This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
When making homemade jerky it is really important to follow strict food safety precautions to prevent any foodborne illnesses. The most common bacteria growths in poorly made jerky are Salmonella and E. Coli. These can be deadly, making food safety extremely important when making jerky.
By following these steps, you will prevent bacteria growth and have plenty of safe jerky for everyone to enjoy!
How to make safe jerky
1. Clean your kitchen, utensils, bowls, and all other equipment with water and bleach. Also wash your hands with soap before handling any raw meat.
2. Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature to prevent bacteria growth. I see many people put meat on the counter and leave it for hours. This is NOT safe and should NOT be done. Leave yourself ample time to thaw your meat in the refrigerator.
3. Marinate the meat at a temperature between 36-40°F (2°C-4°C). Do not marinate at room temperature. Keep meat in the fridge while you mix your marinade together. Bacteria can grow fast on raw meat left out at room temperature. After marinating, do not save and re-use a marinade.
4. At the beginning of dehydrating, heat the jerky to 160°F (71°C) to kill dangerous bacteria. For jerky to be safe, it should be heated to 160°F for beef and 165°F for turkey or chicken jerky BEFORE you dry your strips.
Heating the jerky after dehydrating might not kill all bacteria due to it becoming more heat resistant during the drying process. This is why bringing your jerky to 160ºF at the start of your jerky making process is recommended by the USDA.
If you have a dehydrator that will heat jerky to this temperature, you can bypass this initial heating stage. See my page on Dehydrator Reviews for more information.
If your dehydrator does not heat the jerky to 160°F, pre-heat the meat in an oven after it has finished marinating. As an extra precaution; I ALWAYS pre-heat any turkey or chicken jerky I make, as well as use curing salt, to make sure it is safe to eat. I like being as safe as possible when using fowl.
Pre-heat ¼″ slices of beef to 160°F, it takes about 10 minutes in a 300°F (149°C) oven. To pre-heat ¼″ slices of turkey to 165°F, about 8 minutes at 300°F (149°C) does the job. Not all oven are the same, so wrapping one strip around an oven thermometer while baking is the best way to determine when the jerky strips reach the desired temperature.
5. Use curing salt to help prevent bacteria from growing. In this age where the craze is only eating Organic Foods, curing salt might not be in your recipes. While I do understand the 'staying away from preservatives', be extra careful when not using them when making jerky!
When the right amount of curing salt is used, there are no harmful effects that many believe come from using these salts. If you decide not to use curing salts, make sure that you follow the other safety precautions closely. Especially heating the meat to 160ºF to kill any bacteria and eat the jerky within a couple of days.
With that said, I DO recommend using cure when making ground meat jerky because the meat has been handled and processed making it more susceptible to having bacteria. I also recommend using curing salt when making turkey or chicken jerky due to salmonella.
Better to be safe than sorry! So in short… No jerky recipe NEEDS cure as long as beef is heated to 160°F and fowl to 165°F. But it is another line of defense to kill bacteria and allows your jerky to last longer.
6. Store jerky in a cool dry place for up to a week or vacuum seal and freeze for up to 6 months.
That's it folks! Making jerky is both fun and VERY rewarding. Just make sure to keep in mind these tips on how to keep you and your loved ones safe when making and eating homemade jerky.
For more information, visit the USDA Webpage on Jerky and Food Safety.
Ewald says
What do you mean by "eat the jerky within a couple of days" if not using curing salt? Is there ANY way to keep it longer safely - say two weeks or so - maybe in the fridge? I just made a batch of venison jerky and, well, forgot to put the curing salt in the marinade.
What did people do with dried meats before curing salts and refrigerators?
Will says
Keeping in the fridge will definitely prolong the life of the jerky. If not in the fridge, leave it out of the sun in a dry dark place like a cabinet. Check out my page on Storing Beef Jerky for more information. They use to dry the hell out of it getting out almost all of the moisture. Extremely tough jerky, but will last longer without curing salt.
