How Long Should You Marinate Beef Jerky For Best Results?

Making delicious homemade beef jerky is a fun hobby for many people. Marinating the meat properly is crucial for getting the perfect texture and maximum flavor. So how long should beef jerky be marinated? The ideal marinating time for beef jerky is 12 to 24 hours. Marinating for less than this can result in jerky that is too tough and lacking in flavor. Marinating for much longer than 24 hours can make the jerky mushy and overly salty. Finding the right balance is key.

At my house, we are huge beef jerky fans. I got tired of spending a fortune at the store for small bags of jerky. This inspired me to come up with my own recipe and technique for making jerky at home. It took some trial and error, but I eventually perfected my method for tender and tasty homemade beef jerky.

Through my experiments, I found that the marinating time has a big impact on the final results. Too little time leaves the jerky too chewy and bland. Too much time in the marinade makes the jerky wet and limp. After plenty of tests, I found that letting the meat soak for 12 to 24 hours gives the absolute best outcome.

In this article, I’ll share everything I’ve learned about the ideal beef jerky marinating time. I’ll explain why the timeline of 12 to 24 hours produces superior jerky. You’ll also find helpful guidance on the entire jerky making process – from selecting the right cut of meat to flavoring ideas and drying techniques. Let’s get started!

Why Marinate Beef Jerky?

Before jumping into marinating times, let’s review why marinating is such an essential step when making beef jerky Marinading provides the following advantages

Adds Flavor – The marinade allows the meat to soak up extra taste from seasonings, spices, sauces, etc. This amplifies the flavor beyond what you’d get by just sprinkling on dry spices.

Tenderizes the Meat – Marinades often contain an acid like vinegar or citrus juice. The acid slightly breaks down the meat fibers, resulting in a tender texture.

Enhances Preservation – The salt and sugar in most marinades help inhibit bacteria growth, allowing the jerky to be safely stored at room temperature after drying.

Provides Moisture – A marinade high in sugar gives a subtle sweetness while also helping keep the jerky moist and chewy during the drying process.

So clearly marinating is a mandatory step for great homemade beef jerky. Now let’s look at why 12 to 24 hours is the ideal timeline.

Why You Should Marinate for 12 to 24 Hours

Marinating beef for between 12 and 24 hours offers the perfect balance to get the benefits listed above without any of the potential downsides. Here’s why this timeline works so well:

Allows Flavors to Fully Permeate – Given at least 12 hours of marinating time, all the flavors can fully penetrate into the meat. This gives you jerky bursting with taste in every bite instead of just surface flavor.

Avoids Over-Marinating – Letting the meat marinate for longer than 24 hours can make the jerky mushy and overly salty or bitter from the marinade. Stopping at 24 hours prevents over-marinating.

Makes Jerky Tender – The acid in the marinade has ample time to slightly break down the meat fibers resulting in smoother, more tender jerky texture.

Provides Uniform Flavor – Occasionally flipping the meat in the marinade prevents uneven flavoring. 24 hours allows time to flip multiple times.

Fits Schedules Well – Marinating overnight or during a workday makes fitting it into busy schedules easy.

As you can see, sticking within the 12 to 24 hour marinating time frame provides all sorts of benefits without any of the potential setbacks from marinating too briefly or too long.

Step-By-Step Marinating Process

Now that you know why 12-24 hours is ideal for marinating beef jerky, let’s walk through the full process:

1. Prepare the Meat

• Choose a lean cut like eye of round, bottom round, or flank steak. Remove any visible fat or silver skin.

• Partially freeze the meat for 1-2 hours. This makes slicing easier.

• Slice the meat against the grain into 1⁄8 to 1⁄4 inch thick strips. Cut with the grain makes chewier jerky that can pull apart easier when eating.

2. Make the Marinade

• Mix together your desired marinade ingredients. Most marinades contain a salty liquid like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, sweetener, spices, and acid.

• Make sure the marinade coats the meat well. You’ll need about 1-2 cups of marinade per 1 lb of meat.

3. Marinate the Meat

• Place the sliced meat strips into a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag.

• Pour the marinade over the meat, cover or seal, and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

• Occasionally flip or massage the bag to evenly distribute the marinade.

4. Drain and Dry

• Drain the meat and discard used marinade. Pat meat dry with paper towels.

• Dry according to your preferred method (oven, dehydrator, etc) until chewy but not hard.

And that covers the complete marinating process from start to finish! It’s easy to incorporate into your jerky making workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

To wrap up, here are answers to some common questions about marinating beef jerky:

What’s the minimum marinating time?

At absolute minimum, beef jerky should marinate for 2 hours. But for best flavor and texture, allow 12-24 hours.

What happens if you marinate for too long?

Over-marinating for 2+ days can make the meat mushy and overly salty or bitter. Stick to 12-24 hours.

Can you marinate for just 30 minutes?

Marinating for only 30 minutes doesn’t allow the flavors to fully penetrate into the meat. It will taste very bland.

Should you marinate jerky in the fridge or at room temp?

Always marinate in the refrigerator at 40°F or below for food safety.

Can you freeze marinated jerky?

Yes! Freezing after marinating lets you make big batches and save for later.

Should you reuse marinade?

Never reuse marinade. The bacteria on the raw meat makes it unsafe to use again.

Do you need to marinate jerky at all?

You can make jerky without marinating but it will be extremely tough and tasteless.