Teriyaki Beef Jerky

Sweet, savory, and dangerously snackable, once you discover how easy it is to make your own Teriyaki Beef Jerky, you’ll never go back to store-bought again!

Beef jerky is one of our favorite trail snacks because it’s loaded with protein and keeps us powered for hours. We’ll burn through a carb-heavy granola bar in 20 minutes, but a few strips of jerky can keep us going until meal time. The only problem is it can be expensive to buy from the store. But now that we’ve purchased our own dehydrator, it just takes little foresight and we can have all the beef jerky we want!

What is the best meat for beef jerky?

When dehydrating meat it’s recommended to find the leanest possible cut. Fat might be where the flavor is at, but it doesn’t dehydrate well. So we look for cuts like eye of round, top round or bottom round. If it comes as a roast, we partially freeze the meat to make it easier to cut and slice it into small ⅛” – ¼” thick medallions. If it comes in steaks, we cut widthwise into thin strips.

Teriyaki Beef Jerky Marinade

This recipe tries to replicate the classic teriyaki flavor of store-bought jerky by using fresh ingredients. Of course, you could use your favorite premade Teriyaki sauce if you like, but we prefer to make it from scratch ourselves.

Our biggest gripe about most store-bought teriyaki beef jerky is that the teriyaki flavor itself is too bold. It’s fine for one or two pieces, but it quickly wears out its welcome. Our recipe produces a milder, more subtle teriyaki flavor, which we find to be more suitable for beef jerky. The last thing we want to is to make a large batch of jerky, only to be burnt out on it after a few pieces.

Including the Prague powder #1 in the marinade is optional, but it can help the jerky last longer as it acts as a preservative. Or, if you prefer to avoid additional preservatives, just leave it out.

How to Make Beef Jerky in a Dehydrator

Mix the beef into the marinade, seal completely, and let sit 12-24 hours in the refrigerator. Once it’s ready, load it up on the dehydrator racks and turn the temperature to 145F. We cook ours for about 4-6 hours, depending on how thick the cuts are. At around 4 hours, we start taking out the thinner slices so they don’t overcook, patting down any oil that might have risen to the surface.

After the jerky has dried in the dehydrator, we do a post-dry heat in the oven to ensure it’s safe, in accordance with the OSU Extension/Pacific Northwest Extension’s guide to making safe jerky. To do this, we transfer the jerky to a baking sheet and place it in a pre-heated 275F oven for 10 minutes.

At the end, we have a giant batch of delicious homemade beef jerky that should last us way longer than it actually does!

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Fresh Off The Grid

Teriyaki Beef Jerky

5 from 49 ratings

This homemade beef jerky recipe is a sweet and savory snack for your next adventure! The fresh teriyaki marinade loads the jerky with tons of great flavor, and it couldn’t be easier to make.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Marinating time 12 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients Equipment Instructions Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 pound eye of round or top round
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger (from fresh or pre-grated)
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 2 cloves, or pre-minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Optional

• ¼ teaspoon Prague powder #1 or Instacure #1 (optional!)

Equipment

• Dehydrator
• Dehydrator Mesh Liner

Instructions

 

1. Slice the meat into ⅛ – ¼ inch thick pieces, removing as much visible fat as possible. Place in a large zip-top bag and set aside.
2. Mix the soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, minced ginger & garlic, salt, and Prague powder, if using, in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Pour into the zip-top bag with the meat, taking care to ensure that the meat is evenly coated. Place in the fridge to marinate 12-24 hours.
3. After the meat has marinated, place the strips onto your dehydrator trays. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Dehydrate at 145° for 4-6 hours, until the meat has dried. The general rule of thumb is if you bend a piece and it bends and cracks, it’s done.
4. Use tongs to transfer the jerky to a baking sheet so that they are not touching or overlapping one another. Heat them in a preheated 275°F oven for 10 minutes.
5. Remove and set aside to cool completely before placing in an airtight container.

Storage

1. Jerky will last 1-2 months in a sealed container at room temperature, 3–6 months in the refrigerator, and up to 1 year in the freezer.¹

Notes

Can I omit or substitute the mirin? Yes! The mirin adds some subtle flavor, but if you don’t have it in your pantry, feel free to leave it out. You can add an equal amount of water in its place to thin out the marinade a bit.

Do I need to use the Prauge powder/Insta Cure? This is definitely optional. It can extend the shelf life, but properly dried jerky will still last up to a month in an airtight container at room temperature—and longer if you put it in the fridge, even without the addition of preservatives.

1) Source: OSU Extension Service/Pacific Northwest Extension (8/2020). Making Jerky at Home Safely. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/pnw-632-making-jerky-home-safely

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Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 188kcalProtein: 9g

Nutrition is an estimate based on information provided by a third-party nutrition calculator

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