Ground Beef Jerky On Traeger

How to Make Ground Beef Jerky

This ground beef jerky recipe is fairly easy, but you will find it varies slightly from the traditional way of making most beef jerky. Scroll below to view the printable recipe card for full ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions.

  • Season the jerky. Unlike other jerky recipes that require you to marinate the sliced beef before dehydrating, this recipe has you combine all the flavor in with the beef jerky. Combine everything in a mixing bowl and use your hands to evenly distribute all ingredients.
  • Form the jerky into sticks. Here’s where the fun part comes in! Once you have your beef seasoned, you gotta form that meat into a nice stick so it’ll hold its shape while cooking. I recommend using a jerky cannon for this step to make nice round or stick-shaped jerky. You can also do this by hand, but it will take a bit more patience and time.
  • Cook the ground beef jerky. With your favorite smoker preheated to 160-170 degrees F, place the formed sticks on jerky racks and smoke for around 2.5-3 hours or until the jerky reaches 165 degrees F and the jerky bends without breaking.
  • Cool and enjoy. Make sure to allow the jerky to cool fully while still on the jerky racks before eating.
  • Important Note: This recipe does not use any curing salts. It needs to be stored in the fridge and consumed within 1 week.

    This recipe is delicious just like its written. If you use a table grind of black pepper, you will get a little spice. Double that kind of pepper for more heat, or add a teaspoon of Habanero Powder for even more spice. You can also sprinkle a little Black Pepper on the top of the strips before dehydrating them to stick the Pepper to the surface.

    Is Smoking Jerky Better Than Dehydrating or Baking in Your Oven?

    If you like natural wood smoke flavor in your jerky, then using a smoker to make jerky is better than using a dehydrator or an oven.

    Drying the wood outdoors with the smoke of slow-burning wood is how your ancestors did it, probably way back to prehistoric times. So youre not only making delicious food, youre reconnecting with a millenia-old tradition.

    There is no way to replicate true wood smoke flavor when you make jerky in a dehydrator or an oven.

    FAQ

    How long does it take to smoke beef jerky at 225?

    When you’re ready to smoke the jerky, set your pellet grill to its lowest temperature (~200 degrees Fahrenheit). Place the strips of meat on a rack that allows air to circulate around them. Smoke the meat for a total of 2-4 hours, flipping them over at roughly the 90-minute mark.

    How do you know when ground jerky is done in a smoker?

    Heat your smoker or pellet grill to 225°F, and smoke the jerky for 2 – 2 1/2 hours.

    What temp should beef jerky be smoked at?

    Beef jerky is done when the meat has a dry, leathery appearance. The finished product should bend when you apply light pressure, without tearing or cracking. If you think the jerky is nearly done based on its appearance, take a bite. It should be pleasantly chewy, not overly tough.

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