Pennsylvania brewers know quality when they taste it. From Yuengling’s time-tested traditions to the innovative IPAs coming out of Tired Hands and Tröegs, the state’s brewing scene demands snacks that measure up. Making your own ground beef jerky solves two problems: it costs 40-70% less than premium store brands, and you can dial in flavors that actually complement your homebrew instead of fighting against it.

Here’s what nobody talks about: making homemade jerky with ground beef works better for most home cooks than whole muscle approaches. No expensive cuts required. No knife skills needed. No grain-cutting guesswork. Just mix, form, and dry. Plus, you can tweak spice blends to match whatever’s fermenting in your basement.

Let’s take a look at the best beef jerky recipe to employ when making it at home.

The Recipe That Works Every Time

If you’ve burned through enough jerky batches over the years, you’ll know what works and what doesn’t. This recipe consistently produces jerky that makes store-bought stuff taste like cardboard, and it pairs beautifully with everything from Victory Prima Pils to Levante Brewing’s Cloudy & Cumbersome IPA:

Base Recipe for 1 Pound:

• 1 lb 90-96% lean ground beef, 90% preferred (find the best beef jerky via Jerky Brands online)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon curing salt (optional, but your jerky lasts longer)

Here’s the key: Mix dry ingredients first, then add liquids. Now comes the important part—get your hands dirty with the beef and really work it for 3-5 minutes until it gets sticky and tacky. This develops the proteins that keep everything bound together instead of crumbling apart.

Stick it in the fridge for at least 3 hours, though overnight’s better. The meat needs time to absorb flavors while you prep whatever brew you’re planning to pair it with.

Equipment That Won’t Break the Bank

Dehydrator Recommendations:

Excalibur 9-Tray ($190-250) – Built like a tank with horizontal airflow that actually works. Fifteen square feet of drying space handles big batches. Temperature control hits 165°F exactly where you need it. A ten-year warranty tells you everything about quality. Processes 6 pounds of meat per batch.

COSORI Food Dehydrator ($120-160) – Five trays, digital controls, decent timer. Stainless steel construction that won’t rust. Good starter unit for occasional jerky making.

Hamilton Beach Digital ($90-120) – Basic but functional. Auto shut-off keeps things safe. You’ll need to rotate trays manually, but it gets the job done at entry-level pricing.

Jerky Gun Game-Changers:

LEM Jerky Cannon ($50-60) – Anodized aluminum construction lasts decades. 1.5-pound capacity handles full batches. Multiple nozzles create different strip shapes. This tool makes the difference between professional-looking strips and amateur hour.

NESCO Jumbo Jerky Gun ($25-35) – Plastic construction, but functional. One-pound capacity means two batches for this recipe. Three nozzles handle most needs.

Jerky guns aren’t absolutely necessary, but they’re the difference between strips that look professional and blobs that look like accidents.

Step-By-Step Process for Jerky Recipe Ground Beef

Prep: Load your seasoned meat into the jerky gun, squeezing out air pockets. Form 4-5 inch strips on parchment-lined trays with space between for air circulation.

Drying timeline:

• First 2 hours: 165°F on parchment paper
• Flip phase: Remove parchment, flip strips onto racks
• Final 2-4 hours: Continue at 165°F until properly dried

Testing doneness: Bend a piece—it should flex without breaking, feel dry but not brittle. Under-dried spoils fast. Over-dried crumbles into expensive dust.

No dehydrator? Oven method: Set your oven to the lowest temp (170-200°F), prop the door open slightly with a wooden spoon for moisture escape. Expect 6-8 hours total. Use wire racks over baking sheets for airflow. Flip once halfway through.

Troubleshooting Common Disasters

• Crumbly jerky usually means under-mixed meat (mix longer until sticky), too much liquid (keep it under 1-2 oz per pound), or meat that’s too lean (90/10 works better than 96/4).
• Greasy results indicate too much fat content, temperature too low, or overcrowded trays. Blot with paper towels while warm.
• Sticking to trays means you pulled too early or skipped the parchment paper step.
• Uneven drying requires tray rotation every 2 hours and consistent strip thickness. Learn your dehydrator’s hot spots through experience.

