Want to make jerky at home? This Pit Boss beef jerky recipe lets you know exactly what goes into your snacks while saving a fortune on expensive store-bought versions. Perfect for camping trips, hiking adventures, road trips, game day snacking, or stocking up for emergency food supplies.
Table of contents
Easy Homemade Pit Boss Jerky
Making your own beef jerky is a straightforward process that becomes second nature after just one batch. You’ll have complete control over the ingredients while avoiding unnecessary preservatives and excess sodium found in store-bought versions.
This recipe is perfect for outdoor adventures, healthy family snacking, or weekend projects when you can set it and let the Pit Boss do the work. Once you taste homemade jerky with your own seasoning blend, you’ll never want to buy expensive gas station jerky again.
What You Need for Beef Jerky
- Beef Rump
- Brown Sugar
- Soy Sauce
- Garlic
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Onion Powder
- Ground Coriander
- Salt
- Black Pepper
How to Make Pit Boss Beef Jerky
Step 1: Prepare the Meat
The secret to successful beef jerky is to trim all the fat off the meat, brine overnight, and smoke low and slow. Trim off anything that is not muscle from your cut – any fats, gristle, membranes, etc. Anything left behind increases the risk of spoiling the end product during storage.
Cut into thin strips, approximately 1/4 inch wide, against the grain.
Step 2: Marinating the Meat
Place beef in a ziplock bag with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, onion powder, minced garlic and red wine vinegar, make sure to massage to coat the stripes thoroughly gently
Place in the refrigerator and let it marinate for a few hours to up to 24 hours. When marinating, aim for 4-24 hours to allow the flavors to infuse the meat, but no longer as the meat will become salty.
Step 3: Heat Your Grill and Make Your Spice Rub
When ready to cook, preheat the pellet grill to 180°F (82 °C). Place the salt, pepper, and coriander into a mortar and pestle and grind it up.
Step 4: Smoke The Jerky
Remove the strips, and discard the leftover marinade. Dry the meat with paper towels, and dry coat with salt, pepper, and coriander.
Arrange the meat strips in a single layer on the smoker grill grates. Smoke for about 3 hours, checking regularly after 2 hours, until the jerky is dry but still flexible. When the internal temperature has reached 160°F, turn the smoker down to 145°F and smoke for a further 2 hours or until the jerky reaches the texture you like.
What Wood Do You Use For Beef Jerky?
For this beef jerky recipe, we used Pit Boss Competition Blend, but you can use any type of wood, from apple or cherry wood to the more distinctive flavors of hickory and mesquite. It just depends on how intense you want your result. Have a play around with different combinations and see what you like best.
What Cut of Beef to Use
The best cuts of meat for beef jerky are flank steak, top round, eye of round, and venison. You need to pick a lean cut, with little to no fat content.
Fats in the finished product can spoil and become rancid over time and ruin the stored product. If you are not feeling confident, ask your butcher for some advice.
The most popular cuts of meat to use are:
- flank steak
- top round
- eye of round
- venison
Can You Use Pork for Jerky?
You can use pork for jerky, which is often referred to as bacon jerky. You gotta try my recipe, it is delicious!
Bacon Jerky Recipe
Storing Beef Jerky
Once the jerky is finished smoking, place it on a rack to cool completely. When it reaches room temperature, place it in a vacuum-sealed bag, a sealed airtight container, or a zip-lock bag—place in the refrigerator or freezer. The jerky will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer.
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More Appetizers to Serve With Beef Jerky 🥩
- 🌶️ Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
- 🧀 Smoked Queso
- 🍖 Dorito Meatballs
- 🧅 Smoked Onion Bomb
- 🧆 Game Day Crunchy Meatballs
- 🥔 Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- 🥗 Classic Texas BBQ Side Dishes
Pit Boss Beef Jerky
Ingredients
- 1 lb Beef Rump
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 200 ml Worcestershire Sauce
- 100 ml Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp Ground Corriander
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Slice beef into small slices.
- Place beef in a ziplock bag with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, onion powder, minced garlicand red wine vinegar, make sure to gently massage to coat the stripes thoroughly.
- Place in the fridge and leave to Marinate for a few hours, up to 24 hours.
- Place the bag into the refrigerator and let it marinate for a few hours, up to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, pre-heat the pellet grill to 180°F.
- Remove the strips, and discard the leftover marinade. Dry the meat with paper towels, and dry coat with salt, pepper, and coriander.
- Arrange the meat strips in a single layer on the smoker grill grates.
- Smoke for about 3 hours, checking regularly after 2 hours, until the jerky is dry but still flexible. When the internal temperature has reached 180°F turn the smoker down to 145°F and smoke for as further 2 hours or the jerky reaches the texture you like.
Smoke On!
Charlie
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
Hungry For More?
yum! our jerky came out so good! thanks for the awesome recipe
Any tips on how to get the meat off the grill. We had to pretty much break it up. That was first batch. I tried lining grill with smokin pink butcher paper. Now we cant get the paper off the meat.
Hiya Patty,
If I find this is happening I like to spray the grill or jerky racks with a thin layer of cooking spray, let me know if this helps