Homemade Jerky
Everything for making beef jerky at home: the right cut, the marinade, the time and temperature, and the safe way to dry it. Start with the full how-to below, or jump straight to a tool.
Go deeper
Jump to the calculator →01 Best cut Best cut for jerky Top round, bottom round or eye of round, why lean, cheap and uniform wins. 02 Time & temp How long to dehydrate jerky The window by thickness and temp, and the doneness test that beats the clock. 03 Ground Ground beef jerky Jerky-gun method, thinner, faster, and how to keep it food-safe. 04 Flavor Jerky marinades Salt does the work; the rest is flavor. Ratios that scale to your batch. 05 Method Jerky in a smoker Low-and-slow smoke without cooking it to crumbs, temp control first. 06 Method Air fryer jerky Small-batch jerky from the air fryer, and where it beats the dehydrator. 07 Method Oven jerky No dehydrator? The rack-over-a-tray, propped-door method that just works. 08 Poultry Chicken & turkey jerky Lean breast, bold flavor, and the one change that matters: 165°F.
Not just beef
Jerky is the umbrella. The same tools run venison, biltong and beyond.
Equipment for jerky
The workhorseDehydratorEven airflow and a thermostat that holds 160°F.Best dehydrators →Affiliate link · paid commission
The upgradeSlicerUniform 1/4" slices, the biggest fix for uneven batches.Best slicers →Affiliate link · paid commission
The essentialThermometerProof you cleared the kill-step.Best thermometers →Affiliate link · paid commission