Making Beef Jerky in a Dehydrator: Safety Steps and Gear
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Step by step (NCHFP and USDA)
- Pick lean meat. NCHFP says almost any lean meat works (beef, pork, venison, smoked turkey breast), though it doesn't recommend raw poultry because of texture and flavor; trim off all fat, because it goes rancid quickly. Cornell suggests lean beef round, flank, chuck, rump or brisket.
- Slice thin. Partially freeze the meat to make slicing easier, then cut no thicker than 1/4 inch. With the grain is chewier; across the grain is more tender and brittle, per NCHFP.
- Get it to 160°F. USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline recommends heating meat to 160°F (poultry 165°F) before dehydrating; FSIS notes bacteria become more heat-resistant after drying. NCHFP's methods: boil strips in their marinade for 5 minutes before drying, or, if you didn't, heat the dried strips (1/4 inch or thinner) for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 275°F as an added safety measure.
- Dry. Keep the dehydrator at a constant 130 to 140°F (FSIS; NCHFP says 140°F; Cornell's older reference uses 145–150°F). Kansas State warns not to rush it with higher heat, which causes case hardening that traps moisture inside.
- Test. Start checking after about 3 hours. It's done when a test piece cracks but doesn't break when bent; NCHFP says 10 to 24 hours for strips not heated in marinade.
Ground-meat jerky and jerky guns
Jerky guns squeeze seasoned ground meat into even strips or sticks. NCHFP calls these “special presses” and cautions that bacteria are harder to eliminate in ground meat than in whole strips, so it still needs to reach 160°F. Kansas State Extension's method: after dehydrating, put the ground-meat jerky on a baking sheet and heat 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 275°F. NCHFP says to follow the dehydrator maker's directions for that final heating.
Presto 08632 Jerky Gun
Holds a pound of seasoned ground meat and comes with three nozzles (wide strips, dual strips, round sticks), with a stainless steel rod, per the listing.
Presto 08632 Jerky Gun
- Holds 1 pound of seasoned ground meat, per the listing
- Three nozzles: wide strips, dual strips, round sticks
- Stainless steel rod
NESCO BJX-5 Jerky Works
NESCO's jumbo manual press with flat and round nozzles, per the listing.
NESCO BJX-5 Jumbo Jerky Works Kit
- Manual press for forming jerky strips from ground meat, per the listing
- Flat and round nozzles
NESCO's Jerky Spice Works pack has seasoning and cure for up to 6 pounds of meat in Original, Hot & Spicy and Teriyaki, per the listing.
NESCO BJV-6 Jerky Spice Works, 3 Flavors
- 3 seasoning and cure packets for up to 6 lb of meat, per the listing
- Original, Hot & Spicy and Teriyaki
Stainless 2.1-lb jerky gun
A stainless barrel that holds over 2 pounds, with 5 stainless nozzles, cleaning brushes and a pusher, per the listing.
Stainless Steel Jerky Gun Kit, 2.1 lb
- Stainless barrel holding over 2 lb, per the listing
- 5 stainless nozzles, cleaning brushes and a meat pusher
Storing jerky
Plan on 2 weeks at room temperature: NCHFP says properly dried jerky keeps 2 weeks in a sealed container and recommends the fridge or freezer for longer. It's been known to last longer: FSIS gives 1 to 2 months for home-dried jerky, and Cornell says about a month at room temperature, 3 to 6 months refrigerated and up to a year frozen. NCHFP also lists vacuum packaging as a good option; see our vacuum sealer guide.