Father’s Day Gift Idea

I don’t know about you, but gifts for husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, and other men in our life always seem impossible to find. They tend to buy what they want or need, or maybe just don’t need anything at all. This year, with the help of my mom and grandma, I nailed the Father’s Day gift.

Not only did I make homemade beef jerky snacks, but I also got assorted goodies from Trader Joe’s. I got my dad’s go to favorites, like peanut butter cups and a few new things to try like ghost pepper potato chips and spicy cheese crunchies.

As far as snacks go, beef jerky is probably pretty good for you. However, in commercial beef jerky brands, there are a lot of preservatives used and a lot of waste is created in the process. These homemade beef jerky snacks allow you to know exactly what you’re putting in your recipe.

Beef Jerky Dehydrator

We used a Healthy Preserve 80l Commercial Grade Dehydrator. Unfortunately, this was a product from Gander Mountain and is no longer in production. Our homemade beef jerky snacks had a nice texture and consistency. If you’re looking for the best dehydrator for making beef jerky, check out this article. If you have a dehydrator, make sure it will reach 160°F.

After about 4 hours, check your beef jerky. Try bending the jerky. Your personal preference will determine when to take it out, but I recommend taking it out if it cracks when you bend it, instead of when it snaps in half.

Print Recipe

The Best Homemade Beef Jerky Recipe

Beef jerky is a great go-to snack idea because it's high in protein and will push off unhealthy cravings for hours. Commercial beef jerky is made with tons of preservatives, and also has a wasteful process. Making your own homemade beef jerky allows you to control what you eat.

Course

snacks

Keyword

snacks

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

5 hours

Servings

gallon

Ingredients

• 3 pounds round steak
• 5 Tbsp ground pepper
• 4 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 6 Tbsp maple syrup
• 16 tsp paprika
• 3 tsp ground fennel
• 3 tsp ground coriander

Course snacks Keyword snacks Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 5 hours Servings gallon Ingredients 3 pounds round steak 5 Tbsp ground pepper 4 1/2 Tbsp salt 6 Tbsp maple syrup 16 tsp paprika 3 tsp ground fennel 3 tsp ground coriander

Instructions

1. Combine ground pepper, salt, maple syrup, paprika, fennel and coriander in a bowl.

   
2. Trim off the fat and slice the round steak into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices with the grain for chewy slices or against the grain for tender jerky. You can place the meat in the freezer for 1-2 hours to make it easier to slice.

   
3. Add steak into spice mixture and evenly coat the pieces.
4. Put the coated steak pieces into a plastic bag and put in refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove 30 minutes prior to baking.
5. When you're ready to dehydrate the meat, space them evenly so they're not touching or overlapping. This will allow the air to circulate and dry the meat better.
6. Turn the dehydrator to 160° and let it run for about 4 hours. You want the internal temperature of your jerky to reach 160°. This jerky took 5 hours to dry fully, as some of our meat slices were thicker than others. Depending on how thick your slices are will determine how long it will take to finish dehydrating.
7. Check your jerky throughout the drying process to avoid over drying. The jerky will be done when it bends and cracks but does not break in half. Once it’s done, let it sit on the rack and cool for a couple hours.
8. Store it in Ziploc bags for 1-2 weeks or in a vacuum sealed bag for 1-2 months in a cool, dark place. You can also store it in the freezer.

Recipe Notes

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Storing Homemade Beef Jerky Snacks

I put my homemade beef jerky snacks in paper sacks. It’s best to keep in plastic baggies or in a vacuum sealed bag for 1-2 weeks in a cool, dark place. You can also store them in the freezer until you’re ready to eat them.

Materials needed for snack packs:

• Paper sacks
• Stapler or glue sticks
• Scissors
• Snacks

To make paper sacks, first cut the sacks down into smaller sections.

Next, fold it long ways into thirds and glue down the edges, so the snacks don’t come out the sides. Fold in the corners on the bottom of the sack, so they don’t fall out the end. Then fold over the top of the snack pack to keep the snacks closed.

And that’s it! Now you have cute little paper snack packs to put in your snack basket.

If you’re looking for other gift ideas with beef jerky, check out these Beef Jerky Gifts for Him!

If you have small kids, I also have a Father’s Day Scavenger Hunt printable. This scavenger hunt is fun family activity bringing dads together with their kids, while also learning.

Don’t forget to pin this yummy recipe for later!