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    Home » Beef Jerky Recipes

    Jerkyholic's Original Ground Beef Jerky

    Published: Feb 17, 2016 · Modified: Jun 1, 2021 by Will · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This original ground beef jerky recipe is rich and flavorful as well as easy and quick to make! No marinating required. Everyone will love these meaty protein snacks.

    A rich and flavorful ground meat beef jerky that is easy and quick to make! No marinading required. Everyone will love these meaty protein snacks. | Jerkyholic.com

    I have had several questions lately about making beef jerky out of ground meat. There will soon be a page on here dedicated to making ground meat jerky (How to Make Ground Beef Jerky); but in the meantime I thought I would share a great, quick, and easy recipe that you can whip up anytime.

    Jerkyholic Original Beef Jerky made with an LEM Jerky Gun

    Most of the ingredients are ones that you will have hanging out in your pantry. The only ingredient that you might not have and can see in the picture above, is curing salt (It's the pink salt in the white ¼ tsp).

    If you decide not to use curing salt, substitute with ½ teaspoon of table salt and make sure to heat your jerky to 160°F to kill any potential bacteria.

    When making ground beef jerky, liquid ingredients have to be kept to a minimum. I did add a tiny amount of soy sauce and worcestershire sauce to round out the taste of this jerky, but most ground jerky recipes will have 2oz of liquid ingredients per 1lb of meat. (2oz of liquid ingredients = ¼ cup)

    I used my super fantastic LEM Jerky Cannon to squeeze out and form my jerky strips for this recipe . I REALLY love this jerky gun. I feel like everything we buy now a days is made completely of plastic and lasts for about 3 uses before it breaks and finds its way to the trash.

    Well, not this jerky gun. This baby is made to last and I love it for that. Super easy to use and comes apart easily too, making clean up a breeze.

    Jerky Gun Being Filled

    Mix all the ingredients into one pound of lean ground beef, at least 90% lean. I used 96% lean 4% fat ground beef when making this jerky.

    Mix well and refrigerate for 4-24 hours to help the meat bind together. Take out of the fridge and pack into the jerky gun making sure there are no air pockets.

    Shoot strips of jerky onto your dehydrator trays or on baking sheets if using an oven.

    Shooting strips of jerky on dehydrator tray

    Dehydrate for about 3 ½ to 5 hours at your dehydrators highest setting until beef jerky has reached 160°F and has dried. I used my Excalibur Dehydrator which took me only 3 ½ hours to dry this batch.

    If using an oven, heat the strips for 10 minutes at 300°F with the oven door closed. Then turn the temperature down to the oven lowest setting (normally about 170°F), crack the door and "cook" until it has dried.

    The ground jerky will be a lot easier to chew and has a totally different texture than whole muscle jerky. The only way to see whether you like ground jerky is to make a batch and eat it! Let me know how it turns out.. Enjoy!!!

    Jerkyholic Original Ground Beef Jerky Finished

    For more in depth directions on how to dry your beef jerky, click on the pictures below.

    • Dehydrator on counter with cutting board and knives
      How to Make Beef Jerky in a Dehydrator
    • oven with door open
      How to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven
    • Smoker grill with smoke coming out
      How to Make Beef Jerky in a Smoker
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    Ground beef jerky with jerky cannon and spices

    Jerkyholic's Original Ground Beef Jerky

    This original ground beef jerky recipe is rich and flavorful as well as easy and quick to make! No marinating required. Everyone will love these meaty protein snacks.
    4.5 from 189 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours hours
    Total Time: 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: Beef Jerky
    Type: Ground Beef Jerky
    Flavor: Savory
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 142kcal
    Author: Will

    Ingredients
     

    Lean Beef

    • 1 lb Lean ground beef (10% fat or less)

    Marinade

    • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon ground lemon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon curry powder (red)
    • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon coriander
    • 2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
    • ¼ teaspoon curing salt (optional)

    Equipment

    Excalibur Dehydrator
    Excalibur Dehydrator
    Jerky Cannon
    Jerky Cannon

    Instructions

    • In a bowl, combine the 1lb of ground beef with the other ingredients
    • Mix the ground beef and seasonings thoroughly
    • If using a jerky gun, load the gun with the ground beef mixture & shoot 4-5" long strips onto a dehydrator tray or on a baking sheet
    • If not using a jerky gun, spread the ground meat on a baking sheet, cover with wax paper, and roll with a rolling pin until meat is ¼" thick
    • Slice the pan of beef into jerky strips 4-5" long and 1" thick
    • Dry with your favorite jerky making method. I used a dehydrator at 160F for 3 ½ hours
    • Ground jerky is finished when it first starts becoming dry to the touch. It should bend without breaking in half. If it cracks in half when bent a little bit, it was over dried

    Pro Tips

    • Ground jerky is going to have a different texture than whole muscle jerky, it will be more brittle.
    • Using an oven and dehydrator are the best ways to make ground jerky

    Nutrition

    Serving: 70g | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 651mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    For more in depth directions on how to dry your ground beef jerky, visit my page Ground Beef Jerky

    Jerkyholic\'s Original Ground Beef Jerky
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John says

      September 14, 2023 at 8:08 pm

      Absolutely the best jerky recipe out there for ground meat. I've tried every curing set available near me and they don't hold a candle to this recipe.

