Intro

If you’re looking to create your own beef jerky and don't have a food dehydrator, then you've come to the right place. With the right ingredients and know-how, you can make delicious and healthy beef jerky right at home in your conventional oven. Let's get started on making some savoury homemade beef jerky.

Ingredients & Supplies Needed

To make beef jerky at home you'll need a few basic ingredients and supplies. The most important ingredient is the meat, so be sure to start with high-grade, grass-fed beef. The cut of beef is important too, and we think it's best to select a cut without too much fat – a topside or flank is perfect (we use topside). Once you've sourced your beef, you'll need the following ingredients for your marinade:

• Worcestershire sauce
• Soy sauce
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Black pepper
• Sugar (optional)
• Salt

Once you've got these sorted, gather up a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or foil), a bowl for marinating the meat, and wax paper (for drying).

Marination & Cooking Process

Once you have all of your ingredients ready to go, it's time to start marinating your beef. We'll split this section into steps so it's easy to follow:

1. Start by slicing the beef steak into thin strips that are about 1cm thick; this will give you a more consistent texture throughout.
2. Mix together all of your dry seasonings in a bowl, then add in your wet ingredients and mix.
3. Add your sliced meat to the mixture and make sure it is evenly coated on all sides.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours so that the flavours really sink into each strip of beef—the longer it sits in the marinade, the more intense your beef jerky flavour will be!
5. After marinating, preheat your oven to 100°C (or as low as your oven allows).
6. Line up each piece of marinated meat onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil (this will help prevent sticking during cooking)
7. Place them in the oven for 3-4 hours until they reach an internal temperature of 100°C; this ensures that any bacteria are killed off safely before eating.
8. After they have finished cooking remove them from the oven and let cool completely before transferring them onto wax paper; this helps absorb any extra moisture that was left behind after cooking.
9. Enjoy!

Conclusion

Making homemade beef jerky is not as hard as you might think, and the results can be incredibly rewarding. With a few key ingredients, you'll be well on your way to mastering your beef jerky process and experimenting with new flavours.

Check out our range of beef jerky flavours today for some inspiration, and be sure to sign up to the mailing list for 20% off your first order.