Have you been thinking about going keto but don’t know where to start? This keto beef jerky recipe will give you a good idea of the types of foods that are not only keto-friendly but also delicious.
No need to head to the store or specialty shop when it’s so easy to make on your own!
Ingredients for Keto Beef Jerky
- 1 lb. of beef
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 ½ tsp liquid smoke hickory or mesquite
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper ground
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
Selecting a Beef for Our Recipe
When you are making beef jerky, the fat in the meat makes a big difference. The fatter you are cutting, the more likely your jerky will spoil.
So we used eye of round because it has less fat and it’s affordable, but you can use other cuts like sirloin tip or bottom round too.
For this recipe, I bought Eye of round beef at Walmart for $6.61/per lb.
How to Prepeare the Beef
To Trim the Fat
You are trying to make good beef jerky, right? Good jerky does not have any extra fat.
Trim the fat off the meat, so it lasts longer and tastes better.
I weighed the meat before I started making jerky.
To Cut the Beef
Put the beef in the freezer for an hour or two when you remove the fat. You want it to be firm, so it is easier to cut. Do not forget about it!
Now cut the beef into strips no more than ¼ inch thick. Cut across the grain of the meat so that your jerky is more tender and has a better texture.
How to Marinade the Beef
The next step is to mix ingredients in the right proportions with a measuring cup.
Put meat in a container and add the marinade to the meat. Put the container in the fridge for 7-24 hours.
Shake it once or twice so it doesn’t get stuck to one side.
Dehydrating Our Beef
You will need to drain the liquid from your beef. You can do this by placing the beef on a paper towel for a few minutes. The paper towel will absorb any excess marinade, and your beef will be ready to dry. But it’s okay to skip this step.
The dehydration process can take between 4 and 8 hours. It depends on the thickness of the meat, the temperature, and how you are dehydrating it. If you use an electric smoker, the cooking time is between 7 and 8 hours. If you use an oven or a dehydrator, it takes 6 hours at 160 F.
I prefer to use the dehydrator (see the pictures).
- 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.
After cooking my jerky, it weighed it. It was 6.63 oz. or 188 grams. The process removed 9.57 oz of weight through the cooking process, equating to a 59% weight loss.
Recipe
Makes 5 servings Preparation Time: 30 minutes Marinade Time: 7-24 hours, Drying Time: 4 – 8 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 ½ tsp liquid smoke hickory | $1.34 for a 4 oz. container at Walmart (2 tbsp per one oz. means that 1.5 tablespoons equate to 0.26 cents) | |
| 6 tablespoon soy sauce | $1.52 for a 5 oz. container at Walmart (2 tbsp per oz. means that 6 tbsp equates to 0.91 cents ) | |
| 5 garlic cloves | Between $0.4 and $0.5 per whole garlic at Walmart (5 garlic cloves equates to 0.20 cents) | |
| 1 teaspoon sea salt | $1.96 for 2.12 oz. a container at Walmart (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.15) | |
| 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce | $1.00 for a 10 oz. container at Wallmart (2 tbsp per oz. means that 3 tbsp equates to 0.15 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) | |
| 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 white wine vinegar | Between $2.27 per 16 oz. container in Walmart (6 tsp per oz. means that 1 tsp equates to 0.02 cents) | |
| Total Cost: | $8.89/6.63 oz. (full cost: meat + ingredients) |
Shot Instruction
Keto Beef Jerky Recipe
Have you been considering switching to a ketogenic diet but are unsure where to begin? You may get a good idea of the kinds of delicious and keto-friendly foods by looking at this recipe for keto beef jerky. It's so simple to manufacture on your own that there's no need to go to the store!
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut the fat off your beef, then freeze it for 1 to 2 hours before cutting it into thin slices no thicker than ¼ inch.
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a container and add your beef.
- Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 7-24 hours in the fridge.
- Dry in a food dehydrator at 160 degrees F for 4-5 hours (thin strips) or 5-8 hours (thick strips).
Nutrition
Serving: 37.6g | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 28.8g | Fat: 2.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1147mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2.6g | Calcium: 13mg | 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.