About This Sweet and Spicy Beef Jerky Recipe

I discovered beef jerky when I started traveling overseas and was pleasantly surprised. They are not only a healthy protein snack but are also filling. A much better option compared to a bag of potato chips, beef jerky is the perfect treat for when you’re running out of energy!

On doing some research, I found that making beef jerky at home is surprisingly easy. You just need a few staple ingredients and some time to spare. While there are lots of versions of beef jerky, it’s often a simple matter of preparing a marinade, marinating the beef for a few hours, and then cooking it into flavorful beef jerky strips.

Store-bought jerky contains a lot of salt and nitrates, but making it at home allows me complete control over the ingredients. Knowing what I’m putting in my body puts my worries to rest since I’m assured of my health.

In this recipe, I use a combination of some simple but delicious spices that make these beef jerky super tasty. When you first start to chew, you get a nice sweet flavor, and after a few seconds, the salty taste from the soy sauce and the spiciness from the red pepper flakes and black pepper shine through.

Enjoy your own delicious homemade spicy beef jerky with this super simple recipe!

What You Need for This Homemade Spicy Beef Jerky Recipe

Ingredient Notes

• Beef: It is important to use lean cuts of meat because fat spoils the jerky faster. The leaner the meat you use, the longer the shelf life of your beef jerky!
• Soy Sauce: The umami notes of soy sauce add some excellent depth to the jerky.
• Garlic Powder: It is made from dehydrated garlic cloves that have been ground into powder. Garlic powder is sweeter and much less assertive than fresh garlic, giving a more uniform taste to the marinade.
• Dried Red Chiles: They give the meat a delicious spicy flavor.
• Hot Smoked Paprika: It is made from peppers that are dried and smoked over oak fires. This red powder gives a rich and smoky flavor.
• Black Pepper: I like that bolder, pungent, earthy, hot, and distinctly woody flavor.
• White Wine: It helps tenderize the outside of the meat and gives a wonderful aromatic hint of floral notes.
• Ground Ginger: It is dried ginger pulverized into a fine powder. It is less pungent than fresh ginger and goes very well in marinades, giving a spicy, warm flavor.
• Brown Sugar: I have added a little bit of brown sugar to balance the flavors.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Soy Sauce: I like the umami taste of soy sauce, but Worcestershire sauce also works well in this recipe.
• Ground Ginger: It gives a spicy, warm flavor to the meat but can also be substituted with Allspice, cardamom, or nutmeg.
• Hot Smoked Paprika: I like my beef jerky extra spicy, so I have used hot smoked paprika. But, you can also use mild or medium-hot paprika.

FAQs

What is the best meat for making this beef jerky?

The best types of meat are top round steak, flank steak, eye of round roast, and top and bottom roasts. It is essential to use lean beef.

For how long can I store this spicy beef jerky?

You can keep this spicy beef jerky in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Print Recipe

Homemade Spicy Beef Jerky

Author: Ribana Hategan

Cooking Method: Baking

Cuisine: American

Courses: Snacks

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 min Cook Time 5 hour Rest Time 8 hour Total Time 13 hrs 5 mins

Description

A healthy, mouthwateringly delicious protein snack, this spicy beef jerky is perfect for when you’re running out of energy.

Yield: approx. 20 strips

Ingredients

Servings

• 450 g / 1 pound lean beef top round steak or flank steak, thinly sliced into strips
• 50 ml / 1.7 oz. / ¼ cup soy sauce
• 50 ml / 1.7 oz. / ¼ cup white wine
• 3-4 dried red chiles, flakes + extra if you like it extra spicy
• 1 tablespoon black pepper + extra if you like it extra spicy
• ½ tablespoon garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon ground ginger
• ½ tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon hot smoked paprika

How To Make Spicy Beef Jerky Step By Step

1. Combine the soy sauce, white wine, dried red chiles, black pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger, hot smoked paprika, and brown sugar in a bowl and mix well.

   

2. Add the strips of beef and toss them all together to make sure the meat is coated properly.

   

3. Cover it, or place everything in an airtight plastic bag. Allow the meat to marinate for about 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

   

4. Preheat the oven to 80℃ (175℉), use aluminum foil to line a baking sheet. Add a wire rack on top of the foil and place the meat strips on the wire rack in a single layer.

   

5. Sprinkle with extra coarsely ground black pepper and more dried red chilies if you like it extra spicy, and bake for 4 to 6 hours, or until the beef is dry and leathery. Make sure you flip the beef halfway through.

   

6. Once done, remove the tray from the oven and let the beef cool completely. Your spicy beef jerky is ready to be enjoyed!

   

Note

• Let the beef marinate in the fridge and not at room temperature to avoid contamination.
• You can also purchase the meat whole and then slice it yourself. To make the slicing easier, partially freeze the meat before slicing it. Slice the beef as even as possible, so it cooks uniformly.
• The yield may vary depending on the thickness of the beef strips.