Rosemary Maple Whisky Beef Jerky
Rosemary Maple Whisky Beef Jerky
Ingredients
For the Beef Jerky
- 2 pounds eye of round steak, or any lean cut of beef
For the Marinade
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 shot whiskey, or 2 shots, of your favorite
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves
For Finishing
- 1 tablespoon BBQ seasoning, as needed, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1
Trim off any silver skin or excess fat from the eye of round steak. This ensures a better texture for the jerky.
⏱️ 10 min
- 2
Place the trimmed beef in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will firm it up, making it much easier to slice thinly and uniformly.
- 3
While the beef is firming, prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, combine the pure maple syrup, whiskey, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili flakes, smoked paprika, garlic powder, fresh ginger slices, and fresh thyme leaves. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Remove the beef from the freezer. Using a sharp knife, slice the beef thinly against the grain. Aim for slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Thinner slices will dry faster.
⏱️ 10 min
- 5
Add the thinly sliced beef to the prepared marinade. Ensure all beef strips are fully coated by tossing them gently in the bowl. Add the sprig of fresh rosemary to the marinade with the beef.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the beef to marinate for 24 hours. This allows the flavors to deeply penetrate the meat.
- 7
After marinating, remove the beef strips from the marinade, discarding any remaining liquid and the rosemary sprig and ginger slices. Arrange the strips in a single layer on wire racks. If using an oven, place the wire racks over baking sheets to catch any drips.
⏱️ 10 min
- 8
Lightly sprinkle a little BBQ seasoning over the beef strips on the racks.
⏱️ 2 min
- 9
Preheat your oven or smoker to 200°F. Place the wire racks with the seasoned beef strips into the preheated oven or smoker.
⏱️ 3 min•🌡️ 200
- 10
Cook for approximately 5 hours, or until the jerky is leathery to the touch and bendable but not brittle. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your slices and your oven/smoker. Check the jerky periodically after 3-4 hours to prevent over-drying.
⏱️ 300 min•🌡️ 200
- 11
Once done, remove the jerky from the oven or smoker and let it cool completely on the wire racks before storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or refrigerate for longer storage.
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Rosemary Maple Whisky Beef Jerky
For the Beef Jerky
- 2 pounds eye of round steak, or any lean cut of beef
For the Marinade
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 shot whiskey, or 2 shots, of your favorite
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves
For Finishing
- 1 tablespoon BBQ seasoning, as needed, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1
Trim off any silver skin or excess fat from the eye of round steak. This ensures a better texture for the jerky.
⏱️ 10 min - 2
Place the trimmed beef in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will firm it up, making it much easier to slice thinly and uniformly.
- 3
While the beef is firming, prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, combine the pure maple syrup, whiskey, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili flakes, smoked paprika, garlic powder, fresh ginger slices, and fresh thyme leaves. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Remove the beef from the freezer. Using a sharp knife, slice the beef thinly against the grain. Aim for slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Thinner slices will dry faster.
⏱️ 10 min - 5
Add the thinly sliced beef to the prepared marinade. Ensure all beef strips are fully coated by tossing them gently in the bowl. Add the sprig of fresh rosemary to the marinade with the beef.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the beef to marinate for 24 hours. This allows the flavors to deeply penetrate the meat.
- 7
After marinating, remove the beef strips from the marinade, discarding any remaining liquid and the rosemary sprig and ginger slices. Arrange the strips in a single layer on wire racks. If using an oven, place the wire racks over baking sheets to catch any drips.
⏱️ 10 min - 8
Lightly sprinkle a little BBQ seasoning over the beef strips on the racks.
⏱️ 2 min - 9
Preheat your oven or smoker to 200°F. Place the wire racks with the seasoned beef strips into the preheated oven or smoker.
⏱️ 3 min•🌡️ 200 - 10
Cook for approximately 5 hours, or until the jerky is leathery to the touch and bendable but not brittle. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your slices and your oven/smoker. Check the jerky periodically after 3-4 hours to prevent over-drying.
⏱️ 300 min•🌡️ 200 - 11
Once done, remove the jerky from the oven or smoker and let it cool completely on the wire racks before storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or refrigerate for longer storage.