This page contains recipes for a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. According to the Masterbuilt instructions, you can alter the timing for charcoal and gas smokers. Jerky has also been smoked in Pit Boss, Bradley, and Traeger smokers. Jerky turned out great with those smokers as well, but keep an eye on the meat because your smoker may smoke it faster or slower than the directions below. I like to follow a few basic rules of thumb when preparing jerky in my Masterbuilt Electric Smoker:
- First, dry rub or marinate the protein.
- To make cleanup easier, line the drip pan and water pan with aluminum foil.
- Instead of using a sheet pan, place the protein directly on the smoker grates.
- Allow some breathing room between the protein strips.
- Before smoking, soak the wood chips for around 60 minutes.
- To the furthest extent possible, open the vent.
- Most meats should be smoked between 165 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Depending on the protein, check after 2 to 3 hours and every 30 minutes after that (see recipes).
- Every 2 to 3 hours, if necessary, add more wood chips.
- Refrigerate or freeze the jerky in a sealable bag or glass jar.
In a propane smoker, how long do you smoke jerky?
Smoke on a low heat setting. Jerky is ready when the edges of the slices seem dry with only a trace of dampness in the center, which takes around 6 to 8 hours.
At what temperature do you smoke jerky?
When smoking jerky, keep the temperature low and the smoke low; don’t overload your smoker with excessive smoking chips. The ideal temperature is just below 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius). A tiny amount of smoke will be produced by an electric smoker, while a charcoal or hardwood fire will produce a large amount of smoke. You must smoke the jerky until it is totally dry, which can take anywhere from 12 to 72 hours depending on the method used and the region.
When you smoke beef jerky, how long do you smoke it for?
If you’re using a pellet smoker or grill, simply set the temperature to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and put the strips on the grill grates. Smoke for 3 to 5 hours, or until done. A pellet smoker will complete beef jerky much faster than an electric smoker. Around 3 o’clock, start checking.
Is it possible to make beef jerky using a propane grill?
To produce jerky at home, you don’t need a dehydrator. With these simple steps and our excellent recipe, you can make beef jerky on your gas barbecue. Chef Chris Koetke of Let’s Recipe created this dish for SABER Grills. It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for SABER’s restaurant-style heat.
When smoking jerky, do you use a water pan?
Pull pork, chicken, and other similar items can be cooked in the water pan. It’s not suitable for jerky because jerky requires the meat to be dried out.
Is it possible to smoke jerky at 225 degrees?
Yes, you can smoke jerky at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, particularly if you want the meat to dry out. In fact, it will cut down on your cooking time. You must, however, take care not to overdry the meat. Experts recommend keeping the heat modest, at 160 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
What kind of wood is ideal for smoking beef jerky?
Hickory is the greatest smoking wood for jerky. Some people prefer the light and sweet flavors that apple and cherry bring to smoked meats, although hickory pairs well with cattle. It’s why we advocate serving it alongside other beef cuts like brisket or tri-tip, and the same goes for these dried beef strips.
Hickory will hold up to the beef round’s powerful and deep flavor profile without overpowering it, allowing the sweetness and spice from our marinade to shine.
How can you tell if jerky has been cooked in a smoker?
You’ll also need aluminum foil to avoid messes and keep the meat flat rather than folded. For your jerky, you can use any style of smoker. It will take several hours to properly cook. To achieve the desired texture, cook at a temperature of 170F to 180F. You’ll notice that the meat is tender and chewier when it’s done. If you want it to be crispy, you can keep it for a longer time.
How to Tell When Dehydrated Jerky Is Done?
One of the most popular methods for making jerky is to use a dehydrator. This traditional drying procedure aids in the removal of moisture from the meat. As with smoking, you’ll want to chop your meat into lean pieces and trim away any excess fat. After that, you can start the drying process. If you’re using a dehydrator, preheat it to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. To fully pre-heat the procedure, it should take at least 15 to 30 minutes.
