When Making Beef Jerky in Tbe Oven Shoukd You Leave the Oven Door Open

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Homemade Oven Beef Jerky – no special equipment needed! Homemade beef jerky tastes so much better and is much less expensive. Try it today and get your snack on!

Homemade Oven Beef Jerky

Hi guys! I have a very special recipe for you today – it's from my husband, Rocky. He told me he wanted to contribute a recipe to the blog and he even took the photo above!

We've only been married seven months, so I guess you can still call us newlyweds. Much to his delight, I do most of the cooking around here. His favorite meal is myPernil with Puerto Rican Beans. He claims he can't cook, but that's not true at all.

Photo courtesy of Lady Lorraine Photography

He's actually very talented in the kitchen and there are a few other recipes he's invented which we will be sharing in the future. One of his favorite things to eat is beef jerky. It's a great high-protein snack to chew on during the long hours he works.

The one downside is that it's really expensive for a tiny little bag! Luckily, Rocky has been experimenting with making his own oven beef jerky and we're sharing two of our favorite marinades: a traditional spicy and an apple cider-mustard. They are both really good!

I've included lots of pictures to walk you through the process step by step, so this post is very long. But don't worry, oven jerky is really easy to make. Hands-on time is only about 15 minutes!

Start with the beef. You'll need two pounds of beef steak, preferably London broil or top round. Trim the fat (too much moisture) and stick it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. You'll be cutting very thin 1/4-inch slices so firming it up in the freezer will help.

While the beef is in the freezer, prepare one of the marinades listed below. The classic spicy marinade is perfect if you like "original" beef jerky with a little bite. We've tried several different hot sauces and Tapatío is our favorite in this recipe. If you can't get that, Louisiana hot sauce is also good.

The apple cider-mustard marinade is surprisingly delicious! I was skeptical at first, but the cider added a burst of fresh flavor. Use your favorite mustard – we favor Chicago fire mustard or spicy brown in this recipe.

After slicing the beef, place it in a ziploc bag with the marinade and squish it around to coat. For maximum flavor, it's best to let it sit overnight. We usually turn the bag over once, halfway through, to ensure even distribution of spice.

To lay out the jerky we tried several methods. The first was to set a wire baking/cooling rack on a cookie sheet and lay the beef on the rack. This worked fine, but it took much longer to dry out since there was not 360° air circulation. We ended up using the grates from our charcoal grill and setting them directly on the oven racks. You can also set the beef directly on your oven racks, but the gaps can be quite large. Basically, go with what you have!

Before putting the beef in the oven, pat both sides dry with paper towels. Dabbing up the excess moisture will help the beef dry out faster.

Set your oven temperature as low as it will go. 140°F is ideal, but ours bottoms out at 170°F, so we just leave the oven door cracked. Prop it open with a wooden spoon if it won't stay cracked. After two hours, flip the beef over to dry out the other side.

To test the jerky for doneness, we have a very scientific method. By scientific, I mean taking a piece and tasting it for "chew factor." Take a piece and stretch it. Does it stretch or does it give resistance? A done beef jerky will be soft, but have no pull to it. It will be matte and dried out, but not crisp.

Congratulations, you've just made homemade oven beef jerky without having to buy an expensive dehydrator! We love this oven beef jerky version since we can make a large batch at one time.

Ingredients

Classic Spicy Marinade:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup hot sauce
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Apple Cider Mustard Marinade:

• 1 cup hard apple cider
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Beef:

• 2 pounds London broil or top round, trimmed of all fat

Instructions

Freeze the beef for 15-30 minutes. This is not necessary, but makes it easier to slice.

Choose one of the marinades above and combine all the ingredients except the beef. Set aside.

Slice the beef in 1/4-inch strips across the grain. Place in a ziploc bag and pour in the marinade. Squeeze out the excess air and seal. Smoosh meat around to distribute evenly. Place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours, flipping bag over halfway through.

Drain beef and pat dry with a paper towel. Arrange on oven safe racks or grates. Place in oven and set temperature to 140°F or as low as it will go.

Leave the oven door cracked open and let beef dehydrate for 4-5 hours, flipping beef over after 2 hours.

Beef will be dry and chewy when done. Test a piece of meat by bending in half. If it snaps, it's too dry. If it bends in half easily without tearing or stretching, continue to dry it out.

Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

Prep time does not include time for beef to marinate.

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Source: https://www.kitchengidget.com/2016/04/30/homemade-oven-beef-jerky-marinade/

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