Beef Jerky is a great snack for on-the-go! Although many people consider this a snack food, or even a processed food, beef jerky as a concept is, in fact, a real and ancient traditional feeding food. Whether it’s feeding food or fake food depends on what ingredients are in it and how it’s processed and preserved.
I’ve long wanted to make ground beef jerky and was surprised at how easy it was to do. The entire prep time was less than ten minutes. After the prep time, they need an additional couple hours to cook, so plan accordingly. I made this in my oven on a very low temperature. You could also make this in a dehydrator, depending on your dehydrator’s capacity and settings.
Although we love fat around here, this recipe requires lean ground beef. As always, when eating lean proteins, be sure to also eat animal fats alongside it.
Below are three different variations to make this real-food ground beef jerky. Once you have gotten the basics down, feel free to branch out and make your own flavor profiles. If you find a particularly delicious one, please share it with the rest of us!
Kid Friendly | GAPS Legal | Spicy
Kid Friendly
The taste of this beef jerky is closest to store-bought. It’s a great choice if your kids are transitioning off of processed food.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb 92% Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 ½ Tsp Granulated Garlic
- 1 Heaping Tsp Fine Salt – I used Baja Gold
- 1 Tbsp. Date Syrup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ tsp of Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 170 – 180 degrees.
In a bowl, add the ground beef & seasonings.
Mix the meat and seasonings well.
On a rimmed baking sheet, lined with non-chlorinated parchment paper, add your beef mixture and flatten firmly with your hands to about ¼ inch thickness. The beef mixture should be as evenly spread as possible. Leave some space, as separating the beef into “sticks” will take up space. The mixture should be pressed firmly enough that you can pick it up and move it once cut. If it’s too loosely packed, it will fall apart after it is dried.
Using a blunt metal edge with no serration (so you don’t cut the parchment paper) slice the beef mixture into small “sticks.”
On each of the “sticks,” tuck in the edges with your finger so there are no small edges to get burnt.
Place in the oven. Bake slowly for at least two hours or until the jerky reaches 175 degrees.
Allow the jerky to cool completely before moving and storing them. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Remember this doesn’t have preservatives and will only keep for about as long as other cooked meat does.
GAPS Legal
This version is GAPS Legal on Stage 4. Due to the limited ingredients, this is a more plain flavored version. If you want to experiment with different dried herbs, or you are tolerating some other dried spices, you can definitely add these to your recipe. This is just a base to get you started!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb 92% Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Tbsp Beef Broth
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 ½ Tsp Granulated Garlic
- 1 Heaping Tsp Fine Salt – I used Baja Gold
- ½ tsp of Ground Black Pepper – if tolerating
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 170 – 180 degrees.
In a bowl, add the ground beef, broth, & seasonings.
Mix the meat and seasonings well.
On a rimmed baking sheet, lined with non-chlorinated parchment paper, add your beef mixture and flatten firmly with your hands to about ¼ inch thickness. The beef mixture should be as evenly spread as possible. Leave some space, as separating the beef into “sticks” will take up space. The mixture should be pressed firmly enough that you can pick it up and move it once cut. If it’s too loosely packed, it will fall apart after it is dried.
Using a blunt metal edge with no serration (so you don’t cut the parchment paper) slice the beef mixture into small “sticks.”
On each of the “sticks,” tuck in the edges with your finger so there are no small edges to get burnt.
Place in the oven. Bake slowly for at least two hours or until the jerky reaches 175 degrees.
Allow the jerky to cool completely before moving and storing them. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Remember this doesn’t have preservatives and will only keep for about as long as other cooked meat does.
Sweet & Spicy Beef Jerky
I have low tolerance for spice and this recipe was very pleasant with just enough heat. If you really like spice, feel free to add more cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb 92% Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 2 Tsp Granulated Garlic
- 1 Heaping Tsp Fine Salt – I used Baja Gold
- 1 Tbsp. Date Syrup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ tsp of Ground Black Pepper
- ¾ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- A Sprinkle of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 170 – 180 degrees.
In a bowl, add the ground beef & seasonings.
Mix the meat and seasonings well.
On a rimmed baking sheet, lined with non-chlorinated parchment paper, add your beef mixture and flatten firmly with your hands to about ¼ inch thickness. The beef mixture should be as evenly spread as possible. Leave some space, as separating the beef into “sticks” will take up space. The mixture should be pressed firmly enough that you can pick it up and move it once cut. If it’s too loosely packed, it will fall apart after it is dried.
Using a blunt metal edge with no serration (so you don’t cut the parchment paper) slice the beef mixture into small “sticks.”
On each of the “sticks,” tuck in the edges with your finger so there are no small edges to get burnt.
Place in the oven. Bake slowly for at least two hours or until the jerky reaches 175 degrees.
Allow the jerky to cool completely before moving and storing them. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Remember this doesn’t have preservatives and will only keep for about as long as other cooked meat does.