Spicy Beef Jerky Recipe

This spicy beef jerky recipe is the perfect combination of spicy, salty, and sweet. It’s all about freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns, which enhance the flavor with spicy heat and subtle fruitiness. Brown sugar, garlic and smoked paprika – plus soy and Worcestershire sauce – and you’re done!

It’s no secret that we are huge fans of beef jerky! It’s packed with protein, portable, and truly the perfect snack. We share these two classic and easy recipes Jerky recipes and sweeter Teriyaki Beef Jerkybut for this peppercorn recipe, we wanted to turn up the heat and make a spicy version.

We knew early on that we wanted to bring Sichuan peppercorns on board. Black pepper may be a common ingredient, but plenty of freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns really bring that extra magic to the equation. We used a whole tablespoon of pepper in this one, zero regrets.

This peppery beef jerky recipe delivers controlled (but dramatic!) heat along with subtle fruitiness and bright flavor. The result is an “I bet you can’t eat just one” spicy beef jerky recipe that will leave you wanting more!

raw material

• beef: For this peppercorn recipe, we like to use round eyes, cut into ⅜-inch thick slices. Many other lean cuts of beef also work well, such as prime sirloin, prime sirloin, London broil, or flank steak. The important thing is that it’s a lean cut of meat – you should actually avoid beef that contains a lot of fat, as fat can’t be dehydrated.
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce: We love the umami flavor that soy sauce brings, but using too much can make it too salty. Therefore, we recommend using low-sodium soy sauce or soy sauce (soy sauce is also gluten-free, if that’s a factor for you).
• Worcestershire Sauce: This tangy sauce adds sweet and salty flavors with a hint of sourness.
• brown sugar: Adds some sweetness and depth of flavor. We have used both light and dark brown sugar with great results.
• Sichuan peppercorn: Freshly ground! Once the peppercorns are ground, they will begin to lose their oil. So, to get maximum flavor, we grind them before using them. We’re fans of Trader Joes’ rainbow peppercorn grinders, which come in black, pink, and green peppercorns. But just black pepper will work too.
• Garlic paste: The kind that comes in tubes excellent Convenient, and the paste really helps the flavor get into the meat, but minced garlic cloves will work too.
• smoked paprika: This superhero condiment brings a hint of peppery chili and a subtle smokiness.
• sea ​​salt: Only a small amount is needed to achieve the right amount of saltiness in the overall solution, which is important for shelf-stable jerky.

step by step

First, slice the beef. Slice the meat into the thinnest possible slices, cutting against the grain for a chewier jerky or against the grain for a tender jerky. Trim away any visible fat, then tap the slices with a meat tenderizer until all slices are roughly the same thickness and about ⅛ inch (4 mm) tall (about the height of two stacked nickels). Transfer beef to zip-top storage bag.

Now it’s time to make the marinade. Stir all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and pour over beef. Seal the bag and massage slightly to distribute the marinade around all the pieces of meat. Refrigerate for 12-36 hours, shaking the bag every few hours to ensure all cubes of beef are evenly coated.

Dehydrate the jerky! Preheat the dehydrator to 145°F (63°C), then spread the meat in a single layer in the dehydrator tray, shaking off any excess marinade. Dehydrate pepper beef jerky for 4-6 hours. Be sure to check the top of the jerky occasionally for fat drippings and wipe them off with a paper towel.

Check for doneness. Remove a piece of jerky from the dehydrator, let it cool slightly, and then bend it. If there are white fibers after drying and they bend without cracking, you’re done!

To be safe, bake for 10 minutes: After the jerky is dried in a dehydrator, it is post-dried and heated in an oven (according to OSU Extension/Pacific Northwest Extension A guide to making safe jerky). This helps eliminate any remaining pathogens, resulting in the safest jerky possible. Simply preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C), place beef jerky on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes.

Cool and store. Let cool completely, then enjoy a few pieces (mandatory!) while preparing the rest for storage.

Production skills

• Double the pepper for extra heat! Do you like spicy jerky? Increase pepper to 2 tablespoons.
• Freeze beef before slicing. This step isn’t necessary, but it makes the meat easier to slice. Just put it in the refrigerator for an hour or two and then slice it to firm up.
• Or better yet, see if your butcher knows how to cut beef. Ask the butcher counter if the meat can be cut for you. Not only will it save you time, but the slices will be thin and consistent, so it’s a win-win!
• If you want tender jerky, cut against the grain of the meat. This cuts the fibers, shortening them and creating the most tender peppercorns.
• For chewy jerky, cut against the grain. This keeps the fibers longer and makes the jerky chewier.
• Break up the beef slices with a mallet. This helps tenderize the meat while also giving you consistently thin slices of dried chili. Don’t go too far, though! If you tenderize it too much, it will become mushy, so make sure the beef cubes retain some structure.
• Preheat the dehydrator. You need to dehydrate at a temperature of 145°F (63°C).
• Set a timer. This can help you remember to remove jerky from the dehydrator on time; otherwise, you may risk over-dehydration.
• Bake for 10 minutes after dehydration. According to the Pepper Beef Jerky Recipe (or any beef jerky), this is an important food safety step Oregon State University’s Guide to Making Safe Beef Jerky. Simply transfer the dehydrated jerky to a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 275°F (135°C) for 10 minutes.

storage

The longer you plan to keep your jerky, the more careful you need to be about how you store it.

• Maximum one week: Peppered beef jerky will keep in a plastic bag or non-airtight container for up to a week. Avoid direct sunlight; the less contact with air the better.
• Up to two months: Place jerky in an airtight container and store at room temperature, away from direct light.
• Two to six months: Vacuum-seal beef jerky in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to six months.
• Six months to one year: Vacuum seal the jerky in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Adding a moisture absorbent pack will help extend its lifespan.

• 1 pound round eyes, or Prime Round, Prime Sirloin Steak, London Broil or Flank Steak
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 spoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 spoon brown sugar
• 1 spoon Freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns¹, Combination of black, pink and green
• 2 teaspoon garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon sea ​​salt

• Cut the meat into pieces about ⅜ inch thick, removing as much visible fat as possible. Then cut the meat into 1-inch strips. Place in a large ziploc bag and set aside.

• Mix soy sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, smoked paprika, and salt in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour the meat into a zip-top bag, taking care to make sure the meat is evenly coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

• After the meat is marinated, place the strips of meat on the dehydrator tray. Sprinkle with extra pepper. Dehydrate at 145° for 4-6 hours until the meat is dry. A general rule of thumb is that if you bend a piece and it bends and breaks (but doesn’t break), then it’s done.

• Use tongs to transfer the jerky to the baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch or overlap. Place them in a preheated 275°F oven for 10 minutes.

• Remove and set aside to cool completely before placing in an airtight container.

storage

• Jerky will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 months, in the refrigerator for 3-6 months, and in the freezer for up to 1 year.²

Calories: 156kilocalories | carbohydrate: 8gram | protein: 16gram | Fat: 5gram | sugar: 6gram

*Nutrition is an estimate based on information provided by third-party nutrition calculators