This beef jerky has a strong up-front kick of Siracha and additional from heat from cayenne.
It then tapers off and finishes sweet due to the honey and molasses.
What Type of Beef to Use?
This recipe uses top round/London Broil.
Other cuts you could use:
- Round tip
- Eye of Round
- Brisket Flat
- Flank Steak
Slicing the Meat for Beef Jerky
The way you slice will depend on your personal taste preferences:
- For softer jerky – slice against the grain.
- For jerky with a “tug” – slice with the grain.
If you need help with identifying the grain direction, check out this article.
You also want to slice the meat to roughly 1/8 to 1/4″ thick.
This thickness ensures the meat can dehydrate at the same speed (roughly 3-5 hours) and so that the marinade can penetrate the meat entirely.
Sriracha Beef Jerky Marinade Ingredients
This marinade is for ~1 lb of meat. If you have more than 1 lb of meat, work in batches of 1 lb as apposed to scaling this recipe.
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1/4 Cup Molasses
- 4 Tbsp Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Sriracha
- 0.5 Tbsp Morton Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Ground Ginger Powder
- 1 Tsp Cayenne
- 1/2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 Tsp Citric Acid*
*If you don’t have citric acid, use another tablespoon of lemon juice (total of 2 tablespoons).
Marinating the Jerky
In bowl combine the marinade ingredients in the specified quantities.
Add the sliced beef and marinade to either a ziplock bag or nonreactive container.
Marinate overnight (16+ hours) or for at least 2 hours.
Heat Treating the Jerky
The reason for heat treating is to kill microbes and because it will allow you to dehydrate at a lower temperature – which results in softer jerky.
Pre-heat your oven to 350F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then place oven-safe cooling racks on top.
Put your marinated beef jerky on the cooling racks.
Once oven is at 350F, place on the middle rack for 10 minutes.
While heat treating, set your dehydrator to ~130F.
Dehydrating the Beef Jerky
Once the beef jerky is heat treated, transfer the meat to your dehydrator trays and allow the meat to dehydrate for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, start checking for doneness.
Checking the Jerky for Doneness
Jerky that’s sliced to 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick will take 3-5 hours to dehydrate.
At 3 hours, take a few strips out of the dehydrator that you think are done. Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Once cooled, take a piece and bend/tear it.
If the jerky feels like rubber and the bend has visual queues of red/pink – it’s not done and needs to keep dehydrating.
Store in a Ziplock Bag
As the jerky starts to finish, transfer it to a ziplock bag with the top open. This will allow the meat to aerate and ensures steam doesn’t get trapped.
Once the jerky is completely cooled, zip the top and store in a cool, dry, dark place.
Sriracha Beef Jerky Recipe
Slightly Sweet with a Sriracha Punch
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Active Time4 hours hrs
Marination Time16 hours hrs
Total Time20 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
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 molasses, honey, and salt 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.