Ginger Beef Jerky

This Ginger Beef Jerky is based on one of my favourite Asian dishes, and it’s a great way to have a spicier jerky... when you can’t have nightshades.

I love peppers, but when I had to take a break from them, I had to get creative when bringing some heat to my cooking.

This easy ground beef jerky is nicely seasoned - not HOT-hot, but a warming heat from two different forms of ginger. There’s also some garlic and green onions, to round out the traditional ginger beef flavour profile.

It’s a great way to bring a bit of variety to your homemade beef jerky stash!

Not only is homemade jerky a fantastic, nutrient-rich snack for drive days, it’s also far more affordable than store-bought jerky.

We always have some on hand for our drive days, and it’s also a convenient protein source to bring along when hiking.

Anyway, enough intro - let me show you how to make my Ginger Beef Jerky!

Equipment

There are two specialized pieces of equipment that I use for making jerky, beyond basics like spoons, bowls, and measuring cups:

A Food Dehydrator

While you can apparently make ginger beef jerky in a regular home oven, I’m not a fan of running one for hours on end.

I’ve had food dehydrators before - the basic kinds with no time or temperature controls, - and I’d always been too nervous to try making jerky in them. I need more control over - and knowledge of - the drying process, when meat is concerned.

I’ve since upgraded to a Cosori 6 Tray Food Dehydrator, and LOVE it.

It was only like $200 Canadian, and it’s paid for itself MANY times over, between all the Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips and jerkies I’ve been making!

Think of it this way - The same size of jerky that I tend to make goes for about $4 in a gas station. I get about 10-15 strips out of a batch - let’s average that out to 12.

That’s $48 worth of jerky, for $8 or less. Make 5 batches, that’s your $200 in savings!

Anyway, we’re using a dehydrator a LOT more, now that we have a nice one. Having the control over the temperature really opens up the possibilities.

A Jerky Gun

Also known as a “jerky cannon”, this is basically a nice quality caulking gun (NOT an actual one - keep it food safe!) that you use to pipe out strips of jerky onto your parchment paper.

Mine is the XINQIAO Jerky Gun Food Grade Plastic Beef Jerky Gun Kit . Regular $35 (Canadian) on Amazon, but it had a coupon for something like 25% off, when I purchased it.

Worth every penny, even if I’d paid full price!

I’ve heard of people making jerky by spreading the mixture out, flattening it with a rolling pin, then cutting it with a pizza cutter, but to be honest, that sounds fussy.

The very first time I used my jerk gun, I was HOOKED. I had no idea that the jerky making process could be so quick and easy!

I’ve never been one for single-function, special equipment in the kitchen... but I LOVE it.

Ingredients

Aside from a couple ingredients in this easy recipe, everything is pretty basic - you shouldn’t have trouble finding them in any large grocery store.

As for the couple of specialty ingredients, they’re ones that I use in ALL of my jerky recipes. If you like homemade jerky, they’ll be worth the investment!

A few ingredient notes for you:

Lean Ground Beef

Use lean meat for this recipe - extra lean beef. The lower the amount of fat, the better - fat can go rancid, so lower fat = better chance of extended shelf life.

Not a fan of beef? You can substitute any lean ground meat in this recipe - lean ground turkey, ground chicken, even ground venison.

Soy Sauce, or Soy-Adjacent Sauce

I developed this ginger beef jerky recipe using Coconut Aminos, which is what I use for myself - it’s gluten free and paleo/AIP friendly.

Tamari is another gluten free option (USUALLY GF, anyway!), or you could use plain old Soy Sauce.

I do find regular soy sauce to be saltier than Coconut Aminos, though. For best results, I recommend using low sodium soy sauce, if possible - otherwise, you might want to cut back the salt (regular, NOT the curing salt) amount.

Whichever you use, it brings some umami - savory flavor - to the ground chicken jerky.

Ginger

I use two forms of ginger in this recipe - both ginger paste (or a fresh ginger puree), and Ground Ginger.

The flavour of fresh ginger gets muted a bit as it dries out, so I bolster it with the ground ginger. It gives a nice spicy flavor, without adding too much extra liquid to the meat mixture.

Liquid Smoke

Liquid Smoke is a BIG part of what makes jerky taste like jerky.

I don’t recommend skipping it!

Prague Powder

Prague Powder is one of a few different curing salts out on the market, and it’s used to inhibit bacterial growth, both during the drying stage, and while storing the finished jerky.

I use Prague Powder #1 Cure, same as I use for my Montreal Smoked Meat Recipe, Back Bacon Recipe, Homemade Corned Beef Recipe, and Peameal Bacon Recipe, as well as all of my jerky recipes.

This is a bright pink curing salt that’s a mixture of salt and sodium nitrite. It’s commonly used in cured meats - like pepperoni or summer sausages.

Beyond food safety, it’s also what gives the jerky its characteristic red colour, AND contributes to giving dehydrated meat that iconic jerky flavor.

A couple things to note:

1. Prague Powder is NOT the same thing as Himalayan pink salt!

2. Prague cure is only to be used in small amounts for curing meats, and should never be consumed as-is. The measurements are important - if you want a saltier jerky, add some regular salt, rather than increasing the curing salt.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Fresh Green Onions
Liquid Honey
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Sea Salt

... I just don’t have anything to add here. Very simple ingredients!

How to Make Ginger Beef Jerky

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:

Cut 2 or 3 pieces of parchment paper slightly smaller than your dehydrator trays, set aside.

In a large bowl - using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine ingredients well. REALLY well - it’s better to overhandle it, than to under-mix it.

To test for doneness, remove a piece of jerky from the dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature. It should feel dry to the touch and be able to bend to 90 degrees without breaking. (A bit of cracking or crackling is ok!)

Ginger Beef Jerky Storage

Allow ground beef jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.

This Ginger Beef Jerky will keep at room temperature (in a cool dark place) for a week so, or a few weeks in the fridge.

If sealed into an airtight container WITHOUT OXYGEN, ground beef jerky should be good for a month or so in a cool dark place, a couple months in the fridge, and 6 months or so in the freezer.

Once you open your vacuum sealed bag of ginger beef jerky, it should be eaten within a couple days - or a week, if put in the fridge after opening.

More Homemade Jerky Recipes

Are you someone who loves to bring jerky on road trips, hiking trails, and when camping? Me too! Here are some of my go-to recipes for homemade jerkies!

Basic Ground Beef Jerky
Blueberry Bison Jerky
Ground Venison Jerky
Homemade Salmon Jerky
Jalapeno Chicken Jerky
Jerk Chicken Jerky
Lingonberry Elk Jerky
Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky
Mushroom Jerky, 2 Ways
Tofu Jerky, 2 Ways
Pepperoni Jerky