Teriyaki Beef Jerky
On November 05, 2024
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Teriyaki Beef Jerky is a staple snack in our pantry. Tender beef strips marinated in a sweet and tangy homemade teriyaki sauce are perfect for road trips, camping, and snacking. I prefer my jerky smoked, but I’ve included variations for using your oven or dehydrator as well.
Homemade Teriyaki Beef Jerky
Making your own beef jerky just can’t be beat, in my opinion. You get so much flavor when you dry the meat yourself, and you have more control over the final result.
When it comes to making your own beef jerky, it all starts with getting the best cuts of beef for jerky-making. I try to pick a nice roast with very little fat marbling. My first choice is an eye of round roast. After that, I think a top round, sirloin roast, or rump roast would also work well. These cuts do have a bit more fat/gristle, but a lot of times the price is right so I don’t mind.
Slicing Meat for Beef Jerky
I own a meat slicer, and have sliced my own meat for jerky before. If you plan on slicing your own meat, I recommend putting your roast in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. The chilled roast will be more firm and you will get a much better result with more even slices. If you aren’t slicing at home, find a good butcher and buy your roast from them. They will be more than happy to do the slicing for you!
I slice my jerky against the grain. In my opinion, this makes the jerky easier to chew and eat. Some people prefer cutting with the grain because once it is dry you get those nice long strands of jerky that you can tear off and work through. I’ve also heard people mention that slicing with the grain can cause your jerky to fall apart, but I haven’t experienced that personally. In fact, all of the pictures for this recipe are of jerky that is sliced against the grain and it held up great with an awesome bite.
Teriyaki Marinade
Once your meat is sliced and ready to go, it’s time to build the teriyaki marinade! With all good marinades, you need a balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. This has all of the right elements with a slight Asian inspired flair. I recommend marinating your jerky for 8-10 hours, but many people prefer to marinate for 24 hours (or even 48) to really strengthen the flavors. This will make the jerky quite a bit saltier too, so keep that in mind. Here’s what you’ll need to assemble for this marinade:
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1-inch knob fresh ginger
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
An optional addition is to add 1 teaspoon of Instacure #1 (also called Prague powder #1 or Pink Salt) to the marinade recipe. 1 teaspoon of cure will distribute through the marinade and cure up to 5 pounds of meat. Because this recipe calls for a 2-3 pound roast you can get away with using 1/2 teaspoon of cure. If you are making 5 pounds, double the entire marinade recipe and add 1 full teaspoon of the curing salt. The cure will extend the shelf life of the beef jerky and also make it shelf stable.
If you don’t use the curing salt, your finished jerky will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight bag. If you do use the cure, your jerky can last up to 2 weeks at room temperature in an airtight bag.
Methods for Making Jerky
This jerky can be dried in a variety of ways, either in a smoker, oven, or designated dehydrator. Here’s how to get tasty jerky from each:
- Smoker. I have several smokers at my disposal and my favorite for jerky is my pellet grill. I can maintain temperatures around 160-180 degrees F the entire time. This allows the jerky to slowly cook through while smoking.
- Oven. If you’re without a smoker, you can still dehydrate your jerky in your oven by laying out your jerky on a cooling rack that has been set on top of a baking sheet. Follow the same time and temperature listed in the recipe, but leave the door of your oven slightly cracked so the moisture can escape and your jerky can dry properly. I like to do this by placing a wooden spoon in the door to keep it propped open. It’ll just be missing that reddish color and smoky flavor.
- Dehydrator. If you are using a dehydrator, please read the instructions accompanying your machine. Every dehydrator works differently and the timeline will be unique to your machine. Most will dehydrate jerky in a few hours, very similar to using an oven.
The real secret, whether smoker, oven, or dehydrator, is to prep your jerky before drying. Removing the meat from the marinade and patting off the excess moisture is crucial for even cooking. I like to layer my jerky strips between paper towels and thoroughly pat dry. If you want a little extra something, now is a great time to dust with some additional sesame seeds.