      Reply
    2. Yvette says

      August 26, 2023 at 11:35 am

      Hello,
      Do you think this will turn out ok if I dehydrate this on my pellet smoker at 165 degrees or so? I want to try something different than my dehydrator and its too hot right now in Texas to run the oven all day.

      Reply
      • Will says

        September 03, 2023 at 4:19 pm

        Yes. Pellet smokers are a great way to make jerky.

        Reply
    3. Lucas Thompson says

      June 24, 2023 at 5:18 pm

      Anyone know a good teriyaki flavor recipe using ground beef?

      Reply
    4. Amy says

      March 12, 2023 at 9:49 am

      5 stars
      How can you tell when it's dry? I can't check temp because the jerky just isn't thick enough for my thermometers. Should it be like bendy? Mine came out totally crunchy.

      Reply
      • Will says

        March 13, 2023 at 11:50 am

        After 2 1/2 or 3 hours, pull a piece out of the dehydrator and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes (Very Important to allow to cool). Bend the jerky, it should bend without breaking in half or falling apart. The outside should be dry and the jerky a bendable.

        Reply
    5. Kate says

      May 29, 2022 at 1:33 am

      4 stars
      After long searches for ground beef jerky seasoning mixes and prices making me grumpy, I decided to DIY. After my first trial of your recipe with 2 lbs of very lean ground beef (96% fat free), I'm calling this a keeper. The curry and ginger threw me for a loop, but I mixed it exactly as specified by your recipe, and it's delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

      Reply
      • Will says

        June 02, 2022 at 12:47 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it Kate! Hope you find some other recipes you like on the site as well. Experimenting is the most fun part!

        Reply
    6. Pat says

      April 17, 2022 at 6:48 pm

      2 stars
      Delicious flavor, but the two times I tried it, the texture ends up being "mealy" and not a good experience.

      I've made ground beef jerky twice before that and it came out with a good texture and chewy. Those previous recipes I used had zero wet ingredients, so I'm assuming it's an issue with using the wet ingredients.

      Reply
      • MMMom says

        June 21, 2023 at 5:30 pm

        I’m having this same ‘mealy’ issue, today, and sought out this comment whilst troubleshooting; only to find no replies. So, here’s what I’ve learned:

        I’ve concluded that 1) stronger & longer mixing was needed 2) adding a powdered binder helped 3) the closer to 24 hours “marinating” -the better. The batch that endured heavy-duty mixing via a long session with a food processor, …it was very obvious that it was no longer mealy. Will mentions that ‘solid corn syrup’ is helpful with these wet blends, but I didn’t have any. I’m experimenting with powdered milk as I read elsewhere in this comment section.

        Hopefully this helps the next jerkyholic.

        Reply
    7. Barbara says

      November 15, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      Can more than one batch be mixed at a time? I want to do about 5 pounds and would like to do them all at once. I have 10 trays.

      Reply
      • Will says

        November 18, 2021 at 1:28 pm

        Definitely. You can multiply the ingredients and make 5lbs of one recipe, or you can make several different recipes and dehydrate at the same time. ex: make 2 pounds of original and 2lbs of Midwest ground jerky, then dehydrate them on different trays but at the same time. I make several different recipes in the same dehydrator at the same time. I would recommend labeling each recipe somehow. I put different colored toothpicks on the tray for each recipe. Place a blue toothpick on the original jerky trays and an orange on the midwest jerky tray to distinguish the two after it's finished drying.

        Reply
    8. Trish says

      November 14, 2021 at 9:15 pm

      5 stars
      I gave it five stars but I didn’t exactly make it like the recipe. I didn’t have lemon pepper or the curry and used less of some of the spices. I believe my meat was 20% fat and trying to roll it out was a joke. I ended up just patting it out on the sheet for making fruit rollups. And since I have an older dehydrator that only goes up to 145° I dried it for six hours. It’s a little greasy but its yummy.

      Reply
      • Jason says

        July 02, 2022 at 4:58 pm

        Good solution to it been greasy is to finish it in oven at 250 for 10 minutes on a baking sheet . Then dab with paper towel

        Reply
    9. Jerry says

      November 13, 2021 at 12:14 pm

      What is the easiest way to load a jerky gun. I always seem to make a mess and have some air gaps.

