Smoked Beef Jerky

A Family Favorite All Year Long

My family absolutely loves this beef jerky recipe! I started experimenting with various jerky recipes almost 20 years ago when my husband and I took our kids camping for the very first time. Not only was it the kids’ first camping trip, but it was mine as well. I was a bit nervous, to say the least. But, in my mind, nothing says camping like homemade beef jerky. My childhood best friend Lisa and her family made homemade jerky. When I was lucky enough I got a piece and there was nothing like it. So, darn it! I was going to figure out how to make a good jerky. While we were sitting beneath the Giant California Redwoods, beef jerky never tasted so good! This recipe has been used to make bags of jerky for our kids while they were in college as an addition to a care package, or to fuel them during midterms and finals. Now, I try to have some on hand when they come home for a visit, or as a snack when we are skiing or hiking. I hope you find yourself creating memories right alongside your jerky. It’s super simple AND healthy, so don’t be afraid to give it a try!

Published Date:

March 14, 2018

Created By: ♥Tina Buenzli at Triumph Over Health

Prep Time:

10 minutes + Refrigeration overnight

Cook Time:

Approximately 8 hours. Check at 6 hours for small thin pieces

Serving Size:

6-8 depending on how much self control you have

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Grass-fed and finished flank steak, sliced very thin. (Note: you can use another type of beef, however I have found through trial and error that flank has the most flavor and doesn’t get too tough to eat.) You can find my favorite source of grass-fed meat and poultry HERE
1/4 cup Coconut aminos
2 Tablespoons organic Grade A maple syrup or raw honey
2 Tablespoons All Natural Liquid smoke
1 teaspoon Braggs apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
Optional: 1 teaspoon dry mustard
Optional: If you like things spicy, consider omitting the mustard and add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Note: Always presume all ingredients listed are organic and/or as natural as can be (GMO and pesticide free).

Note: It's easy to get confused when reading food labels today. To save you research time and frustration, I have linked as often as possible to my favorite brands. These same products and 1000's more can be found HERE. My favorite non-toxic kitchen equipment is also linked below, as well as many more HERE.

Kitchen Tools:

Directions:

If you haven’t gotten the meat sliced at a butcher (which I highly recommend since it makes this recipe so quick to prep), then slice the meat against the grain very thin.
Place all the meat into a glass bowl that has a secure lid.
Whisk up all the rest of the ingredients into a small bowl, then pour over the beef.
Mix the beef around so the liquid completely surrounds it all and has begun to soak into the meat.
Cover the glass bowl with a lid, then place in the refrigerator overnight.
The next morning, take each piece of beef, shake off the liquid, and place in a single layer on each layer of the dehydrator.
Set Dehydrator at 145 degrees.
Cook the jerky for about 8 hours. Check at 6 hours for small/thin pieces.
The jerky is done when the beef looks cooked through and completely dehydrated.
Enjoy every bite!

Allergy/Health Information:

100% grass-fed and finished beef has a lot of great protein and amino acids that the body needs periodically to function well. If you are on an Autoimmune Paleo Diet, please omit the mustard and the cayenne pepper because these two ingredients can effect those most sensitive.

More Healthy Snack Recipes:

Gluten-free Protein Cookie

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Breakfast Power Shake

Best Ever Paleo Sandwich Bread

(Suggestion: Serve with organic, raw almond butter and local, raw honey, or with hummus and microgreens )