How To Make Beef Jerky In The Oven 12 Steps With Pictures Recipes

HOW TO MAKE BEEF JERKY IN THE OVEN

Steps:

• A lot of beef cuts come with a fat cap. Trim the fat off and cut the meat into manageable pieces that will be easy to slice. Then put the meat in a plastic bag and put in a freezer for a few hours. Freezing will firm it up and make it a easy to slice evenly.
• When the meat is firm, slice it about 3/16" - 1/4" thick. Thinner sliced meat tends to come out dryer and less chewy. Thicker will take a long time to dry.
• To make the jerky chewy, slice it along the grain.
• To make the jerky less chewy, slice it across the grain.
• Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large Ziploc bag and shake.
• Add the meat slices, shake and massage the meat really well.
• Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, flipping the bag and massaging the meat every 6-8 hours. Strictly speaking, marination is not necessary, but it makes jerky much more flavorful inside out and tenderizes tougher beef cuts.
• Remove one rack from the oven so you can start hanging the meat slices on it. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300F.
• Hang the meat on the oven rack. The most efficient way is to hang the meat slices vertically, as shown on the picture below. This way you can have about 5 lbs of meat on one rack, properly spaced out.
• Once the oven is preheated to 300F, bring the meat in, close the oven door, turn the temperature down to 275F and bake the meat for 10 minutes. This will bring its internal temperature to the safe level of 160F.
• Drop the temperature further to the lowest setting your oven can go, e.g. 170F. Crack open the oven door and insert a thick wooden spoon to secure it in that position.
• After about 30 minutes, when the temperature in the oven has stabilized at its lowest setting, turn on the convection fan, if you oven has it. It will expedite the drying process. You will have to find a creative way to keep the button down to activate convection.
• Continue drying jerky until it's ready. The jerky is dry enough when it bends without breaking, while surface develops cracks when you bend it. This will take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, depending on whether you use convection and the thickness of meat slices.

HOW TO MAKE BEEF JERKY IN AN OVEN

Steps:

• Pick you favorite type of beef and trim all visible fat. Place the meat in the freezer for 1-2 hours to partially freeze. This allows for easier slicing and more consistent widths.
• Mix all above ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid. Whisk marinade until all brown sugar is dissolved.
• Remove beef from the freezer and slice against the grain between 1/8"-1/4" thick.
• Add sliced beef to the container of marinade and shake well to evenly coat the meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours.
• After marinating, remove and pat dry the strips with paper towels. Either hang from toothpicks or lay the jerky on a cooling rack and place in a 170°F - 200°F preheated oven.
• Prop the door of the oven open with a wooden spoon and bake the jerky for 3-6 hours. Begin checking for doneness at 3 hours.
• The beef jerky will be finished when it bends and cracks, but does not break in half. Allow to cool for several hours before storing in an air tight container.

OVEN BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• For the BBQ jerky: Stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, garlic powder and paprika in a bowl. Thinly slice the frozen beef against the grain. Coat the meat in the mixture. Marinate the meat, refrigerated, for 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a baking rack on top.
• Lay the slices of meat flat on the baking rack in a single layer. Bake until the jerky is completely dried, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
• For the teriyaki jerky: Stir together the soy, sugar, sriracha, Worcestershire, garlic, ginger and lime juice in a resealable plastic bag. Thinly slice the frozen beef against the grain. Place the meat in the bag and marinate the meat, refrigerated, for 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a baking rack on top. Lay the slices of meat flat on the baking rack in a single layer. Bake until the jerky is completely dried, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.