Teriyaki Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky is a classic snack. Sorry no fun beef jerky memories from me folks, I think the idea of it would make my Mom squeamish and she would probably announce to me that it causes cancer. My only experience with jerky growing up was the kind you can get at the local convenience store.  So yeah, no jerky memories.

But that doesn’t mean jerky isn’t awesome, it is. Good jerky makes for a great healthy snack that can satisfying your 2PM cravings better than anything else. I don’t know about you, but crunchy things don’t do it for me, I need some meat. Uh…redact that whole statement..

Okay anyways, Jerky, the word itself comes from the Incan word Ch’arki, which quite literally means “dried meat.” Jerky was a vital tool for Native Americans because it allowed them to preserve meat. When the Europeans saw this they were like…we’re going to copy this…and then take everything else you own too.

So after the Native Americans taught the European settlers how to make this, the great jerky race was on! Not really, but jerky sort of got its start hen. Since then jerky has become popular all over the world with different varieties taking shape. Traditionally it was made from red meat, either cow or buffalo.

So the jerky I have for you today is actually…ground beef! With the help of a jerky gun, you can make beef jerky using ground beef instead of an actual cut of meat.

This recipe is super easy, but it requires you to have a dehydrator. If you don’t have one, you can still do it in the oven, but it becomes much more difficult.

Recipe – Teriyaki Beef Jerky

Ingredients

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef

1/4 Cup. Teriyaki Sauce

Jerky Gun

Dehydrator

Method

Mix the sauce with the beef. Store overnight or at least a few hours. Fit the beef into the jerky gun, and then slowly push the meat out onto the trays. Dehydrate on high for 4 hours to 5 hours.

Allow them to cool, then refrigerate, keeps for up to two weeks refrigerated.