marinade

• ▢ 1/2 Cup Kikkoman Low-sodium Teriyaki Sauce
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Kikkoman Tamari Sauce
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Water
• ▢ 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Honey Granules
• ▢ 1/3 Cup Honey
• ▢ 1/2 Tsp Granulated Garlic
• ▢ 2 Tbsp 30 Mesh Cracked Black Pepper Medium Grind
• ▢ 1 Tsp Ginger powder
• ▢ 1/4 Tsp Citric Acid

Instructions

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 and honey granules 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

• After 3 hours take a few pieces of beef jerky out of the dehydrator and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Once cooled, bend the jerky.

  If at the bend you notice a "spider webbing" – it's done. If at the bend you notice the jerky is rubbery and has hues of red/pink, it's not done.

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.

Notes

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.