How to Make Jerky: A DIY Guide for Survival Food

Jerky is a timeless snack that’s as old as civilization itself, and it’s still one of the go-to choices for those craving a protein-packed, flavorful bite on the go. Not many snacks can say that! Most supermarkets and gas stations carry a variety of jerkies, but those store-bought options can be pricey and are often loaded with preservatives. I prefer to make my own whenever I can. Making jerky at home is easier on your wallet, and you get to call the shots when it comes to the flavors and ingredients. A dehydrator may be the most common way to make jerky, but it’s not the only option. If you don’t have a dehydrator at home, you can use your oven, an air fryer, or go old-school and let the sun do the work. You can even make jerky in the microwave (yes, really!).

CHOOSING YOUR MEAT AND SEASONINGS

Just about any meat can be turned into jerky—beef, pork, wild game, poultry, and more. Jerky can be made from both ground meat and whole-muscle cuts, but whole-muscle jerky is the safest type to prepare at home. For that reason, this guide will focus exclusively on whole-muscle cuts. When making jerky from whole-muscle meat, you can expect a yield ratio of approximately 4:1. That means four pounds of trimmed raw meat will produce about one pound of finished jerky.

You can either marinate your meat to tenderize and add flavor or use a dry rub seasoning for flavor. There are countless jerky marinades and seasoning recipes online. Once you find one you like, tweak it to make it your own. Premade jerky seasonings are also widely available. I highly recommend Hi Mountain Seasonings Jerky Cure and Seasoning Kits. They offer a wide variety of flavors and are easy to use. My personal favorites are the Cracked Pepper ‘N Garlic and Cajun Blends—they’re so good!

If you want to use a marinade but aren’t sure where to start, try making one with the ingredients below. Try it as-is the first time, then experiment with different ingredients to create your own signature jerky flavor. Don’t like liquid smoke? Leave it out.

Basic Marinade Ingredients (per 1 pound of trimmed raw meat):

• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp honey or syrup
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

PREPARING THE MEAT

Before drying meat for jerky, follow these basic steps to prep the meat:

1. Choose a lean cut of meat. Fatty meats can spoil quickly, ruining your jerky and shortening its shelf life. My choice cut is flank steak. Cuts like the eye of round, top round, and bottom round are solid options too.
2. Partially freeze the meat. Firmer meat is so much easier to slice thin and evenly. If you’re working with fresh meat, freeze it for 1–2 hours—just long enough to firm it up without freezing it completely. If you’re starting with frozen meat, let it thaw slightly in the fridge until it’s firm but not fully thawed.
3. Trim any visible fat and connective tissues (like sinew and silverskin) from the meat. Fat retains moisture and can become rancid, and connective tissues make jerky tough and cause it to curl during drying. Removing them ensures better texture, taste, and longer shelf life.
4. Slice the meat into thin, uniform strips, about 1/8” to 1/4” thick. Thinner slices will dry faster and result in more brittle jerky; thicker slices take longer to dry but will be chewier. Slice against the grain for easier-to-chew jerky, or with the grain for a tougher, chewier texture. Aim for uniform strips to promote even drying, but don’t stress if the pieces vary in thickness. You can always pull the thinner pieces out sooner and continue drying the rest.
5. Marinate the meat. If using a marinade, place the trimmed and sliced meat in a zip-top bag with your chosen marinade ingredients. Seal the bag, refrigerate, and let it marinate for 3–6 hours, or overnight. If using only seasoning, like a dry rub, apply the seasoning to each piece well, then mix the pieces in a bowl so they’re evenly coated. Cover the bowl or place the seasoned meat in a zip-top bag, and let it sit overnight to allow the flavors to infuse.
6. Take the meat out of the fridge. If you used marinade, pat the meat dry with paper towels to remove any excess.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN MAKING JERKY

Always practice basic safe handling and prep when making homemade jerky such as washing your hands before and after handling raw meat, using clean equipment, etc. No one wants to eat jerky that could make them sick.

Not everyone does this, but the USDA recommends heating meat to 160°F (or 165°F for poultry) before drying to kill harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli. Dehydrators and other drying methods don’t always reach this temperature, so precooking is advised. This can be done by steaming, roasting, or heating the meat in a hot marinade. Adding a curing agent like sodium nitrite can further help destroy bacteria and improve preservation.

6 WAYS YOU CAN MAKE JERKY WITHOUT A DEHYDRATOR

METHOD 1: OVEN JERKY

• Pros: Convenient (most people already have an oven); large-batch friendly.
• Cons: Longer cooking time; some ovens heat unevenly.

Using an oven is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to make jerky at home. It’s a great option for beginners or anyone curious about jerky-making without having to invest in extra equipment. With just a couple of tools—a baking sheet and some foil or a wire rack—you can turn strips of meat into tasty jerky right in your own kitchen.

