Cajun recipes are popular in today’s kitchen for their unique blending of various cultural flavorings. Cajun beef jerky is a spicy and flavorful variation of the traditional beef jerky recipe.
Adding cajun spices gives the jerky a unique flavor that is perfect for those who enjoy a little bit of spice in their food. It stands to reason, then, that a beef jerky recipe is a perfect place to add a Cajun flair.
This recipe is easy to make and can be made in large batches so that you can have plenty of jerky on hand for snacks or sharing with friends.
Ingredients for Cajun Beef Jerky
Cajun beef jerky is easy to make at home and requires no special equipment or ingredients.
Before you start making peppered beef jerky, make sure that you have the following ingredients:
- 1 lb. of beef
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of powdered crab/shrimp boil
- 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup of soy sauce
- ¼ cup of teriyaki sauce
I chose to use eye of round beef for this recipe, which I purchased at Walmart for $6.84/lb.
If it contains any fat, it’s necessary to cut it.
In order to determine how much jerky we would have after dehydrating, I weighed my meat before cooking.
Also, I sliced the beef into strips between 1/8th and 1/4th of an inch.
When you’re done slicing, make your marinade, which is a mixture of the ingredients appearing above (less your beef).
I use a measuring cup for measuring ingredients.
When you’re ready, place your beef strips in the marinade, making sure that each piece is fully covered for maximum flavor for 6 – 24 hours. The longer you keep the beef and marinade in the fridge, the better the flavors will absorb into the meat.
Dehydrate Your Slices
After marinating the beef you’ll need to drain any excess liquid by placing the beef on a paper towel.
Ready your cooking trays and carefully arrange the beef slices so that there’s room between each cut of meat.
As with any jerky recipe, pay special attention so that you don’t overlap the strips, or they won’t dehydrate properly.
You can use either your food dehydrator or oven for this, but a dehydrator is recommended.
- Dry your jerky evenly without the hassle of rotating trays.
- Keep your oven free for dinner while your next batch of jerky dries.
- Make a bigger jerky stash by expanding to twelve trays. Extra trays are sold separately.
Next, dry the beef at 160° F for a few hours. Five to seven hours is standard, but the length can vary depending on your dehydrator.
I’d also recommend that you check the beef as it dries, turning over any slices that don’t appear wet.
After cooking, my jerky weighs 6.8 oz or 194 grams.
Recipe
This recipe serves 5 people and requires me 13 hours and 30 minutes to make.
- preparation time: 30 minutes
- marinade time: 8 hours
- drying time: 7 hours
| Ingredients | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lb. of beef; I choose eye of round beef, but any could work | $6.84 per 1 lb. at Walmart | |
| 1 teaspoon powdered crab/shrimp boil | $5.95 for a 3 oz. container at Walmart (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.33 cents) | |
| 1/2 cup soy sauce | $1.52 for a 15 oz. container at Walmart (1/2 cup or 4 oz. = 0.40 cents) | |
| 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce | $1.00 for a 10 oz. container at Walmart (1/4 cup or 2 oz. = 0.40 cents) | |
| ¼ cup of teriyaki sauce | $12-13 dollar range for 2 pk 10 oz. each (1/4 cup or 2 oz. = $1.20 cents) | |
| 1 teaspoon onion powder | Between $4 and $5 for a 1.73 oz. container (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.38 cents) | |
| 1 teaspoon garlic powder | Between $4 and $5 for a 2.33 oz. container (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.28 cents) | |
| Total Cost: | $9.83/6.8 oz. (full cost: meat + ingredients) |
Shot Instruction
Cajun Beef Jerky Recipe
Cajun recipes are popular in today’s kitchen for their unique blending of various cultural flavorings. Cajun beef jerky is a spicy and flavorful variation of the traditional beef jerky recipe.
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- One pound of beef should be sliced into strips that are between 1/8 and 1/4 inch wide
- Prepare your marinade by mixing the ingredients for 6–24 hours. The longer the beef is kept in the refrigerator, the better it will taste of the marinade
- Place the steak on the paper towels to dry it. Prepare your cooking trays, then place the beef slices on the prepared trays with space between each piece of meat
- The meat should be dried at 160° F for a few hours. The average time is between five and seven hours. However, your dehydrator might need more or less time
Nutrition
Serving: 38.8g | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.4g | Protein: 30.3g | Fat: 5.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 980mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 5.2g | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 18mg
QUOTE:
"You might be a redneck if you think that beef jerky and moon pies are two of the major food groups."
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About the Author
Charles Joseph
In 2017, a good friend introduced me to the most amazing beef jerky I had ever tasted. And his source was from the most unexpected of places--a random guy in Thailand whom he had met while living there. Although I had been eating jerky since as far back as I could remember, I was genuinely blown away by the flavor. I realized the best beef jerky doesn't come from a store. This experience inspired me to create Beef Jerky Hub and put into writing all the things I've since learned about this amazing food. If you're interested, you can read more about my story here.