We frequently get the question of what is the best road trip or traveling snack, and now we can confidently say Low Carb Beef Jerky made at home! Matthew and I always face the dilemma of having to cut back on our favorite snack, beef jerky, due to the high sugar content in most store bought jerkies. So, naturally, we were left no other choice but to make a recipe for easy, homemade beef jerky! Check it out below.
Now You Can Have The Best Homemade Beef Jerky Too!
To get the best homemade beef jerky you'll ever eat all you need is a low in fat cut of meat and a can of your favorite Zevia. We went with the flavor of cola this time around, but we also think their cream soda and Dr Zevia would make great options for homemade jerky. The Zevia comes into play during the marinating process. Marinating is something that ups the flavor on any meat 100 times so we think its important, especially in this case!
The Best Cuts Of Meat When Making Beef Jerky
When looking for the right meat, the most important thing to take note of is its fat content. You want a very low fat content and then to trim any fat that is on the meat prior to cooking. I'm sure you can guess that fat doesn't make the best jerky! We went with top round for our recipe, but other good options are bottom round, flank steak and sirloin tip!
Low Carb Beef Jerky
We know, it's even easier than you expected! You can mess around with different cuts of meat, different seasonings and even different size jerky strips. One thing to note, however, is the thicker the strips the longer you'll want to marinade for the flavor to really come through. Thicker strips would also mean cooking it for longer! Some other great on the go snacks are our Pizza Zucchini Muffins and Parmesan Crips, but this Low Carb Beef Jerky is definitely our number one go to snack!
*This post is sponsored by Zevia*
Recipe can be quickly added to MyFitnessPal - Search "KetoConnect - Low Carb Beef Jerky"
Low Carb Beef Jerky
Ingredients:
- 1 can Cola Zevia
- 3 lbs top round beef
- 1/2 cup liquid aminos
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 3/4 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- bamboo skewers
Instructions:
- Pour a can of zevia into a gallon size ziplock bag and add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, liquid smoke and add the seasonings.
- Trim the top round of any excess fat and cut into strips to your desired size. We like them on the smaller side for easy grab and go!
- Add the cut up strips into the marinade and shake around. Seal the bag (removing any excess air) and place the bag into a bowl so there is no leakage.
- Place the bowl into the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Once the meat has marinated remove the bowl from the fridge and pat the strips dry with paper towels (the marinade will have already penetrated the meat enough!).
- Using the bamboo skewers pierce the tip of the meat so you have anywhere from 5-7 pieces of meat hanging from each skewer.
- Set your oven to its lowest setting (we did 170 degrees) and hang the skewers through the grates in the oven so the strips are hanging.
- Bake for 4 hours (for thicker strips you may need to bake longer), remove from oven and serve immediately or store in the fridge up to 1 month.
- NOTE: 3lbs raw meat will yield 1lb cooked jerky.
Notes
Written by
Megha Barot
Megha has always been a passionate cook, but she took this to a new level after starting her keo journey in 2015. She loves creating new recipes and producing educational content for KetoConnect, which she co-founded in 2016 with Matt. Her passion for healthy eating and personal development continues to thrive. She's the proud mom of two awesome kids.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! I LOVE beef jerky but it’s so expensive! I always have a fresh flank and/or skirt steak in the freezer from the 1/2 cow we buy twice a year and never know what exactly to do with it. Problem solved!! Made beef jerky today and it is awesome!!! Need to add a little more red pepper next time but other than that, it’s perfect! Bought the Zevia on Amazon…I’m trying to like it, Matt LOL
Anyway, you guys are amazing and I’m so thankful we stumbled across you! We’ve been doing low carb (for the umpteeth time 🙁 ) since Nov and are sticking to it this time. Started working deto in about a month ago. Hubby has lost 55 lbs since Nov and I’ve lost 21. Our goal is to be down 60-70 total lbs by May when our youngest graduates college. You guys have been a real inspiration and we have been using alot of your recipes, tips, suggestions. THANK YOU!!!!
Congrats on the incredible progress and we wish you continued success 🙂 Thanks for your support of making our recipes!
Just put these guys in the marinade! Going to let them brew for 24 hours and start cooking tomorrow. Can’t wait. Thanks for the great recipe!
We’ve been making your recipes left and right and they never disappoint! I made the jerky today, and it’s so delicious! I used the Dr. Zevia and we really like it. I think I’ll experiment with different flavors of soda to switch it up next time.
Thanks for all these amazing recipes and being such a down-to-earth couple!
Made this recipe exactly to your specs, only I have a dehydrator. Jerky came out amazing! I did end up with about 24oz of jerky instead of 16… still just using your nutrition facts though. Hope that is Ok? Thanks for all the great recipes, videos, and podcasts. You guys have saved my keto life, lol
Ya that should be fine. Glad you’re liking our content!