      Reply
      • Will says

        November 14, 2021 at 10:06 am

        Loading it a little at a time. Don't start with the handle all the way back, but fill about 3" of the gun at a time. Then pull the lever back 3" more and fill again. I've had good results doing it this way.

        Reply
        • Frank says

          December 19, 2021 at 2:05 pm

          Roll the meat in to a few long round shape that fit in to the jerky gun easily with enough room for the air to escape. Pull handle all the way back and load from the nozzle end.

        • Neal says

          January 18, 2023 at 10:50 pm

          Good day
          I recently purchase the lem canon and I found the best way for me to load the ground beef was to not even use my hands. I grab the canon with one hand and just press the open bottom into the ground beef over and over. I continue to do this until I see it come to within a half in from the open top. (no air pockets) I wipe off the little bit of ground beef on the bottom and screw on the nozzle. works great for me. I hope this helps

    10. Sarah Huitema says

      November 09, 2021 at 8:47 am

      What would happen if you left out, or cut the sugar? Looking for a very low sugar (or no sugar) beef jerky to make!

      Reply
      • Will says

        November 11, 2021 at 10:30 am

        You can omit the sugar in this recipe as well.

        Reply
        • Steve says

          December 15, 2021 at 1:16 pm

          I did not see sugar in the recipe. Am I missing something?

        • Will says

          December 18, 2021 at 12:09 pm

          There is no sugar, we were talking about a different recipe, but somehow came up on this comment section. Sorry for the confusion!

    11. Danielle Regina Monds says

      October 08, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      WAS FANTASTICE! Even made the same recipe for ground pork jerky. Also super, although I reduced the pepper by 1/4 teaspoon using only 3/4 tsp ground pepper. Perfect to our taste.
      Question?? Can you mix the ground beef and pork together. All my meatballs/burgers/ meatloaf are 50/50. beef/pork.
      Thanks for all your great recipes
      Danielle

      Reply
      • Will says

        October 16, 2021 at 9:50 am

        Yeah, you could definitely do a mixture like you do with a meatloaf. Let me know how you like the others!

        Reply
    12. donna deabay says

      October 03, 2021 at 3:55 pm

      what would be the temp be for oven drying and for how long cooking time

      Reply
      • Will says

        October 03, 2021 at 8:32 pm

        Use your lowest setting on the oven and it should take about 4-6 hours. Check out my how to make jerky in an oven page for more information.

        Reply
      • Tenrag says

        January 29, 2023 at 12:55 pm

        Made a batch to the exact recipe. When trying to use meat gun there was liquid and the meat was not maintaining form. Tried jerky and snack stick with same result. Any ideas?

        Reply
    13. Jeremy Frutiger says

      September 23, 2021 at 4:41 am

      I am assuming red curry powder is the most common, I am visually impaired so I was just wondering if I have the right stuff, just the cheap kind you find in the dollar aisle of the grocery store. By the way this page is the best!

      Reply
      • Will says

        September 23, 2021 at 5:59 pm

        Yep, the common stuff you find at your local grocery store. Thanks so much Jeremy!

        Reply
    14. Sascha says

      September 16, 2021 at 11:54 am

      4 stars
      Hey, I made this three days ago. I used curing salt, used hot temperature (over 70 degree Celsius) also vacuum sealed everything. Now my bags are oily on the inside. Was my meat too fatty? Save to eat?
      Keep up your good work. I know I need such a jerky gun! Hard to get in Austria tho...

      Reply
      • Will says

        September 16, 2021 at 1:21 pm

        The oil normally comes from fatty meat. I would recommend using no more than 10% fat when making ground jerky. The jerky should be safe to eat, it just won't last as long as a leaner meat jerky. The vacuum sealing will extend the life however.

        Reply
    15. Dana K McMurrin says

      September 05, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      I have never made jerky. But I want to give this recipe a go. After it is dried. Can it be stored at room temperature? Should it be vacuumed sealed? What is the best option. Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Will says

        September 09, 2021 at 11:10 am

        So you can store it in a dry and cool place at room temperature for up to a week or so. For longer storage, using vacuum seal is the best option. Check out my page on storing beef jerky for more information.

        Reply
    16. Sean says

      August 22, 2021 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      I will try this recipe next time. I have a general ground beef jerky question. I used a nesco brand cure and seasoning packets. Mixed it in with 90/10 and extruded it out and dehydrated at 160 in a nesco for 4 hours. Leathery outside and soft inside like a slim Jim. Is this how it should be?

      Reply
      • Will says

        August 22, 2021 at 9:38 pm

        Yeah, that sounds like ground jerky. It will never be as tough like whole muscle jerky.

        Reply
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