There’s no better healthy snack for on-the-go than beef jerky. It’s packed with protein and tastes great - what more could you ask for? The only way to make it even more enjoyable is to try and make it yourself.
While we’ve created resources on how to smoke beef jerky and even how to make air fryer jerky, we’re going to zero in on perhaps the simplest, most convenient approach today: making beef jerky in the oven.
Wait, can you make beef jerky in the oven? Yep! In fact, learning how to make beef jerky in the oven is as simple a culinary adventure as you can embark on. It’s just a matter of choosing a beef jerky marinade recipe and preparing the meat. You can let the oven handle the rest.
Learn more about oven beef jerky below and bring your own batch to life. Or if you’d rather leave it to the experts, you can’t go wrong with our beef jerky for sale here at Mahogany Smoked Meats. Use our century of experience as inspiration for your own creation!
Can You Make Beef Jerky in the Oven?
First things first, can you make beef jerky in the oven? Absolutely! As we said from the start this is actually one of the easiest methods for creating your own jerky snacks. Almost every house has one, and the instructions for making oven beef jerky are simple and straightforward.
That being said, you do need to tether your expectations a bit. Compared to our premium jerky that has been slow-smoked to perfection, you may find the flavor a bit bland. That’s why using the right marinade is so important.
It’s also worth noting that it may take a bit of trial and error to find the sweet spot between too hard and too soft. Getting the ideal texture is the hardest part of homemade beef jerky oven. But you’ll get there after trying different temperatures, cuts, and durations - just be patient!
Benefits of Making Beef Jerky in the Oven
Maybe you have other options at your disposal, such as an air fryer or even your own smoker. What should you learn how to make beef jerky in the oven over these alternative methods?
Further to that point, why bother making your own jerky in the first place when the best beef jerky brand is only a click away? Here are some of the benefits of oven beef jerky.
A Convenient, Easy Approach
It doesn’t get more convenient than making your own homemade beef jerky oven. You don’t need to invest in a dehydrator or smoker to get started, your home or apartment likely has one of these!
Other than the oven, you only need a few basic kitchen tools like a baking sheet and a wire rack to transform meat into jerky in a matter of hours. By the time you finish reading our guide on how to make beef jerky in the oven you’ll feel confident in your abilities, it’s super easy.
Control Over Ingredients for Health and Flavor
In an era where brands are constantly putting their bottom line before the consumer, being able to control exactly what ingredients you use is more important than ever.
This is especially beneficial for those who are living a gluten-free lifestyle or trying to avoid any processed beef jerky ingredients that could cause discomfort.
But health benefits aside, you can also control the flavor. So, what does beef jerky taste like? Whatever you want it to taste like! Whether you prefer a savory, spicy, or sweet marinade, the oven allows you to experiment with different flavors without compromising on quality or nutrition
Affordable Snacking
As you browse our options online or at the local supermarket you may wonder, why is beef jerky so expensive? While making beef jerky in the oven is simple and straightforward, more professional processes are not.
Sure, you can find plenty of cheaper jerky snacks that are more in line with your budget. But you ultimately get what you pay for. So, trying to make your own homemade beef jerky oven can help you enjoy the snack at an affordable price without compromising on quality.
Plus, the oven method allows you to make large batches at once, giving you a steady supply of jerky for snacking throughout the week or perhaps even a month without breaking the bank! So, let’s get into the first step below: choosing your beef jerky recipe oven.
Sample Beef Jerky Recipe Oven to Try
A well-balanced marinade will make or break your oven beef jerky. It’s not just about the flavor, although that is the biggest factor. The marinade also helps tenderize the meat so that it cooks better and achieves that perfect texture.
Whether you want sweet, savory, or spicy jerky, the marinade you choose will determine the end result. Here are a few beef jerky recipe oven ideas to consider:
Classic Smoky Beef Jerky Recipe
You can’t go wrong with this traditional smoky recipe, which combines bold spices with a hint of sweetness for that classic taste:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional for extra smokiness)
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Coat the sliced beef evenly in the marinade so each piece is fully covered. Let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight for stronger flavor.
Sweet and Spicy Beef Jerky Recipe
Looking to kick the heat up a notch? This recipe balances spiciness and sweetness, and you can customize it based on where you want the flavor to fall on that spectrum.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 2 tbsp Sriracha (optional for extra heat)
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions:
Whisk all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add your beef slices and toss until they are completely coated in the sweet and spicy mixture. Let the beef marinate for 6-8 hours in the fridge. We suggest flipping halfway through for even flavor distribution.
Teriyaki Ginger Beef Jerky Recipe
Enjoy a burst of Asian-inspired flavor with this juicy, savory recipe that offers a hint of sweetness and tang in every tantalizing bite.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp ground ginger (or fresh ginger, grated)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions:
Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add your beef strips and toss them in the marinade until they are fully covered. Refrigerate and marinate for 4-6 hours.
How to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven: Step-by-Step Guide
No matter which recipe you choose, the dehydrating process is where the real magic happens. So let’s get into how to make homemade beef jerky in the oven below!