Do you know how long in a dehydrator or a smoker?
Can’t wait to try your recipe.
I believe it would be a similar time assuming the temperature is the same.
Great procedure using the racks in the oven. We didn’t have Zevia or diet soda so we just omitted it and it came out great. I will try to remember this when ever I find meat on sale. I was going to Vacuum pac and freeze some but it wont last long enough to bother..
can you freeze this once you make a batch?
we’ve honestly never tried, but we don’t see why not. The drier it is the longer it lasts in the fridge so the freezer should be the same!
How do you store the jerky and what is the use by date?
Leave your jerky in a cool, dry place. When placed properly in an airtight container, you can leave your jerky on the countertop or another cool, dry place for no longer than 1 month.
You can also store it wrapped in the freezer or fridge. The key is eliminating any source of moisture. You can even order those silica gel packets on amazon that most jerky bags contain – the ones that say ‘DO NOT EAT,’ etc. Best of luck!
Can you cook it in the Smoker and not use liquid smoke
Hey Kari! That sounds delicious! Do it up!
Hey guys! I’m originally from Dearborn, living in Detroit- love the corktown T!
I currently have my first batch marinating, and am so pumped. I did use diet vernors as the marinade base… can’t wait to let you guys know how it turns out!
You’re so Detroit you used Vernors 🙂 Hope they turned out for you!
Great info. Lucky me I recently found your website by chance (stumbleupon).
I have book-marked it for later!
I’m going to make this as soon as I can buy the top round and Kikkoman Soy Sauce. I have scads of beef jerky in my freezer leftover from before I was doing low carb but now I can eat this jerky without guilt.
I’m going to dry it in my dehydrator which has a jerky setting.
Awesome Linda! Let us know how it turns out in the dehydrator.
I just wanted to suggest using Coconut Aminos in place of the Soy Sauce, considering soy sauce is not really good for us. Thanks !!
Absolutely delicious!!! Very easy to make. (And very easy to eat!) I bought thin-sliced sirloin tips and used diet ginger ale. And I ended up marinating for three days because I didn’t have time to cook them. I’m definitely going to make this again, and next time I’ll make a bigger batch!
Three days?! Thats great – we’ll have to try that next time.
Delicious jerky, best I’ve ever eaten. But I’m questioning your protein calculation. 24 grams for 1 ounce? Shouldn’t it be more like 10 grams? Again, thank you SO much for the recipe. I’ve missed my jerky fix.
it’s 24 grams for 1 ounce of finished beef jerky. 1 ounce cooked is about 3 ounces of raw beef. Does that make sense? Glad you enjoyed it!
Mine is in the oven right now! It’s making my house smell delicious! I couldn’t find super thin cuts of top round. So mine is a little thicker. I’m already approaching the 4th hour. I can report back with how long it takes me.
Awesome! We’d love to hear how long yours takes and how you like it.
Hey Matt!
It ended up taking about 6 hrs total. It was still a little soft, but it turned out great. The marinade you came up with is on point!
We plan to make some more for a camping trip next week. I’m thinking we are going to splurge and get some flank steak after watching your recent apartment tour video.
I can’t see how you hooked the strips on screwers to hang?
You pierce the meat at the top with the skewer!
Do you see any issues with exchanging soy sauce and liquid smoke with coconut aminos?
No, you can absolutely sub the coconut aminos and soy sauce out for one another and the liquid smoke isn’t mandatory – we just love the smokey taste!
You could add some smoked paprika in place of the liquid smoke for a similar taste/smell.
I only use coconut aminos. I also have a dehydrator. I will be using these to make the jerky. I will post the results
If I can’t find Zevia, is there a good alternative you are aware of?
Great recipe, can’t wait to try it!
Thanks
You could just try a diet soda. Other than that you can try omitting soda entirely and just adding stevia in for sweetness.
Zevia can be found at Target. 🙂
I just went on their website and clicked on “locator.” It tells you the closest place to your house. I found several stores within a few miles of me. I have my list and out the door!
hello there.. you don’t need to post this comment below the recipe i just wanted to send some random feedback regarding your recipes and the “we use this” links. i often buy the stuff you guys use so i click these links often and find they are not what you use or did not use in the video. i was very curious about the product Matt used making this jerky called Liquid Aminos so went over to the recipe section to find out what it was.. but it’s been listed as soy sauce and the “we use this” link points to Kikkoman Soy Sauce. not a big deal just thought i would mention it. thanks so much for all you do! love your channel on youtube!…
Matt P.
Hey Matt
So the liquid aminos I think these kids are referring to are made by Braggs. In Canada, they had to change the name so it’s “liquid soy seasoning”. They also make apple cider vinegar. HOwever, you might know all this since you knew that their link points to Kikkoman. Hopefully this was helpful even though you wrote this over a year ago.