Sweet Heat Sriracha Jerky is a great snack to have on hand when you’re looking for something satisfying and protein-rich. It is made with sriracha sauce and honey; this jerky is sweet, spicy, and delicious.
This tasty treat is perfect for satisfying your hunger pangs while delivering a kick of flavor. Plus, it’s a great way to fuel up before or after a workout. So if you’re looking for a new favorite jerky recipe, give this one a try!
Ingredients for Sweet Heat Sriracha Jerky
- 1 lb. of beef
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup sriracha sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
The Best Beef
Some cuts of beef are better than others for making jerky. London Broil is a good option because it is a thick cut with little fat. Other options include bottom round, sirloin tip, flank steak, and eye of round.
For this recipe, I decided to try London broil beef. It cost me $12.03/per 2.06 lb. ($5.84/per 1 lb.) at Walmart.
Preparing the Beef and Marinade
It would be best to trim the fat from your beef when you make jerky. Trimming the fat will make it last longer and taste better. The more you cut, the better it will taste!
Firstly, I weighed the meat and calculated how much jerky we would have.
Put your beef in the freezer. Wait 1-2 hours to make it easier to slice. Take it out when you see ice crystals on the surface of the meat.
Cut your beef into thin slices, no more than ¼ inch thick. Be sure to cut across or against the grain, which will make jerky that is easier to chew.
Cutting frozen meet To save time, you can make the marinade while waiting for the beef to freeze. You can do it right before too. Mix all of the ingredients in a container in the proper proportions.
I use a measuring cup for that.
Add the beef to your marinade, mix it around until it is covered with your marinade mixture, and put it in the fridge for 7-24 hours.
The longer you leave it inside there, your beef will absorb more flavor, so experiment to find out how strong you like your taste to be! We left ours in overnight so that our flavor was bold but not overpowering.
Dehydrating Our Beef Jerky
After marinating the beef, you will need to get rid of any excess liquid.
You can do this by placing the beef on paper towels for a few minutes. The paper towels will absorb any excess marinade.
You can dry beef in an oven or in an electric smoker, but a food dehydrator works better. You can buy one on Amazon.
Place the beef on your dehydrator trays and cook at 160 F for 4-8 hours. We cooked ours for five hours, but if you are using thicker pieces of steak, then you will need more time to cook it all the way through.
Once you are at four hours, check your jerky every 30-45 minutes to ensure that it doesn’t get overcooked.
Jerky is done when you can bend a piece without breaking it in half by pushing with some force. If it snaps easily while bending, then it has been cooking for too long.
Weighed after cooking: 6.4 oz or 181 grams. Weighed before cooking: 15.4 oz or 437 grams. It is a 59% loss in weight! That’s why jerky is so expensive!
Recipe
This recipe serves 5 people and requires 13 hours and 30 minutes to make:
- preparation time: 30 minutes
- marinade time: 8 hours
- drying time: 5 hours
| Ingredients | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lb. of beef; I choose top round London broil beef, but any could work | $6.02 per 1 lb. at Walmart | |
| 1/2 cup of rice vinegar | $1.57 per 12 oz. container at Walmart (1/2 cup or 4 oz. = 0.52 cents) | |
| 1/2 cup sriracha sauce | $1.76 for a 9 oz. container at Walmart (1/2 cup or 4 oz. = 0.80 cents) | |
| 1/2 cup brown sugar | $2.17 for 2lb. a container at Walmart (1/2 cup or 4 oz. = 0.27 cents as 2lb equates to 32oz. and 0.067 cents per oz.) | |
| 1 tablespoon honey | $2.98 per 12 oz. container at Walmart (2 tbsp per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.12 cents) | |
| 1 teaspoon ginger ground | $4 – 5 dollar range for a 1.64 oz. container (6 tsp. per oz. means that 1 teaspoon equates to 0.41 cents) | |
| 1 teaspoon granulated garlic | Between $0.4 and $0.5 per whole garlic at Walmart (1 teaspoon equates to 0.07 cents) | |
| Total Cost: | $8.21/6.4 oz. (full cost: meat + ingredients) | |
Shot Instruction
Sweet Heat Sriracha Jerky Recipe
When you're looking for a filling and protein-rich snack, Sweet Heat Sriracha Jerky is a great choice. This jerky is sweet, spicy, and tasty since it is made with honey and sriracha sauce. This delicious snack is ideal for quelling your appetite while providing a flavorful boost. Additionally, it's a fantastic method to fuel before or after exercise. So try this recipe if you're seeking for a new favorite jerky!
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut off the fat from your beef and put it in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
- Cut the beef into slices that are no more than ¼ inch thick, slicing across or against the meat’s grain.
- Mix all ingredients and meat, then put it in a fridge for about 6-24 hours.
- Remove excess liquid from your beef with a paper towel before you drying it.
- Dry it with a food dehydrator at 160 degrees F for 4-8 hours (until you can bend and crack your jerky).
Nutrition
Serving: 36.2g | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.1g | Protein: 27.7g | Fat: 5.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 693mg | Potassium: 393mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 13.2g | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 17mg
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.