Micah Mravik says
When using curing salt, do you put that in the marinade, or do you just sprinkle that on dry? I'm looking forward to making my first batch using 1.5 lb of top round in my new Nesco dehydrator and I want it to have a nice pink color and that distinct jerky taste.
Will says
Hey Micah! Yes, you put the curing salt in the marinade. It should give it that redish color and jerky flavor. Let me know how your jerky turns out!
Micah Mravik says
It was delicious! One more question, I've made two batches, one where I was in a hurry and put the jerky right from the dehydrator into the fridge in a Tupperware container, and one where I let it cool for half an hour before storing it. Honestly, I liked the moisture that came with letting it cool in the fridge, if I use the proper amount of curing salt, is this safe? If it was vacuum sealed like this would it have a shelf life without needing refrigeration even if there is still some moisture in it? Thanks Will!
Will says
You really don't want to have that moisture in it when you vacuum seal it. It will shorten the life of the jerky and create conditions for mold growth. If using curing salt it will help it last longer with the moisture, but I am not sure for how long. If you vacuum seal, you do not need to refrigerate. Just make sure to leave it out of the sun and in a cool dark place.
BEN says
Made some goose jerky. Cured/marinated it for 24 hours with kosher and sea salts. Soy sauce and stuff. Threw it in my electric smoker which only reaches about 130-140°f for 7 hours. Its dry, snappy. Tastes good. Didn't make me feel bad. But I'm worried about it still (first time jerky maker). Does the kosher salt/sea salt cure prevent bacteria growth enough for it to be safe when dried? Or should I make another batch and precook the meat.
Will says
To be 100% sure it's safe, it's best to either pre-heat the meat or post-heat the jerky to an internal temp of 165F for goose. If you pre-heat, it will change the texture of the jerky, so keep that in mind.
Ben says
Thanks man
Bill Stockton says
Hi Will. Can the meat be put in a micro to kill the bacteria as apposed to the oven. I never use my oven and when I do it sets off my smoke detector. What about a toster oven? I'm going to try soy sauce, duck sauce and hot mustard for one batch.
Lisa says
Hi Will, I want to make biltong and have read that I must freeze the meat for at least two weeks before dehydrating. Heating beforehand seems much easier and quicker, and my dehydrator can heat to 70'C.
Can I please confirm, do I leave it at that high temperature for the entire period of dehydrating, or just say for the first couple hours? When you say "preheat" it just sounds like getting it up to that temperature briefly but is unclear how much time it must spend at that temp to completely and reliably denature the pathogens.
Huge thanks! 🙂
Will says
Nice! When preheating the meat just needs to reach 160F and it is safe. No need to maintain that heat for any amount of time.
Katie says
Hello, I bought some pork loin that i intend to thinly slice, marinade with curing salts, and dehydrate. I was wondering if that would be enough to keep my family safe or is there additional steps I should take.
Much love.
Will says
That should be enough, just make sure to heat to 160f when dehydrating and it should turn out safe and tasty!
Cody says
Hey there, I’m using curing salt for my beef jerky. I mixed it with gloves by hand then then put it into a ziplock bag and put in the fridge.
When I pull it out to put the meat into my marinade, should I rinse it off first or just put the meat into the marinade?? I’m thinking I shouldn’t rinse it, but just wanted to make sure.
Will says
I'm not entirely following what you are doing here. Are you putting the sliced beef in a bag with the cure for a while and then putting into the marinade? You can just put the curing salt into the marinade and then place the sliced beef into the marinade for 6-24 hours. Then pull out of marinade and dehydrate. You do not need to cure the meat separately before marinating.
If you have already cured the meat separately; don't rinse it and simply put it into the marinade for 6-24 hours. Everything will turn out just fine, but from now on just cure the meat and marinate at the same time, it's easier. Hope that helps Cody! Let me know how your jerky turns out!
Jackie says
I want to share my jerky with my pet, is curing salt safe for dogs?
Will says
Jerky with all the spices and salt is not the best for dogs. A little jerky every once in a while is okay, but if you want it as a regular treat for them, try making our Dog Jerky. It's made out of ground meat and has dog healthy seasonings.