A simple recipe for a sugar-free keto beef jerky that you can make in your oven. There's no need to marinate the beef! The spice mix and slow cooking ensure the jerky's great texture and amazing flavor.
Preheat your oven to 225°F. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Unfold the steak and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the steak crosswise, against the grain (so that you sever the tough, thin fibers you can see on the steak) into 2-inch-wide strips.
You want the strips to be around ⅛-inch thick, so if they are thicker, slice each strip lengthwise into two thinner, ⅛-inch-thick strips. This is easier to do if the meat is partially frozen.
Allow the meat strips to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes so that they fully defrost and become more pliable. Then, arrange them in a single layer on a cutting board, cover them with cling wrap, and use a meat pounder to pound them so that they are thinner and more even in thickness.
Place the beef strips in a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Toss with your hands until the meat is thoroughly coated.
Arrange the meat pieces on the two prepared baking sheets, not touching each other. Bake for 3 hours, rotating the position of the baking sheets midway through baking, until the beef is browned and dry. The smell will be amazing!
Remove the beef strips to a cooling rack placed on a tray or foil (to catch any drips). Allow them to cool and dry for about 30 minutes before enjoying them.
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Notes
Tip: use partially frozen meatSlicing each meat strip lengthwise into a thinner strip is challenging unless your meat is partially frozen. That's why I use frozen meat when making this recipe. I let it partially defrost in the fridge overnight. Typically, after 12 hours, it's not yet fully defrosted, but it's pliable enough that I can unfold the steak, slice it into strips, and then - quite easily - slice each of those into two thinner strips.Before the next step, which is pounding the meat thin, I allow the slices to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, to ensure that they are soft enough to be pounded thin.Storing this jerkyThe only drawback to this jerky compared to commercial products is that the final product does require refrigeration. You should keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. When I pack it to go, I use an insulated lunch box with ice packs and consume it within two hours.