Everyone loves jerk chicken, and you’ll love this Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky.
My wife and I recently went hunting for a Venezuelan food truck in downtown Austin called Four Brother ATX. We found it, but parked next to it was ATX Jamaican Grill, painted in Jamaican flag colors and filling the air with irresistible aroma. The jerk chicken had me hooked—sorry, arepa lady, the jerk was calling my name.
Inspired by that meal, I decided to recreate the island flavors in a beef jerky. I used my preferred cut, Beef Eye of Round, and mixed island-style spices to echo the bold jerk profile I’d just enjoyed (the food truck served it with rice and fried plantains).
I would have liked fresh Scotch bonnet peppers, but the dried spices still did a great job. I combined the marinade, added the sliced beef, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 18 hours so the strips could soak up all those Jamaican flavors.
I dried the jerky in a Nesco dehydrator for five hours and was thrilled with the result. The cayenne gives a steady kick while the thyme comes through first on the palate—together they create a distinct, spicy-herbaceous jerk character.
A useful visual cue for doneness: when a strip is torn in half you can see the white fibers of the meat. The finished jerky should bend and crack slightly without snapping cleanly in two.
I was very pleased with how this turned out. It may not be an exact replica of the food truck’s jerk chicken, but as a beef jerky it’s seriously flavorful and addictive.
For detailed instructions on drying jerky, see the Jerky Making Methods section or follow the recipe below.
Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky
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Rate Recipe
30 minutes
5 hours
5 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
Lean Meat
- 1 lb Beef Eye of Round or Venison
Marinade
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Optional
- ¼ teaspoon curing salt (Prague Powder #1)
Equipment
Instructions
- Trim all visible fat from the beef and place it in the freezer for an hour or two to partially firm the meat.
- While the meat chills, combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl or zip-top bag and mix thoroughly.
- Slice the partially frozen meat into ¼” strips. Slice against the grain for a more tender chew; slice with the grain for chewier jerky.
- Place the sliced beef into the marinade, seal, and refrigerate for 8–24 hours (I marinated for 18 hours).
- After marinating, drain excess marinade and pat the strips dry with paper towels.
- Dry using your preferred method. I used a Nesco dehydrator: 2½ hours at 160°F, then 2½ hours at 140°F (total about 5 hours). The jerky is done when it bends and cracks but does not break in half.
Nutrition
| Calories: 177kcal
| Carbohydrates: 2g
| Protein: 24g
| Fat: 7g
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