Food Safety for Pennsylvania Folks

Ground beef demands higher safety standards than whole muscle beef. Heat to 165°F internal temp, use meat with max 10% fat, keep everything cold during prep. The USDA recommends gloves when handling raw ground meat. Clean all surfaces thoroughly.

Storage reality:

• Without curing salt: 1-2 days room temp, 1 week refrigerated
• With curing salt: 1 week room temp, 3-4 weeks refrigerated
• Vacuum sealed: 3-6 months frozen

Vacuum sealing makes homemade jerky gift-worthy for your brewing buddies.

Advanced Techniques Worth Trying

Double-grinding: Ask your butcher to grind lean beef twice for a finer texture that binds better and creates more tender results.

Marinade injection: Use a meat injector to distribute liquid seasonings more evenly.

Smoking integration: Finish dehydrated jerky with 30 minutes in a 225°F smoker for authentic Pennsylvania smokehouse flavor.

Spice layering: Apply different blends at various stages—base seasonings in the mix, finishing spices after initial drying.

Economics That Make Sense

Homemade Costs:

• Ground beef (3 lbs @ $5/lb): $15.00
• Seasonings: $3.00
• Total: $18.00 for ~1 pound of finished jerky
• Cost per ounce: $1.13

Store Comparison:

• Premium jerky: $2.50-4.00/oz
• Mid-tier: $1.50-2.50/oz
• Budget: $1.00-1.50/oz

You save 40-70% versus store-bought while controlling every ingredient. Equipment pays for itself after 5-10 batches.

Pennsylvania Beer Pairing Variations

For your hoppy PA IPAs (think Tröegs Perpetual IPA or Sly Fox IPA): Double the red pepper flakes, add cayenne, and smoked paprika. The heat complements hop bitterness while the smoke echoes malt character.

For stouts: Add liquid smoke and extra black pepper. Deep smoke flavors work with roasted malts while providing substantial pairing weight.

For crisp lagers (Yuengling or Stoudts Pils): Replace brown sugar with honey, add soy sauce, and ginger powder. Clean sweet-savory profile won’t compete with lager’s crisp character.

For coffee porters: Add 2 tablespoons of finely ground coffee to the dry ingredients. Creates flavor bridges with coffee beers while adding a caffeine kick.

The Pennsylvania Brewing Connection

Making homemade jerky cultivates a similar skill set needed to make those great PA homebrews: attention to detail, process consistency, understanding ingredient quality, and having patience working with long timelines. The homebrewing attitude carries over seamlessly as well since they both involve knowing how the time, temperature, and ingredients will react with one another.

The brewing tradition of Pennsylvania is rich, dating back as far as pre-Prohibition German lagers, up through modern craft brewing. The jerky that you produce must include the same sense of quality and of tradition, but combined with innovation.

Supporting Pennsylvania’s Brewing Community

It is time to have snacks made with the same dedicated care and craft as what you are fermenting. When making homemade jerky with ground beef, the ease of production, ability to customize to your taste, and costs are ideal, all of which will combine to help you achieve professional-quality results in your own kitchen.

Start with this base recipe, master the technique, then experiment with flavors that complement your favorite homebrewed beer styles. The brewing atmosphere in Pennsylvania continues to break boundaries, so your jerky should too.

Brewing in your basement in Philly, perfecting recipes in Pittsburgh, or creating wild ales in rural PA, the proper jerky pairing is what will take your beer and your jerky to the next level. Pennsylvania pride means doing it right, whether that relates to making jerky with ground beef or crafting a pour of your homemade dark lager.

Once you taste homemade jerky paired with your latest homebrew, you’ll never go back to whatever’s hanging in the convenience store, and now you know how to make it happen yourself.