More Beef Jerky Recipes
If you liked this recipe for teriyaki beef jerky, you’re sure to love these other tasty jerky recipes. They each bring their own tasty flavor, and you won’t be able to keep them around for long. You can find them all (and more) in your Recipe Library and the Hey Grill Hey App. For now, here are some favorites to try next:
Teriyaki Beef Jerky Recipe
Follow the recipe card for tender Teriyaki Beef Jerky, and tell me about your experience making it in the comments section. If you want to be the first to know when new recipes are available to try at home, make sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Hey Grill Hey is here to help make you a Backyard BBQ Hero.
Teriyaki Beef Jerky
Ingredients
- 1 2-3 pound eye of round roast sliced thin against the grain
Teriyaki Marinade
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 inch knob fresh ginger sliced
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the beef. Transfer the sliced beef to a gallon sized zip top bag and pour in the ingredients for the marinade. Massage the marinade into the meat and refrigerate for at least 8-12 hours, or up to 24 hours.1 2-3 pound eye of round roast, 1 cup soy sauce, ½ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 1 inch knob fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat your oven or smoker. Preheat your smoker or oven to approximately 170 degrees F. Follow any preheating or preparation instructions if using a dehydrator.
- Smoke the marinated meat. Remove the meat from the marinade and dry each strip thoroughly by laying on paper towels. Transfer the strips to the grill grate, jerky rack, or cooling rack and smoke/cook for 2-3 hours (depending on the thickness of your slices, some thicker pieces can take 4-5 hours). Check often after the first hour to be sure your jerky is drying evenly. You may need to move pieces around on the grates if some are dying faster than others. You are looking for jerky that is firm and still slightly pliable, but not soft and squishy. If you bend your jerky and it breaks, you've cooked it a little too long.
- Steam the jerky, store, and enjoy. Place the finished jerky in a gallon zip top bag while it is still warm. Don't seal closed all the way. The jerky will steam in the bag slightly and this step will make the jerky moist. The jerky will last 2 weeks in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**I originally published this post in June 2018, but recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. However, the recipe remains the same.
Why do you pat dry with paper towel?? Seems like you would be wiping some of the flavor away.
To cut down on drying time. You want the meat as dry as you can before cooking it, it has already absorbed a ton of flavor from the marinade.
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it! Been interested in a dehydrator, what brand do you recommend?
I’m excited for you to try this! I actually use a smoker to make my jerky, so unfortunately I don’t have a dehydrator I would recommend.
What kind of wood do you use for this jerky?
I use a mixture of oak and cherry
Would you say it’s pretty much a 50/50 mixture between oak and cherry? I am planning to make this and also your Dr. Pepper jalapeño jerky! How long do you think this stuff would last if I vacuum seal it? It’d probably be alright going in the freezer too after vacsealing, eh?
When you smoke the jerky do you use a water pan?
I don’t use a water pan when I smoke this jerky.
Thank you. I am making some to take scouting with me.
for beef jerky , do you uses pork or cow ?
Beef is cow. Hope that helps!
Hahahahahahaha!
Hello…I noticed there was no curing salt in this recipe…what is the shelf life if I make this jerky.
Hey Mark, the option for using curing salt is actually just written in the post up there. If you don’t use curing salt, this will last in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Susie,
Once you have your slicer, will you do a review for us? Love your site, have learned much.
Sandy
Susie,
Can you recommend a meat slicer?
Thanks,
Sandy
Hi Sandy-
I have a Cabela’s slicer that I don’t love, so I’m actually looking at upgrading too. I’ve been hearing good things about the Chefs Choice slicers. I’ve defaulted to asking the butcher to slice it for me until I get a new one.
We bought the AKG one from Amazon. we can slice from paper thin to about 7/8 of an inch for steaks. Very reasonably priced and we love it
I went out and got an inexpensive Della slicer at Fry’s and it works great. Just saying
It’s better making it at home,, than buying beef jerky’s
Just put my marinade in the fridge. Pumped for tomorrow. Do I need to pat it with paper towels if I’m using a charcoal smoker? Thanks
Yes. All of that extra moisture will slow the drying process and may make some parts of the meat dry slower than others.
Now I know why I should pat dry it with paper towels. Thanks!
Hi I been making this jerky for a while but also also also I make habanero black pepper lemon pepper also that Dr Pepper you show friends like it