Ground beef jerky skips the slicing. You mix lean ground beef with seasoning, press it into strips with a jerky gun and dry it. The result is softer and more tender than sliced jerky, and it's a great way to start if you don't have a slicer.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb lean ground beef, 93% lean or leaner (at least 90% lean)
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
Steps
- Keep the ground beef cold. Work quickly and put it back in the fridge if it starts to feel soft or greasy.
- In a large bowl, stir together the soy sauce, Worcestershire, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and any optional ingredients.
- Add the beef and mix with clean hands or a stand mixer paddle for 1–2 minutes, until the seasoning is spread evenly and the meat feels sticky.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate 4–12 hours so the flavors blend and the meat firms up.
- Load the meat into a jerky gun. Pipe flat strips about 1/4 inch thick onto a rack set in a sheet pan.
- Heat the strips to 160°F before drying: bake on the rack in a 275°F oven for about 10–15 minutes, then check the thickest strip with an instant-read thermometer. Ground meat must reach 160°F.
- Blot the strips with paper towels to remove fat, then move them to dehydrator trays in a single layer.
- Dry at 160°F (or your dehydrator's highest setting, at least 145°F) for 4–6 hours. Flip the strips after 2 hours so both sides dry.
- The jerky is done when it is firm, dry on the outside and bends without feeling wet or squishy in the center.
- Blot off any fat beads, cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Why lean beef matters
Fat doesn't dry. It stays soft, beads up on the surface and can go rancid fast. Use ground beef that is at least 93% lean if you can find it. Ground round or ground sirloin also work well. Avoid 80/20 burger meat; it will turn out greasy and won't keep.
Why the 160°F step is a must
Ground meat is riskier than whole strips. When beef is ground, any germs on the surface get mixed all the way through. The USDA says ground meat should reach 160°F, and that applies to jerky too. Heat the strips in the oven first, check the thickest one with a meat thermometer, and only then move them to the dehydrator. Our main homemade beef jerky guide explains this step in more detail.
How to use a jerky gun
Fill the tube with meat and pack it down well to remove air pockets. Air pockets cause gaps and broken strips. Use the flat strip tip for jerky, or the round tip for snack sticks. Squeeze with steady pressure and pull the gun back at an even speed. Most guns hold about 1 pound, so you'll refill once for this batch. See our picks for the best jerky guns if you need one.
How to tell it's done
Ground jerky won't crack the way sliced jerky does. Instead, it should feel firm and leathery, look dark all the way through and show no wet spots when you tear a piece in half.
Storage
Ground beef jerky has a bit more fat than sliced jerky, so keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 month, or freeze it for up to 6 months.
Variations
Seasoning kits: many jerky seasoning kits come with a cure packet made for ground meat. If you use one, follow the kit's amounts exactly and still heat the strips to 160°F.
Spicy: add 1 tsp cayenne and 1 tbsp hot sauce.
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