Teriyaki Ground Beef Jerky Recipe

Marinades for beef jerky consist of different ingredients that contribute to the creation of unique flavors. One of the most popular marinades is teriyaki.

Teriyaki is a Japanese dish where the foods are grilled, roasted, or broiled in a soy sauce marinade. The marinade or (tare in Japanese) is what makes a teriyaki recipe distinctively delicious. Teri means sugar-formed shine in the tare and yaki applies to the grilling and broiling method of cooking. Beef jerky makers adopted the teriyaki recipe and formulated a litany of ingredients for its jerky marinade.

Teriyaki Ground Beef Jerky Recipe

Teriyaki Ground Beef Jerky Ingredients

For the Teriyaki Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestor sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

For the Beef Jerky

3 pounds lean ground beef (about 1360 gm)
1 to 2 cups teriyaki marinade

Teriyaki Ground Beef Jerky Instructions

For the Teriyaki Marinade

Simply combine the basic ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a large bowl and refrigerate for about an hour.

For the Teriyaki Ground Beef Jerky

Get nice, quality ground beef in your nearest supermarket, butcher shop, or grocery store. If you prefer to make homemade ground beef, cut the meat into 1 1/2" cubes and grind them with a food processor or meat grinder. Try to find the leanest ground beef you can find because the fat will not preserve well.

Put the ground beef into a large bowl and pour the teriyaki marinade over top of it. Mix it together very well. Using your hands is probably the most effective way to mix it but you can use a large spoon or spatula if you prefer. Store the meat in the fridge for about 4 to 8 hours, or over night.

To Extrude the Ground Beef Jerky

For best results use a jerky gun or jerky press to apply the ground jerky strips directly onto the drying sheet. Alternatively, you can place the ground beef on a flat surface and roll or press it until it is 1/8" to 3/8 thick then cut it into strips using a knife and place them on the drying sheets.

Make sure the ground beef strips don't overlap and have a little space between them to enable good air circulation.

Making Teriyaki Ground Beef Jerky in the Oven

Preheat the oven to 160°F / 71°C, or the lowest setting it will go to if it doesn't go that low.

Arrange the oven shelves leaving at least 4 inches of space from the top and bottom sources of heat to achieve even heating. Place the strips in the oven to start dehydrating them. It should take 6 to 12 hours.

Making Teriyaki Ground Beef Jerky in a Dehydrator

Preheat your dehydrator to at least 141°F / 60.5°C and up to 165°F / 74°C.

If you are not using wire or mesh trays you may need to turn the beef jerky over once in the middle of the drying process.

Dry the beef jerky for 6 to 12 hours. If thicker strips of meat are used it may take longer.

Finishing the Teriyaki Ground Beef Jerky

To test the beef jerky remove a strip or two from the oven racks or dehydrator trays with clean kitchen tongs. Dried beef jerky strips should be chewy but still tender. When bent, it should be flexible enough not to break but it should crack instead.

Once the beef jerky is sufficiently dry, remove it from the dehydrator and let it cool for 30 to 60 minutes. If there is any oil or moisture on the beef jerky use paper towels to blot it dry.

Put the jerky in tightly sealed containers then refrigerate or freeze. They will last in the refrigerator for a month or two and in the freezer for several months.