Soft & Tender Homemade Beef Jerky
Martina Slajerova- Ready in 6h
- 0.4 g net carbs
- 161 kcal
- Serves 8
This post may contain affiliate links, see our disclaimer.
Making your own beef jerky is easier than you think. Unlike most store-bought products, my recipe is free of sugar and preservatives. I used minced meat because it's easier to work with and the end result is more tender than the more common sliced beef jerky.
Jerky is the ideal snack when travelling, and even be part of a complete meal when paired with healthy keto salad like Guacamole. I usually make two batches at once and store it in a ziploc bag in the freezer.
I hope you like this recipe - don't forget to check out my other video recipes!
Recipe Tips
Try this jerky with:
Note: Nutrition facts are estimated and depend on the amount of fat and juices that are lost during the cooking process.
Step-by-step
Place all the ingredients in a bowl: minced meat, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, salt and coconut aminos. Mix using your hands.
Note: Since your oven will be on for 4-5 hours, make 2-3 batches at once!
Place the meat mix on top of a strong parchment paper or a heatproof baking mat and press down using your hands to flatten. Use a rolling pin and roll out until you get a rectangular shape, about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick.
Pre-cut the jerky into thin slices using a pizza cutter. Place in the oven preheated to 90 °C/ 190 °F and cook for 4-5 hours, until dry. Drain the excess juices every 2 hours. Flipping the jerky on the other side half way through the cooking process will speed up the drying.
If you decide to make two batches of beef jerky, make sure you use two baking sheets - each for one batch. You could also use a dehydrator and dry on a higher temperature setting.
When done, remove from the oven and let it cool down for 5 minutes. Using a pizza cutter, slice the pre-cut jerky. Let it cool down at room temperature.
Storage: Properly dehydrated jerky is travel-friendly. Keep it in a sealed jar or a Ziploc bag at room temperature for to 3-4 months.
Eat by itself or with low-carb dips like Guacamole, Baba Ganoush or Cheesy Low-Carb Dip.
You can reserve the meat juices for cooking - it will add flavour to your meals! Simply pour in a jar and keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Recipe
Soft & Tender Homemade Beef Jerky
★★★★★4.7Making your own beef jerky is easier than you think. Unlike most store-bought products, my recipe is free of ...
- Hands on
- 15m
- Overall
- 6h
- Servings
- 8
- 0.4 g
- Net carbs
- 10.8 g
- Protein
- 12.5 g
- Fat
- 161
- kcal
Ingredients makes 16 slices, 8 servings
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a bowl: minced meat, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, salt and coconut aminos. Mix using your hands.
Note: Since your oven will be on for 4-5 hours, make 2-3 batches at once!Place the meat mix on top of a strong parchment paper or a heatproof baking mat and press down using your hands to flatten. Use a rolling pin and roll out until you get a rectangular shape, about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick.
Pre-cut the jerky into thin slices using a pizza cutter. Place in the oven preheated to 90 °C/ 190 °F and cook for 4-5 hours, until dry. Drain the excess juices every 2 hours. Flipping the jerky on the other side half way through the cooking process will speed up the drying.
If you decide to make two batches of beef jerky, make sure you use two baking sheets - each for one batch. You could also use a dehydrator and dry on a higher temperature setting.When done, remove from the oven and let it cool down for 5 minutes. Using a pizza cutter, slice the pre-cut jerky. Let it cool down at room temperature.
Storage: Properly dehydrated jerky is travel-friendly. Keep it in a sealed jar or a Ziploc bag at room temperature for to 3-4 months.Eat by itself or with low-carb dips like Guacamole, Baba Ganoush or Cheesy Low-Carb Dip.
You can reserve the meat juices for cooking - it will add flavour to your meals! Simply pour in a jar and keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving, 2 slices
Carbs 1%Protein 27%Fat 72% of calories
- Net carbs
- 0.4 g
- Total carbs
- 0.5 g
- Fiber
- 0.1 g
- Sugars
- 0 g
- Protein
- 10.8 g
- Fat
- 12.5 g
- Saturated fat
- 4.7 g
- Calories
- 161 kcal
- Sodium
- 341 mg · 14.8% RDA
- Magnesium
- 13 mg · 3.13% RDA
- Potassium
- 203 mg · 10.2% EMR
Nutrition by ingredient
| Per 2 slices | Net carbs | Protein | Fat | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, minced (ground), raw, grass-fed | 0 g | 10.7 g | 12.5 g | 159 |
| Onion powder, spices | 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Garlic powder, spices | 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Paprika, spices | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Pepper, black, spices | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Coconut aminos (substitute to soy sauce) | 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Total | 0.4 g | 10.8 g | 12.5 g | 161 |
Serving size 2 slices
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Egg free
- Nut free
- Pork free
- Avocado free
- Coconut free
- Fish free
- Shellfish free
You may also like
The Best Low-Carb Homemade Beef Jerky
Keto Crack Slaw - Egg Roll in a Bowl
Low-Carb German Pork Frikadellen
Low-Carb Homemade Turkey Jerky
Low-Carb Corned Beef & Egg Hash
Easy Low-Carb Marinara Meatballs
Easy Keto Reuben Egg Muffins
Keto Palmini Spaghetti Bolognese
Keto Bacon Twists 5 Ways
Quick Keto Taco Beef with Cauli-Rice
Super Simple Keto Chili
Low-Carb Greek Feta Burgers
Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Cups
Low-Carb Beef Vindaloo
Crispy Multiseed Keto Crackers
Bunless Big Mac Burger
Comments & ratings (39)
I didn’t have the aminos and thought I could use liquid smoke instead. I quickly realized just by the smell that it’d be too strong, so I added more beef and adjusted the spices. I used a bit soya sauce too, but not much because I was concerned about it being too salty. My batch is still short of liquid at the moment. Is it ok to dehydrate it with less liquid? If not, do I add more soya sauce, or something with less salt? I have 7 lbs of it in the fridge now, so I want to make sure I won’t mess ut up.
