If you want to become a pro at making great homemade beef jerky, this guide for how long to marinate jerky will get you started. Once you get the process down, you will be able to confidently try all sorts of flavor combinations, experiment with spices, and figure out what kinds of beef to use for the your favorite homemade beef jerky. Let's start with the marination time and then look at cuts of beef, ways to dehydrate, and more best practices.
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How Long to Marinate Beef Jerky
The short answer is 12-24 hours. However, the marinading time may go up or down depending on how much salt is in your marinade. For my basic "Go-To" beef jerky recipe, I use low sodium soy sauce and let the sliced beef marinade for about 18-24 hours. The more salt in your jerky marinade or spice rub, the less time you want the beef slices to stay in the marinade.
Conversely, if the marinade doesn't get enough time to soak into the meat, you will end up with bland beef jerky. Beef jerky is make with lean meat, so it needs a long time to soak up that delicious marinade you've prepared.
The first time I made beef jerky, I used regular soy sauce with a few spices and let it marinade for 24 hours. It was too much.
If you are interested in curing salt, that will also take off some marinating time. For the best results, use low sodium soy sauce and aim for 16-18 hours on marinating time.
Thick Versus Thin Cut Beef Slices
The thickness of the meat impacts the time for marinating, the cooking time, and the final result. If you like chewier jerky, you can have the beef slices a little thicker. If you want a super tender jerky, thin slices are better.
Thicker slices of meat will also need more cook time to get that moisture out.
Favorite Marinade Ingredients
My favorite jerky marinade consists of some really simple ingredients that I always have on hand. Snag the full recipe card for my Traeger Beef Jerky.
The marinade includes:
- soy sauce
- worcestershire sauce
- brown sugar
- garlic powder
- black pepper
- onion powder
If you like extra heat on your beef jerky, add: red pepper flakes or a pinch cayenne pepper to give your jerky a kick.
Beef Jerky Dry Rubs
If you are using a dry rub, you can season the beef strips right before the dehydrating process. Thin slices of beef will be perfectly seasoned with a light coating of your favorite seasoned salt.
Any salt blend or dry rub that you love will work. Popular seasoned salt like Montreal Steak Seasoning, Lawrys, Traeger Anything Rub are all good option for tasty beef jerky.
Which Cuts Of Beef Should I Use?
One of the things I love the most about homemade jerky is that I can make a great high protein snack that's low on fat and sugar. For beef jerky, we want an inexpensive lean cut of beef. Popular choices include: London broil, Flank Steak, sirloin tip, Eye Round or my favorite Top Round. Top round is easy to slice, has a great shape for cooked beef jerky pieces, and is low cost.
Do I Need Special Tools or Supplies?
No, you don't need special equipment for making your own beef jerky. Just a few kitchen basics that I am sure you already have on hand.
- Sharp knife for thinly slicing the beef. If you have a meat slicer or want to make so much beef jerky that this is a good investment, that's great. I make plenty of jerky on my own with just a sharp knife and big cutting board.
- Any airtight container like glass snap ware or ziplock bag for marinating. With a zip top bag, you need less marinade and you can really massage the marinade into the meat strips.
Optional supplies for you cooking method:
- Food Dehydrator: I don't have one, but I have read a lot of recipes that use one. This is personal preference. If you don't have one, make jerky in your oven or like me and cook the beef jerky on a pellet smoker.
- Baking sheet with a wire racks: if you're making jerky in your oven, this is a must. If you're making jerky on a smoker or pellet grill, a wire rack is optional. Once my Traeger Pellet Smoker is preheated, I like to have my beef slices laid out on wire racks in a single layer. That way I get the beef in the smoker quickly by tossing the wire racks on without laying each individual piece inside. The longer the lid is open, the more heat we are letting out. This way is also easier for pulling the jerky off after it has finished cooking.
Final Takeaways For Beginners
The last thing you should know before you get started is that the first time is the hardest. That is only because you haven't done it before. Once you get going and make your first few batches of beef jerky, your final product will get better and better each time.
Now, go. Be confident. Eat good meat.
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