Step 1: Prepare the Meat
First, you need to make sure you’re choosing the best meat for beef jerky. This will be the foundation of your oven beef jerky, after all! The leaner, the better - which means you should stick with cuts like top round, flank steak, or eye of round.
Trim away any excess fat as it doesn’t dehydrate well and could cause the jerky to spoil faster. This will also mean fewer beef jerky calories if you’re wondering, is beef jerky good for you?
As far as how thick to cut jerky, we recommend thin, even strips somewhere around 1/4-inch thick. Cut against the grain for more tender jerky, or with the grain if you prefer a chewier texture.
You might find the slicing process difficult - if so, try letting the meat sit in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This will allow for more consistent, effortless cuts.
At this point, you can marinate the meat based on whichever recipe resonates most with you. The three we shared above are just a few of many possibilities.
But don’t overlook the importance of how long to marinate jerky - the minimum is 4-6 hours. Your preference for flavor strength will dictate how much longer you leave it in the fridge after that.
Step 2: Preheat to the Beef Jerky Oven Temp
The optimal jerky dehydrator temp is the most important thing to consider when making beef jerky in the oven. The goal is to go low and slow, which in this case should be 170°F or your oven’s lowest possible setting. This mimics the slow-drying process in a smoker or dehydrator.
As you’ll see below, this is not a process you want to rush. The goal is to dry the beef out as slowly as possible to preserve its flavor and texture without leading to a “crunchy” or “hard” texture.
If your oven doesn’t go low enough, you can keep the oven door slightly open to help regulate heat and let out moisture. Just make sure you’re carefully watching the process to prevent kids or pets from getting too close.
Step 3: Drying the Jerky
Now comes the fun part - actually drying the meat out and seeing it transform into jerky! While you’re waiting for the oven to preheat you can prepare your baking setup.
You’ll need wire racks for ample air circulation around the beef strips. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper to catch any drippings, and lay the wire racks on top.
Then, place the marinated beef strips in a single layer on the racks and make sure they aren’t overlapping. You need to leave enough space for air to flow freely between each strip for even drying.
So, how long is beef jerky cooked? Our advice on how long to dehydrate jerky will always be this: the longer, the better! We encourage you to be patient throughout this process. 4-6 hours is a good rule of thumb based on 170°F.
But, you should start checking for doneness around the 4-hour mark. Remove a strip from the oven and try to bend it. Proper jerky will be firm but pliable - not brittle. It shouldn’t feel or look raw or overly moist in the center.
It’s not a bad idea to rotate the racks halfway through for consistent, even drying throughout the entire batch. This is especially true for ovens that have hot spots.
Step 4: Cooling and Storing the Jerky
At this point the work is done - but it’s not quite time to bite into the oven beef jerky and test the fruits of your labor. Set the jerky aside on the wire racks and let it cool to room temperature. It will firm up and any remaining moisture will evaporate.
You may be wondering, does beef jerky go bad? More specifically? how long does beef jerky last? Storing beef jerky correctly can dramatically extend the shelf life.
Airtight containers or vacuum-sealed bags are great for a short-term solution if you plan to eat the jerky within a few weeks. Can you freeze beef jerky for bigger batches? Absolutely. This will extend the shelf life by several months. Just make sure to label the jerky with a storage date.
Save Yourself the Time and Disappointment of Making Oven Beef Jerky at Mahogany Smoked Meats!
There you have it, how to make beef jerky in the oven. It’s time to get to work! Or, if you would rather leave this to the experts, take a look at all the different types of jerky we have in store for you here at Mahogany Smoked Meats.
We’ve been creating delicious jerky snacks for well over 100 years now, but we still do things the old-fashioned way. That means small batches in a deep log pit. Doing things this way allows us to maintain strict quality control standards and guarantee consistent quality.
You’ll find the most unique recipes here in our collection as we’re the only smokehouse in the nation that uses mahogany lumber, which imparts a deep, rich, one-of-a-kind taste and aroma.
We don’t just have the best beef jerky, though. You can keep things fresh and fun with a beef jerky alternative, from our bulk turkey jerky to elk jerky, buffalo jerky, wild boar jerky, fish jerky, and much, much more.
With a satisfaction guarantee, you can place your order with confidence today. So, what are you waiting for? Taste the difference a century of tradition makes by placing your order today!
Final Thoughts on How to Make Homemade Beef Jerky in the Oven
Making beef jerky in the oven can be a fun way to spend an afternoon and make the most of extra meat, or even simply try something new in the kitchen. We hope this detailed guide on how to make beef jerky in the oven has left you clear and confident in your next steps.
Our blog has additional resources on how to cure jerky, elk jerky recipe, rehydrate beef jerky, what is beef jerky, buffalo jerky recipe, how to reheat pork chops, pork jerky recipe, and more.
Otherwise, it’s time you experienced the Mahogany Smoked Meats difference firsthand. From the finest beef jerky to the best fish jerky or the best turkey jerky, this is your one-stop shop for small-batch snacks that are packed with protein and flavor.
So, treat yourself to the best jerky online with our hand-crafted, slow-smoked options today. We bet you’ll be back for more!
