Air Fryer Beef Jerky

Air fryer beef jerky is easy and delicious!

Karen B. sent in this recipe for us to try and it is definitely worth trying! I like it even better than store-bought jerky. This homemade beef jerky is fresh, tender, and flavorful.

How to make homemade beef jerky in the air fryer

The marinade is simple with a lot of common ingredients that can be found at any grocery store. Meat tenderizer is a seasoned salt with an enzyme in it to help tenderize the meat.

The easiest, best way to prep the meat is to ask the butcher at your grocery store to slice it for you. I simply told the butcher that I wanted about 1 pound flank steak sliced 1/8-inch thick and they did all of the cutting for me. Perfect! Bottom round is another cut that works well.

Add the strips of meat to a dish or bag with the marinade and stir or massage it around so each piece of meat is coated in the marinade. Let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 24 hours.

When the meat is done marinating, remove it from the marinade and pat each piece of meat dry with paper towels.

Next step is to layer the strips of meat in the air fryer. It is ideal to get as much of the meat in a single layer as possible. I used this rack and skewers to get 3 total layers – one on the bottom of the air fryer basket, one on the metal rack, then draped over the skewers.

How long to cook beef jerky in the air fryer

Air fry the strips of meat at 180°F/82°C for 45 minutes. Then check it to see if it is done to you liking or if it needs more time. About 60 minutes cooking time was just right for me! Cook longer for more tough, chewy jerky. Of course, it may vary by air fryer and if your meat is sliced thicker, it will probably need to cook for longer.

This beef jerky is so tasty! While my whole family thought it was delicious, I think I ate most of it myself in just a few days.

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Air Fryer Beef Jerky

This air fryer beef jerky is easier and more delicious than I expected! Give it a try!

4.50 / 5 ( 20 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Serves: 8

Adjust Servings: 8

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 1 pound flank steak sliced 1/8-inch thick and cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon meat tenderizer
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions

• Whisk together the soy sauce, worcestershire, liquid smoke, brown sugar, salt, pepper, meat tenderizer, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Add meat to sauce and let marinate for about 8 hours.
• Remove meat from marinade and pat meat dry with paper towels. Arrange meat in single layers in the air fryer using racks or skeweres to create layers. Air fry at 180°F/82°C for 45 minutes. Check it, then add 15-25 more minutes until it reaches your desired texture. Cook longer for more tough, chewy jerky. (60 minutes total was just about right for me.)

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 598mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g