The rich, smooth taste of whiskey and the hearty, savory flavor of beef: could there be a more perfect combination?
This crowd-pleasing Jack Daniels beef jerky is sure to be a hit at your next party… that is if you don’t devour it all before the guests arrive!
Jack Daniels Beef Jerky Ingredients
The first step is to check if you have the following ingredients:
- 1lb of beef
- 1/4 tsp Prague Powder #1 curing salt
- 2 tsp liquid smoke hickory
- 1 tsp molasses
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Picking the Perfect Beef
Your choice of beef makes a big difference in the quality of your jerky.
The number-one thing to remember is that fat makes beef jerky spoil. Choosing a lean cut of beef will reduce your workload and result in longer-lasting beef jerky.
We used pre-sliced bottom round steak to make our Jack Daniels beef jerky.
Bottom round steak contains very little fat, and buying pre-sliced beef is a real time-saver!
Thin slices dry much faster than hand-cut thicker slices, and you don’t need to freeze or cut them yourself.
But if you’d like to use a different cut, try eye of round, sirloin tip, top round or flank steak. And if you don’t mind slicing your own strips, buying a whole cut can save you money and broaden your selection at the grocery store. It should be approximately one pound.
Or about 450 grams.
Prepping the Beef
Removing the Fat
Whether or not you buy pre-sliced beef, you may still need to trim the fat before making your jerky.
Remove as much of the fat as you can. Your beef jerky will last longer and taste better, so it’s well worth the effort.
If you’re using pre-sliced beef, you can skip ahead to “Marinating the Beef” now. Otherwise, keep reading!
Freezing the Beef
This step is optional, but we highly recommend putting your beef in the freezer for 1-2 hours before slicing it.
Chilling the beef makes it easier to cut into thin slices. It won’t give way as easily under the pressure of the knife, so you’ll be able to make cleaner cuts.
Remove the beef from the freezer when it’s just beginning to form ice crystals on the surface. It should be firmer than usual but still slightly pliable.
Slicing the Beef
Cut the beef into slices no greater than ¼ inch thick. Be aware that thicker slices will take longer to dehydrate!
When slicing, cut the beef against the grain, not with it. Cutting against the grain will produce jerky that’s easier to chew; many people find that jerky that’s cut with the grain isn’t tender enough.
Marinating the Beef
To make the marinade, simply mix all the ingredients together in a separate container. To make the proportions accurate, I always use a measuring cup.
Feel free to adjust to your taste — add more black pepper for a little extra kick, or less brown sugar to tone down the sweetness.
Layer your beef strips in a container, then pour the marinade over and mix well.
Place the container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Allow a minimum of 6 hours for the beef to absorb the marinade.
Drying the Beef Jerky
You can dry your beef jerky in an oven or electric smoker, but we recommend using a food dehydrator. I bought mine on Amazon. It’s a compact, inexpensive and easy-to-use device that’s perfect for making beef jerky,
- 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.
Remove the beef strips and lay them on a paper towel for a few minutes to absorb the excess marinade. Then arrange them in a single layer on your dehydrator trays.
Dry your beef jerky in the dehydrator at 160 degrees F for 4-7.5 hours. Our thin slices dried in 4.5 hours; thicker slices will need more time.
Your jerky is done when you can bend it slightly and it cracks without snapping. If it doesn’t crack, it needs more time; if it breaks, it’s been in for too long.
You’ll end up with around ⅓ of the beef’s original weight in jerky. Our pound of beef turned into 5.7 ounces ( 161 g. ) of Jack Daniels beef jerky.
Recipe
Makes 5 servings Preparation Time: 30 minutes Marinade Time: 6-24 hours, average 7 hours Drying Time: 4-7.5 hours, average 6 hours
| Ingredients | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 lb beef — Bottom round steak thin (any could work) | $6.82 per 1 lb. at Walmart |
| 1/4 teaspoon 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) |
| 2 teaspoon liquid smoke hickory | $1.34 for a 4 oz. container at Walmart ( 6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.06 cents and 0.12 cents per 2 teaspoons ) |
| 1 teaspoon molasses | $8-9 dollar range for a 9.75 oz. container ( 6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 tsp equates to 0.14 cents ) |
| 1/4 cup bourbon | $25-30 dollar range for 13 oz. buttle (1/4 cup or 2 oz. = $3.8 ) |
| 2 tablespoon brown sugar | $2.17 for 2lb. container at Walmart ( 31 tbsp. per pound means that 2 tbsp. equates to 0.07 cents ) |
| 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper | $4.48 per 3.12 oz. container at Walmart ( 6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.24 cents ) |
| 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce | $1.00 for a 10 oz. container at Walmart ( 2 tbsp per oz. – 0.20 cents ) |
| 2 tablespoon soy sauce | $1.52 for a 5 oz. container at Walmart ( 2 tbsp per oz. – 0.30 cents ) |
| Total Cost: | $11.7/5.7oz. (full cost: meat + ingredients) |
Step-By-Step Instructions
Jack Daniels Beef Jerky Recipe
Even though Duke's beef jerky is a staple of the snack aisle, you can't always head to the shop whenever you have a need for it. What should a craver of jerky do? Of course, make it yourself!
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim the fat from your beef.
- If not using pre-sliced beef, freeze for 1-2 hours, then cut into slices no thicker than ¼ inch.
- Combine marinade ingredients in a measuring cup.
- Add beef and marinade to a container and place in the fridge for 6-24 hours.
- Remove excess marinade with a paper towel.
- Dry beef in a food dehydrator at 160 degrees F for 4-5 hours (thin strips) or 5-7.5 hours (thick strips)
Nutrition
Serving: 32.2g | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.1g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 2.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 679mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 7.7g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 17mg
QUOTE:
"You might be a redneck if you think that beef jerky and moon pies are two of the major food groups."
Dr. Pepper Beef Jerky Recipe: 23 Flavors of Deliciousness (Step by Step)
Classic BBQ Beef Jerky 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.