It can be extremely difficult to find beef jerky that will work with your keto diet. Most brands you can find in the store are full of sugar or other ingredients that can spike your blood sugar and cause an insulin response, and most brands that are specifically low-carb can be very expensive with limited availability. With this Air Fryer Jerky recipe, you can have delicious jerky seasoned just the way you like!

Making jerky is very simple and can be done by anyone who has access to a kitchen and an Air Fryer. You don’t need any special expertise, but you do need to understand and follow some easy directions. Making the jerky at home requires attention to a few basic principles to ensure a safe, stable food product.

What is Jerky?

There are many meanings of the word jerky. Some are funny, such as when someone acts jerky. Some relate to articles of clothing. A jerkin is a short, tight-fitting piece of clothing worn by women. But we’re concerned with the food-related terminology for jerky. Jerky is meat or fish that has been sliced or formed in thin strips and prepared carefully for preservation. About one pound of raw meat yields four ounces of jerky. Jerky even includes fruit and vegetables.

Before we delve into jerky and jerky making, there is a difference between drying and preserving meat and making meat jerky. When drying meat that will be rehydrated later on, the meat has to be cooked first then dried. When meat has been cooked and dried, it can be stored in the freezer for up to one year. Meat jerky, which does not always require that it is cooked, can be stored in zip-top bags for two to six months.

WHAT TYPE OF MEAT TO USE?

The range of meats you can use for your Air fryer jerky recipe is large. In fact, it’s limited only by your imagination, interest, and willingness to experiment. Hunters typically have a wider range of animals to choose from because they are out in the wild. For those who don’t hunt, the range of meats available is still extensive.

Some wild and domestic meats that can be used include elk, moose, deer, cow, bison, antelope, rabbit, squirrel, sheep, goat, swine, and reindeer. Poultry and waterfowl, whether wild or domestic, can include chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, and the ratites, ostrich, and emu.

The most common variety of Air Fryer jerky—beef jerky—is easily sourced from a reputable butcher. Other meats at the butcher or a local quality supermarket should also be considered, such as chicken or turkey breasts and even ham. They can all be seasoned or flavored to suit your tastes.

Cutting and Preparing the meat for Air fryer jerky

Before You Slice . . .

The meat cuts you select for air fryer jerky should be as lean as possible, meaning you will need to trim off as much fat as you can manage before proceeding to process. Although fat adds flavor and juiciness to meat during a regular cooking process, it can be detrimental to jerky quality.

Before You Slice . . .

The meat cuts you select for air fryer jerky should be as lean as possible, meaning you will need to trim off as much fat as you can manage before proceeding to process. Although fat adds flavor and juiciness to meat during a regular cooking process, it can be detrimental to jerky quality.

Ingredients:

Marinating:

Now that you have read some of the information for making the Air Fryer jerky recipe, this section was created so you can take the procedures from the previous section and change up the marinades. Remember that you don’t need a lot of liquid marinade with beef. In fact, most times you can use a ratio of one pound of meat to about ½ to 1 cup of marinade. Just make sure that the marinade covers all surfaces of the product and was marinated enough.

HOW TO STORE THE JERKY

Dried jerky can be safely stored for one to two months at room temperature and in the freezer for up to six months.

Do not consume any jerky stored in a container that shows any signs of mold. Dispose of it immediately and rinse any affected container with scalding water first. Then use a sanitizer to thoroughly clean the container and rinse again with scalding water. Be careful when handling any affected pieces by using rubber or plastic gloves and thoroughly wash the gloves after handling moldy pieces or containers. Make certain the affected pieces or containers do not come into contact with counter surfaces or other foods to be consumed. Be sure that when you dispose of any moldy jerky pieces that children or pets are not able to come into contact with them.

Store your dried jerky in glass jars at cool or room temperatures and away from sunlight and humidity, or in the refrigerator.

WHICH WORKS BETTER: AIR FRYER, DEHYDRATOR OR SMOKER?

Smoking jerky meat can be done for one of two reasons: it can add smoky flavor and attractive color to your jerky and/or it can dehydrate your jerky completely—similar to using a high-temperature food dehydrator.

But what makes Air fryer be my favorite cooking method of jerky is the fastest cooking. I have found that the dehydrator and smoker take a little longer than the air frying method here.

Here are a few other Air Fryer Recipes we’ve made recently to you may enjoy:

• AIR FRYER FROZEN FRENCH FRIES
• AIR FRYER ZUCCHINI
• AIR FRYER GREEN BEANS
• AIR FRYER BROCCOLI