Homemade Jerky

How to Make Your Own Jerky at Home

Making your own beef jerky at home is easier than you might think, and the results blow store-bought jerky out of the water. There’s a bit of prep involved, but once it’s on the smoker it’s smooth sailing. The flavour, texture and freshness make the effort well worth it.

Choosing the Right Cut of Beef:
Jerky works best with lean cuts of beef. Fat doesn’t dry well and can cause the jerky to spoil faster.

For this recipe, we’re using girello, also known as:
•    Eye of silverside (Australia)
•    Eye of round (USA)

Girello is ideal because it’s lean, uniform in shape, and easy to slice evenly. Ask your butcher to trim off any excess fat and silver skin before you get started.

Equipment Needed:
You don’t need anything fancy, but a few tools will make life easier:
•    Sharp slicing knife
•    Freezer (for firming the meat before slicing)
•    Zip lock bags or a large container for marinating
•    Paper towel
•    Wire racks
•    Smoker or BBQ capable of holding low temperatures

This recipe was cooked on a 57cm Weber Smokey Mountain, but any smoker that can hold 70–75°C (158–167°F) will work.

Preparation:
Slice the Beef
Place the girello in the freezer for about 1 hour. You don’t want it frozen solid, just firm enough to make slicing easier.
Slice the beef across the grain into strips about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Try to keep the slices as even as possible so they dry at the same rate.
Once sliced, place the beef into a container or zip lock bag while you prepare the marinade.

Make the Marinade
This marinade is designed for 2kg (4.4lb) of beef. Even if you’re slightly under, it’s better to have too much than not enough.
Mix all marinade ingredients thoroughly, then pour it over the sliced beef. Make sure every piece is well coated.
Cover and refrigerate for overnight or up to 24 hours. Any longer and the jerky can become overly salty.

The Cook:
Remove Beef from Marinade
After marinating, remove the beef and lay the strips out on paper towel. Pat them dry to remove excess moisture.
Drying the surface helps the jerky dry evenly and prevents it from steaming.
Set the beef aside while you prepare the smoker.

Smoker Setup
Set up your smoker for low and slow cooking.
•    Target temperature: 70–75°C (158–167°F)
•    Fuel: Lump charcoal
•    Wood: Cherry and red wine oak (a couple of chunks of each)

Fill the charcoal ring with unlit lump charcoal. Light about ¼ of a chimney, then pour the hot coals into the centre.

Use the water pan empty, lined with foil for easy clean-up.
Leave the bottom cooking grate out for now. This makes loading the jerky quicker later.
Bring the smoker up to temperature, closing down the vents when it’s about 50°C below your target to avoid overshooting.

Add the Jerky
Arrange the jerky on wire racks first. This makes transferring them into the smoker quick and easy.
Place the racks onto the smoker, reinstall the top grate, and get the lid back on as fast as possible. Keeping the lid off too long can cause temperature spikes, which we want to avoid.

The Payoff:
Drying the Jerky
Jerky will take around 2–3 hours at this thickness.
Start checking after 1 hour, then every 30 minutes after that.
You’re looking for jerky that:
•    Dries evenly across both racks
•    Bends easily
•    Has some firmness
•    Does not snap when bent

If your slices are thicker than 5mm, expect an extra hour or two.

Resting and Storing
Once the jerky is done, remove it from the smoker and place it into a zip lock bag.
Seal the bag most of the way, leaving a small gap so excess steam can escape. You want a little moisture to keep the jerky tender, but not so much that condensation builds up.
Once cooled, fully seal the bag.
Yes — the jerky should be moist. Moist is a great word.

Ingredients:
Beef
•    2kg girello / eye of silverside (4.4lb)
Jerky Marinade
•    500ml beef stock (2 cups)
•    500ml soy sauce (2 cups)
•    250ml Worcestershire sauce (1 cup)
•    200g dark brown sugar (1 cup, packed)
•    60ml whisky (¼ cup)
•    1 tbsp onion powder
•    1 tbsp chilli flakes
•    3 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
•    10 cloves garlic, minced

Recipe Steps:
1    Place girello in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up
2    Slice beef across the grain into 5mm (¼”) strips
3    Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl
4    Add beef to marinade, ensuring all pieces are coated
5    Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours
6    Remove beef from marinade and pat dry with paper towel
7    Preheat smoker to 70–75°C (158–167°F)
8    Arrange jerky on wire racks
9    Place racks into smoker and close lid quickly
10    Cook for 2–3 hours, checking after the first hour
11    Remove jerky when it bends without snapping
12    Rest jerky in a partially sealed zip lock bag
13    Once cooled, fully seal and store

Recipe Info:
•    Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus overnight marinating)
•    Cook Time: 2–3 hours
•    Serves: 6–10 (depending on snacking discipline)
•    Effort: Average
•    Course: Appetizer / Snack
•    Cuisine: American / Australian
•    Hydration: 6 beers (optional but very recommended)

Tips & Variations:
•    Slice consistency matters: Uneven slices will dry at different rates, so take your time.
•    Too salty? Reduce soy sauce slightly or cut with extra beef stock next time.
•    Spice it up: Add cayenne or smoked paprika for extra heat.
•    Storage: Without curing salts, jerky lasts about 2 weeks in the fridge or months in the freezer.
•    Wood choice: Cherry gives mild sweetness, while oak adds depth — feel free to experiment.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means, if you do purchase from one of my links, you pay no extra but I do make a small amount from each purchase that helps me keep producing content, so thank you for your help.