After that, you can start the drying process by placing your already prepared and marinated meat in the dehydrator. It should take 6 to 10 hours to get the desired level of dryness. You can take your beef pieces out to see whether they’re dry enough. To get it out, clean tongs are required, and it should be hung to cool on a wire rack. When the strip is dry, bend it; if it is properly dried, it will not split in half but will make a crack sound instead.
Is it better to dehydrate jerky or smoke it?
You get the idea. Sweet and spicy jerky. Jerky made from beef is as American as apple pie. Most people are unaware, however, that there is a better way to produce jerky than dehydrating meat: the greatest beef jerky is smoked to perfection.
At what temperature should jerky be cooked?
Dehydrators and oven dehydrators do not reach high enough temperatures to kill dangerous germs that are commonly found in raw meat. Even if fully dried jerky appears to be finished, it is not safe to eat unless it has been heated further. This can be done either before or after drying the meat.
The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline now recommends this approach as the safest alternative. Pre-cooked meat takes less time to dehydrate and may have a different color and texture than typical jerky.
Heat the beef strips until they reach a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit on the inside (165F for poultry). Meat is marinated first, then cooked ahead of time. This can be accomplished by roasting the meat in the oven or boiling or steaming the meat in the marinade. To bake the pork strips, set them on wire racks on baking pans and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the interior temperature of the beef strips with a bi-metallic stemmed food thermometer.
The interior temperature of the jerky should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit (165F for poultry). On a baking sheet, arrange dried jerky pieces in a single layer, avoiding touching or overlapping. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cookies. At 10 minutes, use a bi-metallic food thermometer to check the temperature. When uncooked, jerky that was more than 1/4-inch thick may take longer to achieve the proper temperature.
Drying the Meat
Drying jerky can be done in the oven or using an electric dehydrator. Because of the potential of contamination and the inconsistency of the heat source, sun-drying is not suggested for manufacturing jerky.
It’s critical to keep your oven at a consistent low temperature, between 145 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and to keep the air moving in the oven for oven drying. By propping the oven door open a few inches and placing a fan near the open door, you may stimulate good air movement. This will assist in the removal of moisture from the jerky.
When using an electric dehydrator, a bi-metallic stemmed food thermometer should be used to test the unit’s true working temperature when empty. The temperature control settings on the machine, even if they exist, may be erroneous.
To determine the interior temperature of the dehydrator, follow these steps:
- Place the thermometer inside the dehydrator and close the door if it has a fan in the back that creates horizontal air movement.
- Place three trays on the base of a dehydrator with a fan on the top or bottom to create vertical air movement. With the dial held outside the unit, insert the thermometer stem between the top two trays. Place the cover on top.
- Start by using the highest/hottest setting on your dehydrator.
- Wait a few minutes for the temperature to stabilize before recording. If your dehydrator has many temperature settings, you should repeat the test for each one.
- If your dehydrator doesn’t have many temperature settings, see if you can adjust the amount of ventilation. As a technique to alter temperature, this can allow you to keep more heat in or let more heat out.
- To safely make jerky, the dehydrator must reach a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Preheat the oven or dehydrator to a temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the beef strips from the marinade and pat them dry with paper towels. Use vegetable oil or non-stick pan spray to lightly coat trays (for your dehydrator) or wire racks on baking sheets (for oven drying) to prevent sticking. Place slices on trays, keeping them near together but not touching. Allow about a quarter-inch of space on each tray for air to move freely between trays while drying. Place the trays in an oven or dehydrator that has been warmed.
The seasoned meat is shaped into strips or logs by hand or using a specific press when creating jerky from ground meat. Meat strips should be no more than 1/4 inch thick, just like complete muscle slices. Arrange on trays in a single layer.
Rotate trays at least every 2 hours in dehydrators with vertical air flow, moving the tray closest to the heat to the tray farthest away from the heat.
While jerky takes a long time to dry completely, start monitoring it after around 3 hours to avoid over-drying. Remove a piece of jerky from the tray and cool to room temperature to check for doneness. When the jerky has cooled, it should fracture somewhat but not totally when bent.