Oven Beef Jerky

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 05/6/21
Oven roasted beef jerky

The Spruce

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 4 hrs 10 mins
Marinate and Freeze Time: 13 hrs
Total: 17 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
129 Calories
5g Fat
3g Carbs
18g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 129
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 51mg 17%
Sodium 793mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 257mg 5%
*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.)

This homemade beef jerky takes a bit of time to make but provides chewy and delicious results in the end. Using top round steak or London broil, liquid smoke, soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce, and a few seasonings, you'll soon become a fan of making your own jerky at home. 

You do not need a dehydrator to make this flavorful oven beef jerky recipe. It can be dried in a conventional oven in your own kitchen. However, if you happen to own a dehydrator, you certainly can use this marinade on beef dried using that device.

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Click Play to See This Classic Oven Beef Jerky Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless top round steak, or London broil, trimmed

  • 1/4 cup liquid smoke

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for oven beef jerky
    The Spruce

  2. Be sure hands, work surfaces, and equipment are clean. Wrap the beef in plastic wrap and freeze 30 to 60 minutes until firm, but not rock-hard. (This makes it easier to slice evenly.)

    Beef in plastic wrap
    The Spruce

  3. Using a sharp knife, trim off and discard any visible fat. Slice the beef across the grain into thin strips about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, 1- to 1 1/2-inches wide, and 4- to 10-inches long (size will affect dehydration time). As an option, you can flatten them lightly with a rolling pin to assure uniform thickness and more even dehydration.

    Slice the beef cross-grain
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  4. Place liquid smoke, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a large zip-top freezer bag; seal and squish to combine.

    Combine ingredients for marinade in glass jar
    The Spruce

  5. Place beef strips in the marinade, reseal, and toss to coat. Open bag, squeeze out all the air, seal, and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.

    Place beef in marinade
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  6. Heat oven to 250 F. Place a baking rack in a jellyroll pan and set aside.

    Baking rack in a jellyroll pan
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  7. Drain meat strips from marinade and pat very dry with paper towels.

    Drain marinade from beef and pat dry
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  8. Arrange beef strips on the baking rack set in the jellyroll pan in a single layer with room in between for air circulation.

    Arrange beef strips on rack
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  9. Bake for about 4 hours, or until the jerky is dry to the touch, can be bent, but not break. Check the jerky often since drying times will vary due to oven differences (the process might take as long as 12 hours). Remove from the oven and raise the temperature to 275 F.

  10. Arrange the strips on a clean baking sheet, fitted with a clean rack, so they are close together, but not touching or overlapping. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

  11. Remove from the oven and pat dry with paper towels to remove any remaining moisture or oil. Cool to room temperature.

    Heat beef strips and then air dry
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  12. To store, pack the jerky in food-grade containers with tight-fitting lids. Vacuum sealing is a good option, if possible. Serve and enjoy!

    Beef jerky in jar
    The Spruce

Tip

  • Another great way to create the marinade is to combine the liquid smoke, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a jar first, shake to mix, and pour into a zip-top freezer bag. 

How to Store and Freeze

  • Store the containers at room temperature for up to two weeks.
  • For longer storage, refrigerate for up to three months or freeze for up to six months.

Safe Food Handling

We've researched a number of dependable resources on making jerky safely at home including the National Center for Home Food Preservation and Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Harrison, Judy A. and Mark A. Harrison. Preparing Safer Jerky. University of Georgia, Cooperative Extension Service, 2003.

  2. Sant, Laura L., Carol Hampton and Sandy M. McCurdy. Making Jerky At Home Safely. University of Idaho, Pacific Northwest Extension Publications, 2012.