Here's a quick and easy ground beef jerky recipe that can be made with or without a jerky gun. Simply season the meat, press into thin strips, then dehydrate. A perfect low carb snack!
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We all know that meat is a perfect low carb keto snack because it has zero carbs. However, most commercially prepared beef jerky is prepared with marinades using sugar so carbs can add up.
We love homemade jerky, but hate the time it takes to slice and soak in marinade. That's why we make ground meat jerky now. It's so quick and easy to prepare!
In this post, I'll show you the method used for my ground beef jerky recipe. It's really easy to do and you don't need any special tools or equipment.
My husband is a serious deer hunter and his favorite way to eat the meat is venison jerky. We used to spend hours slicing up the meat for jerky.
It was so time consuming that I rarely made jerky more than once or twice a year. We grind up most of the meat because I prefer eating venison ground.
So, I came up with this ground beef jerky recipe to make our own ground venison jerky. The method uses a dry seasoning blend that requires no slicing or marinating. This saves tons of time when it comes to making jerky!
Now, I don't mind making jerky every few weeks. It literally takes less than a half hour to mix the meat with seasoning and lay it out on trays.
The time it takes to dry in my dehydrator is less than 8 hours. So it's easily started in the morning and enjoyed in the afternoon!
Although a jerky gun is not required to for making jerky out of ground meat, it is definitely preferred. Using the tool makes it a lot easier to form the strips.
I own an inexpensive jerky gun by Presto which I picked up at a kitchen store in a local mall. But there are much better ones on the market if you are willing to spend a little more money.
The great thing about using the jerky gun for the ground beef jerky recipe is that you can press the strips right onto the dehydrator tray.
If you don't have a jerky gun, you'll need to roll out the meat mixture into a thin layer and then cut it into strips. Then, you'll have to move the strips carefully onto the dehydrator trays.
Our dehydrator is very large so next time I'll make a double batch. I used about 3 pounds of ground venison for this recipe and it only took up about half of my large Excaliber dehydrator.
The prepared jerky can be stored for months in the freezer so no worries about having to eat it all within a week! And, it's one of my favorite portable keto snacks for taking on the road.
If you are looking for a quick and easy way to make low carb beef jerky, use a jerky gun with seasoned ground meat.
This ground beef jerky recipe requires no marinating because the seasoning is blended into the ground meat. That alone saves hours since you don't have to wait for the marinade to soak into the meat.
It also saves time in the dehydrator because the meat isn't dripping wet from the marinade. Now that we know how to make ground venison jerky, you can bet we will be making all our jerky with ground meat from now on!
Quick and Easy Ground Beef Jerky Recipe
Enjoy this super easy ground meat jerky. And if you have lots of ground venison, you may want to try my slow cooker venison chili.
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Recipe
Ground Beef Jerky - Ground Venison Jerky
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground beef or venison
- 5 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a jerky gun, press thin strips onto dehydrator racks. Or, roll thin between parchment paper, cut into strips and place on racks.
- Dehydrate for 7-12 hours until dry and crisp.
- Store up to 7 days in refrigerator or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
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Jill Raymer
Thank you
Rob
Can u use soya sauce for flavor instead if liquid smoke ?
The Low Carb Cook
The liquid smoke gives it that smokey flavor where the soy sauce does not and just adds more of a salty flavor.
Mary
Hi! Is liquid smoke safe? I know it adds such good flavor. I am just hesitant because I read it could be carcogenic. What are your thoughts? Thanks!
Lisa MarcAurele
Liquid smoke is usually filtered so it doesn't have the same carcinogens as food cooked over a flame.
CHRISTINE ROPPEL
Hi! don't these need any nitrite/nitrate types of preservative added?
Lisa MarcAurele
Adding the preservative is a good idea to keep them longer. We finish them off within a few days and keep them in the refrigerator.
Barry B
I tried to make hamburger jerky today (slightly different recipe than yours, but quite similar), and I used a jerky gun to lay it down nicely, then stuck it in the oven at 170F - the lowest setting - and baked it for 2 hours, flipped the hamburger then got it out 3 hours later. I eagerly bit into a piece, and it was dry and crumbly. Yuck. What did I do wrong? Should I use the barbeque "smoke" setting (avg temp 145 to 155F), or the dehydrator?
Lisa MarcAurele
If it's overcooked, it tends to be crumbly. It should be more like a chewy leather. So I'd lower the temp and see if that helps. I make my jerky using the 145-155°F setting on my dehydrator.
J Tiemeyer
No worries. I dehydrate it dry on purpose. I want to make sure it is cooked all the way. Put it in a ziplock bag with a piece of bread/ bun and it rehydrates itself. I also use tender quick curing salt. About 3 1/2 Tbs spoons for 5 lbs of burger. No need to store in fridge. Limit the salty seasoning when using tender quick.
Amy
Can this be done in the oven if you don’t have a dehydrator?
Lisa MarcAurele
Most ovens don't have a low enough temperature which needs to be under 200°F. But you can set an oven to the "warm" setting if that is available. So it is possible to use an oven at low temperature.
Audrika
Yes this can be done in the oven. Set the oven to the lowest setting and leave the door ajar some and let it cook over night or all day. whatever you prefer. I do my jerky this way and have had not problem with it at all but I also grew up watching my father do this and so I just carried it on.
Tiffney
I want to make this in my pampered chef air fryer/dehydrator. The temp is adjustable. It starts at 130 degrees. What should I set it for?
Lisa MarcAurele
145°F to 155°F is the recommended temperature for dehydrating meat.
Christopher
Do you have to cook the ground beef before putting it in a dehydrator ?
Lisa MarcAurele
No need to precook the ground beef as it cooks in the dehydrator.
