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Finally an easy to make Thai Spiced beef jerky that will knock your socks off with flavor.
The first time I made this recipe it was too bold with flavor. So, another round and cutting the ingredients in half made it come out just perfect.
I LOVE Thai food and am not sure why I waited this long to put together a Thai Spiced beef jerky recipe.
With only 5 ingredients and a little water, this jerky recipe is a cinch to make. I used my favorite cut of meat, beef eye of round sliced with the grain and tenderized with a meat mallet. The texture turned out perfect, not too chewy with a little bit of bite.
Blend all the ingredients together well with a blender and marinate your jerky slices. These strips of beef were marinated for 18 hours in a ziplock bag allowing all the flavors to penetrate the strips.
As I mentioned earlier, the taste was intense. Once done marinating, dry the strips with a paper towel and wipe off any ingredients on the surface if you want a milder taste. If you want that bold taste, leave the garlic and herbs on the strips when dehydrating.
I busted out the big gun dehydrator this time. I had another recipe going on top and the Thai Spiced beef jerky on bottom. This dehydrator will hold a lot of meat. Here I have a about 2.5lbs on 4 trays; this dehydrator comes with 9 trays.
After about 5 hours the jerky was done and eaten fairly quickly. The hardest part is trying to take pictures of the final product when all you want to do is eat it!
For more in depth directions on how to dry your beef jerky, visit my page Jerky Making Methods
Ingredients
Lean Meat
Marinade
- 2 basil leaves
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (fresh)
- 1 garlic clove (small)
- 2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ cup cold water
Optional
- ¼ teaspoon Curing Salt (Prague Powder #1)
Equipment
Instructions
- Trim all visible fat from the beef and place in freezer for an hour or two to partially freeze.
- While the meat is in the freezer, combine the basil leaves, cilantro, garlic, chili garlic sauce, fish sauce, and cold water in a blender and blend well.
- Remove the meat from the freezer and slice ¼" strips with the grain. Cut against the grain for an easier chew. If sliced with the grain, tenderize with a meat mallet if you want a softer chew. Or skip the freezing phase and use a Jerky Slicer for even sliced strips.
- Add sliced beef to the mixture in a ziplock bag or bowl and marinate for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator.
- After the meat has finished marinating, remove from refrigerator and strain excess marinade.
- Pat dry the strips with paper towels and wipe off excess ingredients on the strips for a milder taste.
- Dry with your favorite jerky making method. I used my dehydrator and dried for 5 hours at 160 degrees.
- The jerky is finished when it bends and cracks, but does not break in half.
Nutrition
For more in depth directions on how to dry your beef jerky, visit my page Jerky Making Methods
John M says
I'll have to try the jerky recipe soon. I'm curious, have you tried it with Thai basil instead of the common sweet basil? Thai basil has a slight anise/licorice flavor to it. I'd also possibly try lime leaf to give a little bit of that citrus zing many Thai dishes have.
Will says
I have not made this with Thai basil, But I am a HUGE fan of Thai basil. I love eating it when my wife and I make pho. I have not tried lime leaf though, i'll have to check that out! Thanks!
Andre Havoc says
Hi, wondering, what the preservative factor is with this Jerky? Usually it is a nitrite based powder, or Slt, or Soy sauce.... to make the jerky last so it does not go bad.
Will says
Great questions Andre! When it comes to this recipe, the fish sauce has a lot of salt in it. This is what I counted on to help preserve the jerky. You can always add Curing Salt to any jerky recipe you see. The Prague Powder would give it a little more salty taste but definitely helps the jerky last longer. I have a page where I talk a little about storing jerky, check it out.
Lise says
This is one of my favorite jerky recipes so far! Next time I wouldn't pat them dry to remove some of the sauce. I just LOVE the bits of garlic, cilantro, and basil left on the meat. This is a wonderful recipe, thank you so much!
Will says
Glad you like it! Thanks for stopping by and checking out the site and recipes.
Yvonne says
Hi Will, I really want to try your thai spiced beef jerky recipe. Can you post a picture of the chilli garlic sauce you use? Thanks!
Will says