Teriyaki Beef Jerky
On December 09, 2020 (Updated April 16, 2022)
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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 Beef Jerky 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 flare. 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.
How to Make Teriyaki Beef 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 from Hey Grill Hey. They each bring their own tasty flavor, and you won’t be able to keep them around for long!
Teriyaki Beef Jerky Recipe
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.
- 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.
**This post was originally published in June 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
I’m using a masterbuilt gravity series lowest is goes is 225 how long should i cook for?
Has anyone tried this recipe for extruded jerky?
I’ve used this recipe a few times and it is my go to now. Super simple and very tasty! I smoke mine in my pellet smoker for about 2-3 hours and it comes out perfect!
What type of wood do you recommend for the teriyaki?
Whatever your favorite is will work fine! I like post oak and hickory.
Made this a few days ago and love it! I smoked this for 4 hours @ 180 in my new PK360 charcoal grill/smoker and it was just right. I added a teaspoon of garlic powder to the marinade and used a small amount of cherry wood for smoke. Next on the list to make is a full beef brisket to share with our friends this weekend. Thank you Hey Grill, Hey for all your great recipes!
Do you cook the marinade before adding the meat? I noticed you do in the Dr. Pepper Jalapeno Beef Jerky.
No, this one does not need to be cooked first.
I plan on using my MES for smoking. I have made marinates for both the Dr. Pepper and Teriyaki recipes ready to go. I have four racks. Any issues in smoking them at the same time?
Shouldn’t be any issues. Just make sure you don’t overlap the jerky and watch for any hot spots during the smoking process so you can rotate the jerky if needed.
I bought a 6 pound top round roast and had the butcher slice it like their own jerky. Half was used for Dr. Pepper Jalapeño and the other half for Teriyaki. The Teriyaki was so much better, although both were wonderful. I think that the difference was the oil content on the Teriyaki, but not really sure. Also, I put Sriracha Sauce on some pieces and wasabi on some pieces just after stretching them out on the grill. If you like it kicked up a notch, those really give it a great spiciness and extra flavor. Hey Grill, Hey has become my go to for recipes and I sure am loving everything I have made.
Should the 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar be packed or loose?
Hello. Can powdered ginger be used in place of fresh, if so how much?
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger for every tablespoon of fresh ginger!