Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky Recipe (2024)

One of the best things about making beef jerky is using your favorite flavors. This Jamaican jerk beef jerky recipe takes one of my all time favorite flavors and uses it to spice up beef jerky.

There are a lot of ingredients in this Jamaican jerk beef jerky recipe but the actual process of making it is very simple. All you have to do is put the ingredients into a blender and process them until they turn into a coarse paste. You simply coat the beef strips with the Jamaican jerk paste and let them marinate for several hours.

That's all there is to this great Jamaican jerk beef jerky recipe!

Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky Recipe

Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky Ingredients

For the Jamaican Jerk Marinade

3 to 10 habanero or Scotch bonnet chilies, stemmed and cut in half
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 bunches scallions (white and green parts), trimmed and coarsely chopped
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup cold water, or as needed

For the Beef Jerky

3 lbs. of meat (about 1360 gm)
1 to 2 cups Jamaican jerk marinade

Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky Instructions

For the Jamaican Jerk Marinade

To make the Jamaican jerk paste add all of the dry ingredients to a food processor and process to a coarse paste. Add the remaining liquid ingredients and process until the paste becomes spreadable.

For the Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky

Trim all the fat, gristle, and silver skin from the beef. Slice the beef into thin strips 1/8" to 3/8" thick, against the grain. Set the strips down in a large container like a bowl, flat tray, or sealable plastic bag.

Pour the Jamaican jerk marinade over the meat and mix well. Store the meat in the fridge for about 4 to 8 hours, or over night.

Making Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky in the Oven

Preheat the oven to 160°F / 71°C, or the lowest setting it will go.

Remove the beef slices from the container and layer the strips in a single layer on a baking tray, or drying rack on top of a cookie sheet. Make sure the beef strips don't overlap and have a little space between them to enable good air circulation.

Arrange the oven shelves leaving at least 4 inches of space from the top and bottom sources of heat to achieve even heating. Place the strips in the oven to start dehydrating them.

Making Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky in a Dehydrator

Preheat your dehydrator to at least 141°F / 60.5°C and up to 165°F / 74°C.

Place the strips in a single layer on the dehydrator trays. Be sure to leave some space between the jerky strips for sufficient air flow. If you are not using wire or mesh trays you may need to turn the beef jerky over once in the middle of the drying process.

Dry the beef jerky for 6 to 10 hours. If thicker strips of meat are used it may take longer.

Finishing the Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky

To test the beef jerky remove a strip or two from the oven racks or dehydrator trays with clean kitchen tongs. Dried beef jerky strips should be chewy but still tender. When bent, it should be flexible enough not to break but it should crack instead.

Once the Jamaican jerk beef jerky is sufficiently dry, remove it from the dehydrator and let it cool for 30 to 60 minutes. If there is any oil or moisture on the beef jerky use paper towels to blot it dry.

Put the jerky in tightly sealed containers then refrigerate or freeze. The Jamaican jerk beef jerky will last in the refrigerator for a month or two and in the freezer for several months.