Best Homemade Oven Beef Jerky

Best Homemade Oven Beef Jerky – Our homemade beef jerky recipe makes a savory snack that’s Paleo, Keto, and Gluten-Free. It’s packed with flavor and protein, and has the perfect chewable jerky texture!

Anytime I put the word “best” in a title, I feel like I need to explain myself…

We have made many beef jerky recipes over the years. Some with brown sugar or honey, some with various cuts of beef, and different spices.

This particular Best Homemade Oven Beef Jerky recipe is a personal favorite, because:

• There is no added sugar.
• It offers a fabulous blend of spices.
• And it fits into Paleo, Keto, and Gluten-Free meal plans.

It’s not the sweetest jerky or even the prettiest beef jerky I’ve ever made. Yet it does take the cake in bold flavor, texture, and health!

The Best Homemade Oven Beef Jerky

When you are trying to stick to a particular diet, it can be really tricky to find healthy and tasty store-bought items that fit. (Have you tried some of the gluten-free or Paleo snack foods out there? Ick!)

Therefore, you tend to have to make meals, and all your snacks, at home. Although this is a little inconvenient at first, it leads to a much healthier, much more delicious daily routine.

It also revs up the creative juices!

For instance: We were recently testing out a new food dehydrator. Even though I loved how it dried fresh fruit, I was very unhappy with the results of homemade beef jerky. Especially after waiting so many hours.

So, to the oven, we went to make the best beef jerky right at home!

I’ve made this oven beef jerky recipe many times since, and have been thrilled with the results every time. I hope you give homemade jerky a try soon and love it as much as we do!

What Ingredients You Need

Many of the ingredients needed for making beef jerky at home are pantry staples. Feel free to swap out the spices and sauces to create your favorite flavors.

• Beef eye of round roast – or sirloin tip roast
• Gluten-free soy sauce – use coconut aminos to make it Paleo
• Worcestershire sauce
• Liquid smoke
• Spices – oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, ancho chili powder, and smoked paprika

The best cuts of meat for beef jerky are eye of round roast, sirloin tip roast, flank steak, top round, bottom round, or other lean cut of meat you desire. 

Some other cuts of meat that could make some great jerky are elk, bison, turkey, pork, or ground beef jerky.

How to Make the Best Beef Jerky in the Oven

To me, the best homemade beef jerky is made in the oven. Even with the oven set at its lowest heat, it is still hotter than a food dehydrator. I believe this dries the beef faster and locks in the flavor.

The key to any delicious jerky is first letting the beef sit in a flavorful marinade for several hours, all the way up to 12 hours for maximum deliciousness.

Although making beef jerky is not a quick process, it is still very simple and requires just a handful of easy steps.

1. Trim all exterior fat off the beef roast with a sharp knife. Flash freeze the beef for 30-45 minutes, so it’s frozen on the outside, but soft-ish on the inside. This aids in slicing the beef thin. Then slice the beef roast against the grain into 1/8-inch thick strips.
2. Place the beef strips in a large zip bag. Add all remaining ingredients to the bag. Zip the bag closed, then shack and massage the beef so the seasoning/beef jerky marinade coats every strip.
3. Place the bag in the refrigerator and marinate the beef for at least 2 hours, but up to 12 hours. *The longer the beef marinades, the better!
4. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 175 degrees F. Line 2-3 large rimmed baking sheets with foil, and place baking racks on the pans.
5. Drain the marinade off the beef and lay the strips in a single layer across the baking racks.
6. Bake the beef jerky for 3-4 hours, until it reaches your desired texture. At the 3-hour mark, take one piece out of the oven and cool. Then test for texture and continue baking if needed. (If you have 2 trays in the oven, make sure to rotate between oven racks to ensure an even bake.)

Once done, allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.

If you’ve completely trimmed the fat from the beef it will keep well at room temperature for up to two weeks, but if there is still fat on your cuts you’ll want to store the jerky in the fridge.

See? Making your own beef jerky is easy and fun!

Best Homemade Oven Beef Jerky Cooking Tips

One of the most important things to do when making beef jerky at home is to prep the beef properly before marinating. It’s important to trim off all the extra fat so that the jerky can stay out at room temperature after baking. If there are little chunks of dried fat in the jerky, it will turn rancid at room temperature.

Then “flash freeze” the beef just long enough to firm up the outside, so it is much easier to cut into thin strips.

After cutting the beef into 1/8-inch strips, marinate the strips in the seasoning for at least two hours. Remember, the longer the beef soaks in the seasoning, the stronger the flavor will be.

I like to marinate beef jerky overnight so it’s seasoned well.

Use baking racks set in oven pans to bake the beef jerky. This allows the juices and marinade to drip down so the beef can dry out properly.

Finally, taste-test the beef jerky early, so you don’t leave it in the oven too long.

You’ve got this!

Get the Complete (Printable) Best Homemade Oven Beef Jerk Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Looking for More Savory and Healthy Snack Recipes?

• Baked Zucchini Chips
• Low Carb Cauliflower Crackers
• Bacon-Wrapped Avocado
• Sheet Pan Keto Chicken Nachos
• How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
• Healthy Baked Carrot Chips
• Venison Jerky by Low Carb Yum

Check the printable recipe below for nutritional information including calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar percentages. You can also find the prep time and total time it takes to make this recipe below.

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