One thing to keep in mind when using an oven to make jerky is some ovens, especially older ones, have uneven heat distribution. This can cause some pieces of jerky to dry faster than others. If that’s the case with your oven, rotate the meat halfway through or use a wire rack to elevate the meat so air can circulate better around each piece. My oven is hotter in the back, so I always have to rotate pans halfway through cooking.

How to Make Jerky in a Conventional Oven:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°F.
2. Place a sheet of foil or a baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven to catch any drippings. Alternatively, you can use a wire rack or jerky screen on a baking sheet. (Note: Don’t line the very bottom of your oven with foil. It can trap heat and potentially damage the oven.)
3. Arrange the meat strips in a single layer, directly on the upper oven rack, wire rack, or jerky screen. Make sure there’s space between each piece so the air can circulate properly.
4. Leave the oven door slightly ajar to let moisture escape and improve airflow. Use a wooden spoon to prop the door open if needed. (Optional: Set a fan to blow toward the oven to help with air circulation and dehydration.)
5. Bake for 3 to 6 hours, depending on the thickness of your meat. Check the jerky around the 3-hour mark to see if it is done. Continue baking and checking every 30 minutes until the jerky is done.

METHOD 2: SMOKED JERKY

• Pros: Smoky flavor; can use any type of smoker
• Cons: Smoke flavor can be too strong for some; smoker type and environment can affect results

If you enjoy bold, smoky-tasting jerky, smoking your meat is the way to go. Any type of smoker works—electric, propane, gas, wood, charcoal, or pellet-fueled. I use an electric pellet smoker because it’s easy to maintain a consistent temperature. Camp Chef’s Woodwind Pro 36 is a great smoker to use for jerky. The smoke box can be filled with wood pellets, chunks, chips, or charcoal and you can control both grill temp and smoke level using the Wi-Fi app.

Charcoal smokers give meat that classic smoky flavor. For a woodsier smoke taste, use wood. Wood comes in a range of flavors—mild to strong, fruity, nutty, or sweet. Pick a wood that complements your meat, marinade, and seasonings. Good hardwood options include hickory, cherry, apple, mesquite, oak, or a custom blend. Avoid softwoods like pine, fir, and cedar as they can be toxic.

Every smoker is different, so keep in mind that things like location, wind, outside temperature, and heat source can affect how your smoker performs and how your jerky will turn out.

How to Make Jerky Using a Smoker:

1. Preheat your smoker to a low temperature, ideally somewhere between 160°F and 200°F. I usually set mine to 180°F for jerky. You’ll need to find the sweet spot on your own smoker. Just remember: the lower the temp, the longer it takes to dry the meat. Higher heat speeds things up, but then you risk missing that perfect jerky texture and smoky flavor, and even worse, you could char the meat if you’re not careful.
2. Place meat strips directly on the grates, on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup), or hang them from a top-level grate using toothpicks. Leave about 1/4 inch of space between pieces.
3. Smoke until the meat is fully dehydrated, anywhere from three to six hours depending on your smoker temperature. Start checking after the first hour to make sure the jerky is drying evenly.

METHOD 3: AIR FRYER JERKY

• Pros: Quick and even drying; consistent results.
• Cons: Limited capacity.

Turns out air fryers aren’t just for cooking chicken nuggets and reheating leftover fries —they’re surprisingly great for making jerky too! The key to perfect jerky is maintaining a consistent, controlled temperature, and that’s exactly what an air fryer does. Like a convection oven, it circulates hot air around the food to cook it evenly and quickly. Dehydrators can take several hours, while an air fryer can get the job done in as little as two. Compared to a conventional oven, an air fryer is more energy efficient because it’s smaller and uses less power. However, its smaller size means you’ll need to make jerky in smaller batches.

How to Make Jerky in an Air Fryer:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 200°F. You can go lower if your air fryer allows.
2. Place meat slices in the cooking basket, ensuring no overlap for proper airflow.
3. Air fry for 2–3 hours.
4. Check the meat for doneness. Thicker cuts may need more time. If needed, fry for an additional 30 minutes and then check again.
5. Once the jerky is done, leave the air fryer open and let the meat cool.

Dehydrate Function: If your air fryer has a dehydrator setting, start by air frying the meat at 350°F for 3 minutes to bring it up to a safe internal temperature of 160°F. Then switch to the dehydrate mode and dry the meat at 160°F for 2 hours.

METHOD 4: SUN-DRIED JERKY

• Pros: Uses natural energy and minimal tools (just racks or screens).
• Cons: Inconsistent temperatures and exposure to contaminants.

Sun drying meat to make jerky is one of the oldest methods of preservation. These days, it’s rarely used for meat but is still common for drying fruits like apricots, cherries, grapes, and tomatoes. Sun drying is generally discouraged for jerky-making because of uneven heat exposure, and the risk of contamination from pests, debris, and bacteria. Still, it’s a valuable skill to know in survival or off-grid situations, and worth learning.

