Homemade Teriyaki Beef Jerky With a Dehydrator
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I was shocked when I realized how easy and inexpensive it is to make beef jerky!
I spent years buying overpriced bags of jerky from gas stations and grocery stores, but now both me and my wallet prefer to make it at home.
For something less sweet, check out our savory peppered beef jerky.
Homemade Teriyaki Beef Jerky with a Dehydrator
While you can make jerky in your oven or smoker, I’ve found that using a dehydrator is the easiest and most efficient way.
I recommend the Meat! Your Maker Dehydrator. It’s affordable and has plenty of room to make a decent-sized batch of jerky.
It’s also great for dehydrating fruit, making fruit leather, or dehydrating any other food to extend shelf life.
My model has six trays, which is plenty big enough for my family. You can also get a 10-tray version if you want to make huge batches.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Lean beef roast – there are several different cuts of beef that you can choose from to make jerky, but you want to look for the leanest beef you can find. Minimal marbling is ideal, as the fat will not be as easy to preserve for long periods of time. I recommend using a portion of the sirloin like a top round or bottom round roast.
- Marinade – Teriyaki sauce, garlic, and Smoke Kitchen Honey Garlic rub, or use our Best Prime Rib rub.
Equipment you’ll need
- Sharp knife – It’s important to have a sharp knife to slice the beef. Alternatively, you can ask your butcher to slice the beef for you.
- Large container – with a lid to marinate your meat in. I like using a Cambro FreshPro container.
- Dehydrator – you will need a dehydrator that’s capable of maintaining a 160°F temperature for at least 4-5 hours.
How to Make Teriyaki Beef Jerky with a Dehydrator
1. Slice your beef
The ideal thickness for beef jerky is ¼” thick. You will need to slice your beef roast into strips, then cut it into slices depending on how big you want each piece of jerky.
To make slicing your beef easier, place the roast in the freezer 30 minutes before you start slicing. This will make it easier to cut.
Another option is to simply ask your butcher to slice the beef into strips for you. They have professional tools and can cut the meat into slices in no time at all.
2. Make the jerky marinade
Great beef jerky is all about the marinade. You can infuse your meat with any flavor you like, but teriyaki is one of my favorites!
Just add your sliced meat to your container and pour all of the marinade ingredients on top. Give it a good mix so the meat is well-coated, then you can put the lid on the container.
Let the meat marinate in the fridge for about 24 hours to get the best flavor. If you’re in a hurry, you can get away with 4-5 hours, but letting it sit for a day is the best way to go.
3. Dehydrate
Now it’s time to turn your beef into beef jerky!
As I mentioned before, you can do this in your oven or smoker, but the best jerky comes from a dehydrator.
Dehydrators range in size and price, but the one I recommend for use at home is the Meat! Your Maker 6-Tray Dehydrator.
It’s sleek, maintains a steady temperature, and has enough room to make six trays of jerky at once. Plus, it’s affordable without sacrificing quality, so it’s a small investment that will last for years and years.
Simply lay your marinated jerky strips evenly on the trays of your dehydrator.
Set the dehydrator to 160°F for 5 hours, and you’re ready.
After 5 hours, your jerky should be ready to enjoy!
After some more snack ideas to go with that ice cold beer?
Homemade Teriyaki Beef Jerky with a Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 5 lb top round roast
- 24 oz Teriyaki sauce
- ¼ cup Smoke Kitchen Honey Garlic Rub or use our Best Prime Rib rub.
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Slice your beef into ¼” thick slices and your desired length.
- Add the teriyaki sauce, rub, garlic, and red pepper flakes to an airtight container, and combine. Add the sliced beef, and give it a good mix to coat all the meat. Marinate for at least 5 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Transfer the slices of beef to the trays of a dehydrator and place in machine.
- Dehydrate at 160°F for 5 hours.
- Store jerky in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation only. If you’re worried you could always add a side of kale.
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