Jerky Made From Dehydrated Ground Beef

By
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/9/22
Jerky Made From Dehydrated Ground Beef

The Spruce / Ali Redmond
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
367 Calories
23g Fat
7g Carbs
32g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 367
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 30%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 101mg 34%
Sodium 928mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 48mg 4%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 533mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

With this easy-to-follow recipe, you can make jerky from dehydrated ground beef at home.

The benefits of homemade jerky are the ability to control not only the taste but also the smokiness and saltiness of the end product. This jerky is loaded with umami flavors with just the right amount of chewiness. 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 2 tablespoons grated onion

  • 1 tablespoon tamari, or soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

  • 1 clove garlic, grated

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional

  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Jerky Made From Dehydrated Ground Beef ingredients

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Keep the ground beef chilled until you are ready to use it. 

    ground beef in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. In a large bowl, mix together lemon juice, lemon zest, onion, tamari or soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, olive oil, paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, optional liquid smoke, and optional cayenne pepper. Let the ingredients sit for 15 minutes for the flavors to "marry."

    mix together lemon juice, lemon zest, onion, tamari or soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, olive oil, paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, optional liquid smoke, and optional cayenne pepper

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. Add the ground beef and combine well (clean hands are the best kitchen tool for this job). Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

    ground beef and sauce mixed together

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. Lay out a sheet of waxed or parchment paper on a work surface. Scoop 1/4 of the jerky mixture onto it. Place another sheet of paper on top and roll it out to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

    ground beef rolled out between parchment paper

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. Remove the top sheet of paper, if you used one. Put one of the dehydrator trays on top of the jerky and flip the whole thing over to transfer the jerky to the dehydrator tray. Remove the remaining sheet of parchment or waxed paper.

    ground beef mixture on a dehydrator tray

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  7. Patch any holes by putting in more of the raw jerky mixture. 

    patch any holes in the beef on the dehydrator tray

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  8. Dehydrate for 4 to 8 hours at 155 F. Check after 4 hours. You want the jerky fully dried but chewy, not crunchy. Don't worry if you're not 100 percent sure that you've correctly identified that consistency; the next step helps ensure food safety.

    dehydrated beef on a dehydrator tray

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  9. When the jerky seems dried but still chewy, transfer it to baking trays and finish it off in a preheated 275 F oven for 10 minutes. This is an important step because not all dehydrator temperature settings are accurate. You want the meat to get to an internal temperature of 160 F to 165 F to be safe. Jerky is too thin for a meat thermometer, so this ensures it’s fully cooked. This only cooks the meat ​and isn’t a substitute for drying it in the dehydrator.

    beef on parchment paper on a baking tray

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  10. Cut the jerky into strips. Once it is completely cool, store it in airtight containers at room temperature.

    Jerky Made From Dehydrated Ground Beef

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond