Are you looking for a snack that’s both savory and spicy? Look no further than honey peppered beef jerky. I recently discovered this kind of beef jerky, which has the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
It has the satisfying texture and flavor of beef jerky with a hint of honey that will excite your taste buds. You’ll be hooked after one bite!
Ingredients for Honey Peppered Beef Jerky
- 1 lb. of beef
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp ginger ground
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp curing salt (e.g. Prague Powder #1)
Choosing the Perfect Beef
The cut of the beef you use will affect how long your jerky lasts. The fattier it is, the shorter it will last. We used eye of round, but other cuts like sirloin tip and bottom round could work.
For this recipe, I bought the Eye of Round beef at Walmart for $6.61 per pound.
Preparing the Beef and Marinating
Trimming the Fat
The fat in beef jerky causes it to spoil. So, if you want it to last for a long time, take the fat off.
Removing it is crucial if you wish to have high-quality jerky!
I weighed the meat to find out how much jerky we would have.
Cutting the Beef
When you’ve removed all the fat from the beef, put it in the freezer for one-two hours, so it is easier to cut.
When ice crystals start forming, take it out and slice it into thin strips.
Cut against the grain so that your jerky is more tender and has a better texture.
Marinating the Beef
We are going to put a lot of flavor on our beef. First, mix the ten marinade ingredients until they are well blended.
My suggestion is to use the measuring cup.
Then combine the beef and the marinade in a container. Put it in your fridge for 7 hours minimum, but you can leave it up to 24 hours for more flavor. We left ours overnight.
Time to Dry Your Beef
After you have marinated the beef, you will need to get rid of the extra liquid left.
This could be done by putting the meat on a paper towel for a few minutes. The paper towel will soak up any extra liquid from the meat.
There are three ways to dehydrate beef jerky: in an oven, in an electric smoker, or in a dehydrator.
- 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.
We used a food dehydrator because it’s easy and small. Load the meat strip into the dehydrator and let it do its job!
Dehydrate your jerky at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 – 8 hours. We took 7 hours in our food dehydrator, but yours could take less time or more. It depends on how thick the meat is.
You will end up with around ⅓ of the weight you start with. We started with a pound of beef and ended up with 6.63 oz (188 grams) of beef jerky (see scale below).
Recipe
This recipe serves 5 people.
- preparation time: 30 minutes
- marinade time: 7 hours
- drying time: 7 hours
| Ingredients | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lb. of beef; I choose Eye of round beef, but any could work | $6.61 per 1 lb. at Walmart | |
| 1/4 teaspoon of Prague Powder #1 curing salt | Between $12 and $13 for a 2.5 lb. pack (96 teaspoons per pound means that 1/4 of a teaspoon equates to 0.01 cents) | |
| 1/4 cup soy sauce | $1.52 for a 5 oz. container at Walmart (1/4 cup or 2 oz. = 0.61 cents) | |
| 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce | $1.00 for a 10 oz. container at Walmart (2 tbsp per one oz. equates to 0.10 cents ) | |
| 1/4 cup beef broth | $0.67 for a 14.5 oz. container at Walmart (1/4 cup or 2 oz. = 0.09 cents) | |
| 1/4 cup honey | $2.98 per 12 oz. container at Walmart (1/4 cup or 2 oz. = 0.50 cents) | |
| 1 teaspoon ground black pepper | $3.98 for 3.12 oz. a container at Walmart (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.21 cents per 1 teaspoon) | |
| 1/4 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 or 0.10 cents per 1/4 teaspoon ) | |
| 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes | $0.98 per 1.75 oz. container at Walmart ( 6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.09 cents or 0.045 cents per 1/2 teaspoon ) | |
| 1/2 teaspoon ginger ground | $4 – 5 dollar range for a 1.64 oz. container (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1/2 teaspoon equates to 0.20 cents) | |
| 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil | $4 – 5 dollar range for a 8.4 oz. container (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.08 cents or 0.02 cents per 1/4 teaspoon ) | |
| Total Cost: | $8.50/6.63 oz. (full cost: meat + ingredients) |
Beef Jerky Recipe with Brown Sugar
Are you hunting for a tasty and simple recipe for beef jerky? This is the ideal one! Brown sugar is used in its preparation, giving it a pleasant sweetness and smoky flavor that give it an outstanding flavor. You should always keep some on hand in case you are hungry. Don't forget to try the protein-rich beef jerky with brown sugar, which will sate your appetite!
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- The first step is to trim the fat from your beef.
- Next, cut it into slices that are no more than ¼ inch thick and then slice against or across the grain.
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together.
- Then put beef and marinade in a container or Ziploc bag and place it in the fridge for 6-24 hours.
- Remove excess liquid from the beef with a paper towel.
- Dry your beef in a food dehydrator, oven, or electric smoker at 160 degrees F for 5 – 8 hours; when the beef bend and crack without snapping, it’s ready!
Nutrition
Serving: 37.6g | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.4g | Protein: 28.7g | Fat: 5.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1392mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 17.3g | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 18mg
QUOTE:
"You might be a redneck if you think that beef jerky and moon pies are two of the major food groups."
Peppered Beef Jerky Recipe (Step by Step)
Brown Sugar Beef Jerky: Satisfy Your Cravings with This Recipe
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.