When sun drying meat, use lean beef, lamb, or venison. Low-fat meats like these are safer because fat turns rancid when exposed to air and sunlight, and sun drying speeds up that process. Sun drying is not recommended for fish or poultry jerky.

For this method, you’ll need a dry, sunny location with steady airflow. Ideal conditions include low humidity and warm, stable temperatures that don’t fluctuate too much throughout the day.

How to Make Jerky Using the Sun: 

1. Place strips of meat in a single layer between two drying screens or inside a hanging mesh drying rack (available on Amazon). Make sure the strips aren’t touching or overlapping.
2. Set the meat in full sun. Choose a spot that will stay sunny throughout the entire drying process.
3. Let the meat dry in the sun for 3–4 hours or longer, depending on the thickness of your meat strips and weather conditions.

METHOD 5: MICROWAVED BEEF JERKY

• Pros: Super quick and convenient.
• Cons: Not the best tasting compared to other methods; uneven heating.

Did you know you can make jerky in the microwave? It doesn’t produce the same texture or flavor as traditionally dried jerky, but it’s a quick and convenient way to satisfy your jerky cravings at home. The process involves drying out the meat quickly by microwaving it in short intervals. Microwaving is a great way to get a quick jerky fix at home. It’s not my go-to method for jerky but it works in a pinch, and I was surprised how good the jerky came out when I first tried it. Give it a try and see what you think.

How to Make Jerky in the Microwave

1. Place sliced meat onto a microwave-safe plate lined with paper towels.
2. Arrange the meat in a single layer so that none of the pieces are touching. 
3. Cover the meat with a paper towel.
4. Microwave the meat on high heat for 2- 1/2 minutes.
5. Turn the slices over and cook for another minute.
6. Turn again. Cook for another minute.
7. If the jerky is not done, continue to turn and cook at one-minute intervals.

METHOD 6: NO HEAT / AIR-DRIED JERKY

• Pros: Fun and unconventional method; makes your home smell like delicious meat!
• Cons: Filter fibers can stick to the meat; takes a while due to the no-heat drying process.

I remember watching an episode of Alton Brown’s ‘Good Eats’ on Food Network years ago, where Alton built a contraption to dry jerky using air filters, a box fan, and bungee cords. It’s a quirky approach to jerky-making, but it works—and it’s just plain fun! This setup allows you to make a large batch of jerky at once. Plus, it works great for drying herbs too.

Before you try this method, grab these items from your local hardware store:

• 1 box fan
• 4 paper air-conditioner filters
• 2 bungee cords

How to Make Jerky Alton Brown’s Way:

(For the full recipe, visit: altonbrown.com)

1. Evenly distribute strips of thin meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves. To minimize the chance of fibers sticking to the meat, lay the meat on the wire side of the filters. If you want to make a larger amount of jerky, simply add more air filters to accommodate.
2. Stack the filters on top of one another, finishing with the empty filter on top.
3. Place the stack of filters onto the front of the fan and secure them to the fan using the bungee cords.
4. Stand the fan upright and set it to medium speed.
5. Leave the fan running overnight or for at least 12 hours.

Tip: If you have pets, be sure to place the setup out of their reach. Nothing attracts a dog or cat more than the smell of meat wafting through the air!

How Do You Know Your Jerky Is Done?

Finished jerky should be firm, darkened, and dry to the touch, but still slightly pliable. Test doneness by bending a piece of jerky in half. It shouldn’t snap or break, but it also shouldn’t feel soft or flimsy. If it bends and cracks slightly without breaking, you’ve hit that perfect balance between brittle and flexible, and your jerky is ready.

Best Way to Store Your Jerky

Since most of the moisture is removed during the drying process, jerky is shelf-stable and can be stored without refrigeration. However, refrigerating or freezing jerky will extend its shelf life. To store homemade jerky, allow it to cool completely before placing it in an airtight container. Suitable containers include resealable zip-top bags, freezer bags, vacuum-sealed bags, mason jars, or Tupperware. At room temperature, jerky can last up to 3 weeks. In the refrigerator, it can stay fresh for 3–4 months, and in the freezer, it can be stored indefinitely —though the longer it stays in there, the greater the risk of freezer burn and the funky flavors it can impart.

Homemade Jerky: A Must-Have for Survivalists and Snack Lovers

Jerky is the ultimate on-the-go snack you can stash anywhere: in your bug-out bag, hunting pack, or even your back pocket for a quick energy boost on the go. Knowing how to make your own is a valuable skill, especially when things go sideways. And whether you use a dehydrator or not, jerky is easy to make and a great source of preserved protein to keep on hand. DIY jerky isn’t just for survivalists, though—it’s for anyone who loves a tasty, meaty snack. So, grab your favorite cut of lean meat and get started.

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