Spicy beef jerky is a wonderful snack. You don’t have to buy beef jerky in the store, you can save a lot of money by making beef jerky at home.
Homemade spicy beef jerky is easy to make, and it tastes so much better than store-bought jerky.
Spicy beef jerky is a wonderful snack. This jerky is very easy to make and tastes so much better than the store-bought kind. For this spicy beef jerky recipe, you need lean rump roast and a beef jerky marinade made from soy and teriyaki sauces, liquid smoke, garlic salt, sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, and black pepper.
Is Beef Jerky Healthy?
Because jerky is considered a snack food, you might have questions about just how healthy it is. However, jerky is high in protein and low in carbs, giving it a healthier nutritional value than many other snack foods. Healthy beef jerky is suitable for various diets, such as low carb and paleo diets. You can see a full list of the nutrients in healthy beef jerky by clicking here.
It’s easy to make this beef jerky marinade recipe at home, where you can control the ingredients, especially sodium.
Beef jerky has a long shelf life and is very portable, making it an excellent choice for travel, backpacking, and other situations where you have limited access to fresh food and need a healthy protein hit.
Is Beef Jerky Keto?
Typical keto diets only permit carbs to account for 5% of daily calories. While beef jerky is an excellent source of lean protein, ingredients like sugar, honey, and soy sauce add a relatively high amount of carbs. This means that some flavors of beef jerky can contain nearly half of a keto eater’s daily carb allowance. Fortunately for keto eaters, you can find low-sugar jerky or near-zero sugar jerky that still tastes delicious.
Is Beef Jerky Gluten-Free?
People often don’t realize that soy sauce, an ingredient frequently found in beef jerky marinades, contains gluten. However, you can make gluten-free beef jerky by using tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.
Does Beef Jerky Go Bad?
Storage time for homemade beef jerky depends on whether you vacuum-seal it in packages or not. If you vacuum seal it, it will last about one to two months in your pantry and longer in the fridge. If not vacuum sealed, one to two weeks at room temperature and about one month in the refrigerator are realistic estimates.
If you don’t store jerky properly, moisture can get inside the bag, and, sooner or later, you’ll see some dark specs or furry things growing on the surface. If that happens, discard the jerky. Same thing if your jerky has become super hard or developed an off smell.
How Thick to Cut the Beef?
Slices of beef between 1/8–1/4 inch thick will give your jerky a good texture and make it easy to thoroughly dry your jerky.
For small batches of jerky, all you need is a jerky board and a sharp knife. Watch this short video that shows you how to slice beef this way.
- Tip: Partially freezing your meat for at least 1-2 hours firms it up and makes it easy to cut. Do not allow the meat to become completely frozen.
If you plan to make large batches of jerky regularly, you might want to invest in a jerky slicer. A slicer gives you same-sized meat strips that will dry evenly.
- Don’t want a spicy jerky? Try this regular beef jerky recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Lean rump roast
- Soy sauce
- Teriyaki sauce
- Sweet chili sauce
- Garlic salt
- Liquid smoke
- Brown sugar
- Black pepper
How to Make Spicy Beef Jerky
- Slice beef into thin strips.
- Mix soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, sweet chili sauce, garlic salt, liquid smoke, black pepper, and brown sugar together.
- Pour marinade over beef strips.
- Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- Place the beef strips in a food dehydrator.
- Follow the manufacturer’s directions for drying jerky.
How to Make Spicy Beef Jerky in the Oven
If you do not have a food dehydrator, you can use this oven method:
- Heat oven to 175 degrees.
- Place the marinated beef strips on a wire rack that has been set on a jelly roll or sheet pan.
- Dry the strips in the oven for 6 to 8 hours, turning two or three times during drying.
Don’t want a spicy jerky? Try this teriyaki beef jerky recipe.
Favorite Snack Recipes
- Air Fryer Avocado Fries
- Caramel Popcorn
- Cheetos Popcorn
- Cinnamon Pretzel Bites
- Crunch and Munch
- Homemade Kettle Corn
- Original Chex Mix
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Chocolate
- White Trash Candy
Popular Beef Recipes
Check out more of my easy snack recipes and the best beef recipes here on CopyKat!
Homemade Spicy Beef Jerky
Ingredients
- 4 pounds lean rump roast sliced 1/8″ thick by 2 – 2 1/2″ wide strips
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients and pour over sliced beef.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- If you are using a food dehydrator follow the manufacturer's directions.
- If you do not have a dehydrator you may use your oven.
- Turn the oven on low to 150 -175 degrees. The temperature should not go over 175.
- Place the marinated beef strips on a wire rack that has been set in a jelly roll or sheet pan. The pan will collect the liquid and the cooling rack will let the air circulate for better drying. Do not overcrowd the pieces when placing the strips on the cooling rack.
- Turn the strips two or three times during drying. This method will take 6 to 8 hours depending on the thickness of the meat.
Jason
I make jerky alot. Out of trial and error. I’ve come up with a full proof recipe. The base recipe includes Worcestershire, soy, teriyaki, liquid smoke, garlic, onion, meat cure salt, black pepper and water to help cut back on the levels of salt. I marinate for about 3 or 4 days. If I’m making spicy. It’s whatever hot sauce you prefer and red pepper flakes.
Suzanne tate
Here goes..I have all ingredients except terriaki…tons of other stuff tho, I’ll let you know how it turns out!
James Hartzell jr
I’m giving this a try but I’m using a smoker so I’m going to see how it goes
Stephanie Manley
Let me know how it goes.
Jacquie Loving
How much of each ingredient do u use?
James Hadley
Just reading your recipe for spicy beef jerkey and I was wondering, what makes it spicy ? I don’t see anything on the ingredient list that adds spice
Stephanie Manley
The sweet chili sauce is where the heat is. You could add an additional teaspoon to two of red chili pepper flakes if you desire.
Shery
My first attempt. Can I possibly mail this safely?
Stephanie
I would think you could.
Rob
Is it possible to make in an air fryer?
Stephanie
I think the temperature may be a little too high to make jerky.
Joy
I have the exact dehydrator as in your picture. How long do you dehydrate your jerky?
Stephanie Manley
I pay more attention to when it is dried, that really depends upon your dehydrator airflow, and how thick your meat is. I would always use how dry the jerky is as your real guide.
Shery Sullivan
We never buy jerky. Your recipe sounds so tasty I can’t wait to try it.
Frank
Tried this, and we liked it. I can’t wait to make it again!
Liz Nelson
I will have to try this. This would make great gifts for they guys in the family.