I'm sorry, I totally missed this comment! Please tell me you didn't have to waste the meat, I hope it went well. You can definitely dehydrate it with less liquid - the added liquids are only about flavor so it's good you used less as it would likely make the jerky too salty.
I’ve never seen a jerky recipe that didn’t include curing salt.
Maybe it's time to try one 😊
Hi, I was trying to find a sugar-free keto friendly beef jerky recipe so, so far so good 😊
But what about the onion and garlic powder, can I opt them out? I'm not into those tastes.
Will it affect the preservation? I understand that the dehydration, salt and tamari does the preservation work, right?
Thanks a lot!
Absolutely! You can either skip the spices or use anything else you like. I'd keep the coconut aminos in but not essential - you still have salt to help here. Totally your call, it only affects the flavour 😊
What settings would I use for a dehydrator? Can’t wait to try it out!
I've never used a dehydrator but I suppose there may be some regular jerky recipes online where you could find which setting is ideal?
I usually set my dehydrator for 160 degrees when making beef jerky. I made a batch similar to this recipe using ground beef a few days ago, and it took 10 hours.
Hi, these look so easy to make! I will definitely try them! My question is, we are planing a week long hike in the summer, was wondering if these will be ok to take? No refrigeration.. Thanks 😊
Yes, as long as these are completely dehydrated they will last for months without refrigeration.
I added some chile powder and cumin and it was fantastic. Great snack for travelling! Will be making it again.
I tried the beef jerky - followed recipe exactly. Terrible!! Much, much better using dehydrator & slicing beef (marinate any way you want first).
I'm a bit concerned about bacteria in minced beef. When making jerky I buy freshly sliced beef to minimise bacteria on the surface, and there is far more surface area in minced beef. Do you think this is an issue?
It's safe as long as you buy meat from trusted sources. Dehydration (removing water from the meat) helps preserve it.
Can you use less salt? I'm thinking that the end product would be to salty
Yes, you can use less salt if you like - just make sure to use some.
hi
I'm interested in making my own jerky and came upon your blog;
I like that your recipe is simple and I have access to all the ingredients, however, not a fan of soy sauce or coconut; is there something else you could recommend to use in place of coconut amino?
thanks
jan
I'm sorry for the late response! The coconut aminos actually doesn't taste like coconut at all. You could try fish sauce instead (in that case only use 1/2 tsp salt).
I've added a link to your blog on my Fat Secret journal so all my Fat Secret peeps can check out your blog. 😊
Thank you Andi!
On the beef jerky can i use regular liquid aminos.
Hi Deborah, I would avoid regular aminos as it's made from soy (for more, see Complete Keto Diet Food List: What to Eat and Avoid on a Low-Carb Diet)
Are coconut amines essential?
You can skip it or use fish sauce instead - it's used just for flavour.
My jerky shriveled up in size. How did you get yours to stay thin? Does the meat itself have anything to do with it?
Hi Stephanie, I rolled it out quite thin (about 1/2 cm) and it's better to use leaner meat because the fat will cook out anyway. If the meat is too high in fat, it may affect the texture. Was it completely dehydrated?
Is there a fat content you recommend for jerky? I know if you use too lean of meat, hamburgers don't stick together!
It's the opposite for beef jerky. The leaner the better 😊
How can I make this beef jerky if the lowest temperature my oven offers is 150 C?
That's too high for beef jerky - do you have a dehydrator?
Martina, how do you cook this in a dehydrator? Thanks for the recipe; I'm trying it today. And thank you for recommending the coconut aminos. I try and avoid soy. 😊
Hi Andi, I haven't tried using a dehydrator but I've seen some recipes online.
Am so grateful to have a beef jerky without sugar. Will be done in 4hrs... can't wait! Made your awesome Baba Ganoush too so can't wait to use it for dipping! Again thank you for another great recipe that's easy to make. Am most appreciative! 👍👍👍
Thank you for your kind words, Marybeth! 😊
Is there a substitute for the coconut aminos? I know the coconut aminos were originally a substitute for something else, but have forgotten--I've been keto brain-washed! Hubby can't do coconut.
Yes, you can use soy sauce - fermented soy products are fine in moderation.
It looks easy and delicious! Is "minced meat" what US customers would call "ground beef"? Or is minced meat something different altogether? Thank you for the recipe!!
Yes, that's correct, minced beef = ground beef 😊