ARTICLE

How To Make The Best Beef Jerky In An Air Fryer

January 4, 2023 – 3 min read

So you bought yourself an air fryer and quickly mastered bagels, zucchini fritters and more hot chips recipes than you care to admit. Looking for something air-fried, tasty and nutritious for your next trick? It’s got to be beef jerky! With a benchtop air fryer, a dehydrator or an oven with air fryer functionality, you can be snacking in a flash.

Need more convincing? Jerky is a great on-the-go snack. Going hiking? It’s lightweight and high in protein. Camping? Jerky can last for weeks. School lunches? You don’t need to put it in the fridge.

And to make things even simpler, we’ve found the best beef jerky recipe and chef-approved tips for mastering it. Here’s everything you need to know.

What Is Beef Jerky?

A lean cut of meat that is marinated and cured with salt and spices, then partly cooked and dried, giving it a chewy texture. The South African equivalent, biltong, is usually more fatty. Traditionally, meat was hung up outside to air-dry, but modern kitchen appliances have fast-tracked the process.

Air Fryer vs Dehydrator For Beef Jerky

Both will get the job done, so it depends on your personal jerky preference. An air fryer is the way to go if you're looking to whip up a batch of jerky in just a few hours. Like a mini, turbo-charged convection oven, air fryers use dry, hot air and require only a fraction of the cooking oil.

The best modern ovens now come with air frying capabilities too, and they have the space for big batches.

A dehydrator, which circulates air at very low temperatures for an extended period of time, is the best choice for biltong lovers. Long, slow cooking is the key to a delicious biltong.

“When it comes to versatility in the kitchen, air fryers, dehydrators and combo ovens are ideal for cooking up delicious, nutritious and simple meals and snacks,” says Tracey Ellis, The Good Guys Buyer – Portable Appliances. “Choosing the right appliance for you really comes down to the kitchen space you have, the meals you cook regularly, and how many hungry mouths you’re feeding.”

Shop Air Fryers

Philips 2000 Series 6.2 Litre Airfryer Black

Tefal Easy Fry Classic Air Fryer

Shop Dehydrators And Combo Ovens

EZIDRI Snackmaker FD500 Digital Food Dehydrator

Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer

Westinghouse 60cm Pyrolytic Double Oven

“When it comes to versatility in the kitchen, air fryers, dehydrators and combo ovens are ideal for cooking up delicious, nutritious and simple meals and snacks. Choosing the right appliance for you really comes down to the kitchen space you have, the meals you cook regularly, and how many hungry mouths you’re feeding.”

Master Your Marinade

You’ll find a plethora of great recipes for jerky marinade on the internet, so we asked Chef Mel from Vanilla Zulu Cooking School for her favourite. A jerky/biltong lover, Mel – who grew up in Zimbabwe – says her top tip is to add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda.

“The bicarbonate of soda helps tenderise and soften the meat in a technique called ‘velveting’. It also helps preserve the jerky for longer,” says Mel.

“In Australia, it’s important to let your meat marinate in the fridge rather than on the benchtop. If you can leave it for eight hours or overnight, the flavour will really soak through.”

Chef Mel’s Beef Jerky Air Fryer Recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE BEEF

1 kg beef rump, skirt, flank or sirloin, cut into thin strips (to make slicing easier, freeze the beef for half an hour first)

FOR THE MARINADE

1/2 cup (125ml) dark soy sauce

1/4 cup (60ml) Worcestershire sauce

2 tbs liquid smoke or Smokey BBQ sauce

2 tbs brown sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground paprika

Method

1. Combine the marinade ingredients. Put beef strips in a bowl and pour marinade over, making sure strips are well covered.

2. Tightly cover the bowl or transfer the marinating beef to an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight.

3. When you're ready to make your jerky, place the beef strips between two pieces of plastic wrap and beat with a rolling pin until strips are flat and thin.

4. Discard the plastic wrap and pat the strips dry with paper towel. Transfer the strips to the air fryer basket or tray, making sure they don’t overlap.

5. Cook on 60℃ to 70℃ for two to three hours, checking the jerky in 30-minute intervals as the perfect cook time will depend on the thickness of your slices.

Jazz Up Your Jerky

For starters, it doesn't have to be beef. Other meats like venison and kangaroo are great options, too. And remember, there’s no flavour too quirky for jerky! Try chilli or curry spices, throw in a clove of garlic, squeeze lime into the marinade, or drizzle honey. Sweet, savoury, smoked – you name it, jerky works it.

There’s even a jerky option for vegetarians!

“A great vegetarian option is mushroom jerky. You can use large slices; or you can make a thick mushroom paste that you spread onto greaseproof paper before popping it into the air fryer,” says Mel.

Mouth watering yet? For the best small kitchen appliances and cooking appliances to nail beef jerky and a smorgasbord of other delicious snacks, head in-store or online for the biggest range and the best advice.