Daryl Steckler
I would like to see the recipe
Lisa MarcAurele
It's at the bottom of the post.
Joyce A Blakney
What is the texture of the finished product like? Crunchy? Chewy?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's more crunchy vs chewy since there's no sugar.
Georgianna
I'm mixing it up now! You have a link to keto sweeteners, but don't suggest how much. Any thoughts?
Lisa MarcAurele
I don't add sweetener to jerky so you'd have to add it to your own preferences.
Mitch
Sounds like a great recipe, and I see you're not a fan of Sodium Nitrite either. Have you ever tried using Celery powder instead?
I guess you aren't worried about Botulism and E-Coli because you ground yourself? I wouldn't ever try ground jerky with store bought ground.
Lisa MarcAurele
I'll look into adding celery powder as it is a natural preservative. Thanks for the tip! I do buy packaged meats without Sodium Nitrite which include celery powder so makes sense that I should be adding it myself. I do keep my jerky in the fridge or freezer just to be safe.
Mitch
Well, don't take my word for it, I have got to figure it out though for beef sticks. I can't find a site that says using celery is okay, probably for legal reasons...
Tim
Is it ok to use venison that has been pre mixed with pork fat?
Lisa MarcAurele
I like to use lean meat for this. But when using ground venison mine has some pork fat mixed in and it's fine.
Travis
Can I use air fryer if do temp and time olease thank you so much thawing out some deer burger now lol
Lisa MarcAurele
If you can get a low temperature on the air fryer it should work and time would be less than using a regular oven. The thing is that you need to make sure the temperature is fairly low. I'm thinking 180°F should work and would only need an hour or two.
Ashley Jenkins
First time making ground meat style jerky, I usually just use beef roast but was out and didn't have money to buy some at the moment, but had some ground bison so decided to give it a try. I don't have a jerky gun so just rolled it flat with a rolling pin and parchment paper. Followed this recipe but used ground Bison and it was great! Thanks for introducing me to a new kind of jerky! will definitely have to start making this more often!!
Lisa MarcAurele
The jerky gun is just a little easier. But you just need to get them in thin strips.
Jamie
How does the coconut aminos make the jerky taste? This is my first time to use it.
Thanks!
Lisa
Coconut aminos is sweeter than soy sauce but otherwise adds a similar flavor.
Terri Castellan
I have a dehydrator that came with packages of cure and stated that the meat should always be cured by adding the packets. Is it ok to just add the spices that you listed without using the cure?
Lisa
I don't add a cure because it typically contains nitrates. It will kill off more bacteria that could be present in the meat, but we've been okay not using it. I do keep the jerky in the fridge after it's done.
CJ
Can you use ground turkey for this? Thank you
Lisa
I don't see why not. It's very lean just like venison.
Allen
Do I need to bake jerky in oven if I use the dehydrator?
Lisa
No. The oven is used only if you aren't using the dehydrator.
LINDA bENNETT
I would like to use my oven -what temp and how long please
Lisa MarcAurele
I'd do the lowest your oven goes (usually around 165-175°F) for at least 4-5 hours then check and take out when done.
joanne
hi interested in an Australian equivalent for the Liquid Smoke please
Lisa
Some Spanish Smoke Paprika or Chipolte Powder which is usually ground smoked peppers.
V
I love your website! I just made these now and they are sooooo yummy! Thanks so much for all of your hard work!
Judi
If doing them in an oven- what temperature would you recommend and for how long? Should they be put on a pan with parchment paper?
Thanks!!
Lisa
It has to be on the lowest setting. You may want to crack the door a bit too. You will need to check on it to determine when done.
Amanda Walsh
How much does a serving weigh? 2g? I love this recipe
Lisa
I'm not sure about the weight as it can vary. I just divide the amount into 32 slices.
Swisstoons
I've never never even thought about making jerky. But I used to buy the commercial variety. I'm bookmarking your article to refer to next time my nephew (an avid and very successful deer hunter) gifts me with some venison!
Lisa
I hope you get the venison!
David
Go to amazon and buy pre minted spices and cure ,much faster
Nancy Morris
Could I add some Surkin Gold and som low sodium soy sauce to give it a Teriyaki flavor?
Lisa
That is a good option!
izabela
Great recipe! how long can i store/preserve them for?
Lisa
If properly dehydrated and vacuum sealed, it should be good for weeks, particularly if sealed with a desiccant. To be safe, I usually keep it in the refrigerator after opened and it never lasts more than a few days.
KEVIN BAXTER
First time making jerky. I'm using a jerky gun. My grinder has three choices, coarse, medium, or fine. Which is the best to use for jerky? I'm using English roast, should it be run through the grinder more than once?
Thanks in advance.
Lisa
I'd say medium. We have a friend who grinds our meat and I'm not sure which one he uses. But, ours is not a fine grind.
Jeff T
What temp did you set your dehydrator to for this recipe?
Lisa
I put it on the highest setting which is 155 degrees F.
Jeff T
Thank you. I am using 160 on mine for most jerky because f all the scare statements about ensuring 160 degrees, but I have never had an issue.
Jahanara
I know how to cook Jerky. But how to add many flavors ?
Lisa
Some people add peppers and various spices.
Ann
how much fat content in the ground meat. If you are just using ground beef
Lisa
I try to stick to a lean ground meat. I typically use ground venison which has less than 5% fat.
Ryan
Can I dehydrate them until they are rubbery instead of crisp? Would that be a problem, do you think? Also going to be using a 50 50 mix of beef and elk, hoping it will taste just as good!
Lisa
You can, but you'd want to eat them right away before they spoil. Getting most of the moisture out helps preserve them.
Kellie
Can an oven be used if you don't have a dehydrator?
Lisa
A low temp oven will also work.