6 Steps To Making Safe Jerky

Published: Aug 14, 2015 · Modified: Feb 13, 2021 by Will · This post may contain
affiliate links.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.

When making homemade jerky it is really important to follow strict food safety
precautions to prevent any foodborne illnesses. The most common bacteria growths in
poorly made jerky are Salmonella and E. Coli. These can be deadly, making food safety
extremely important when making jerky.

By following these steps, you will prevent bacteria growth and have plenty of safe jerky
for everyone to enjoy!

MY LATEST VIDEOS
How to make safe jerky
1. Clean your kitchen, utensils, bowls, and all other equipment with water and
bleach. Also wash your hands with soap before handling any raw meat.

2. Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature to prevent

bacteria growth. I see many people put meat on the counter and leave it for hours. This
is NOT safe and should NOT be done. Leave yourself ample time to thaw your meat in
the refrigerator.

3. Marinate the meat at a temperature between 36-40°F (2°C-4°C). Do not marinate at

room temperature. Keep meat in the fridge while you mix your marinade together.
Bacteria can grow fast on raw meat left out at room temperature. After marinating, do
not save and re-use a marinade.
4. At the beginning of dehydrating, heat the jerky to 160°F (71°C) to kill dangerous
bacteria. For jerky to be safe, it should be heated to 160°F for beef and 165°F for turkey
or chicken jerky BEFORE you dry your strips.

Heating the jerky after dehydrating might not kill all bacteria due to it becoming more
heat resistant during the drying process. This is why bringing your jerky to 160ºF at the
start of your jerky making process is recommended by the USDA.
If you have a dehydrator that will heat jerky to this temperature, you can bypass this
initial heating stage. See my page on Dehydrator Reviews for more information.

If your dehydrator does not heat the jerky to 160°F, pre-heat the meat in an oven after
it has finished marinating. As an extra precaution; I ALWAYS pre-heat any turkey or
chicken jerky I make, as well as use curing salt, to make sure it is safe to eat. I like being
as safe as possible when using fowl.

Pre-heat ¼″ slices of beef to 160°F, it takes about 10 minutes in a 300°F (149°C) oven.
To pre-heat ¼″ slices of turkey to 165°F, about 8 minutes at 300°F (149°C) does the job.
Not all oven are the same, so wrapping one strip around an oven thermometer while
baking is the best way to determine when the jerky strips reach the desired
temperature.

5. Use curing salt to help prevent bacteria from growing. In this age where the craze is
only eating Organic Foods, curing salt might not be in your recipes. While I do
understand the 'staying away from preservatives', be extra careful when not using them
when making jerky!

When the right amount of curing salt is used, there are no harmful effects that many
believe come from using these salts. If you decide not to use curing salts, make sure
that you follow the other safety precautions closely. Especially heating the meat to
160ºF to kill any bacteria and eat the jerky within a couple of days.
With that said, I DO recommend using cure when making ground meat jerky because
the meat has been handled and processed making it more susceptible to having
bacteria. I also recommend using curing salt when making turkey or chicken jerky due
to salmonella.

Better to be safe than sorry! So in short… No jerky recipe NEEDS cure as long as beef is
heated to 160°F and fowl to 165°F. But it is another line of defense to kill bacteria and
allows your jerky to last longer.
6. Store jerky in a cool dry place for up to a week or vacuum seal and freeze for up to
6 months.

That's it folks! Making jerky is both fun and VERY rewarding. Just make sure to keep in
mind these tips on how to keep you and your loved ones safe when making and eating
homemade jerky.

For more information, visit the USDA Webpage on Jerky and Food Safety.