Can you make homemade beef jerky without a dehydrator?

Easy Air Fryer Beef Jerky (Time and Temp)

Air fryer beef jerky is amazing! This and many other air fryer recipes shared here on Zopago blog. Super high in protein, can just be lightly seasoned or marinated in your favorite sauce like teriyaki. Let us know which one is your fave!

If you love this keto protein packed snack, you might be ready to make it yourself this year. I know, it can get really expensive if you eat this on a regular basis, I get it. Get ready to save a ton of money with this recipe by making it homemade. You can make it spicy too if you want which is killer.

You do not have to have the dehydrator function on your machine either y’all, we didn’t. This will share what temperature and cook time you will need to dry it out low and slow perfectly. No tough teeth breaking pieces, the middle will remain tender and the flavor amazing.

A close-up photo of a hand pulling out the basket of an open air fryer on a light-colored surface. The interior of the air fryer basket is empty and features a mesh design, perfect for cooking your favorite dishes like bang bang shrimp. The edge of the air fryer has a latch mechanism for securing the basket.

Ninja Air Fryer Beef Jerky

Some of the newer models of this machine have both functions, so you could use either and see which you like better. If you choose to air fry with this one you will need to remember to use the lid that is attached.

Air Fryer Beef Jerky vs Dehydrator

Yes we do have one of these big machines too. It does make great slices of apples and bananas. If you want to let it go all day long you can dry slices of beef in it too. I will say that the biggest difference between the two is the texture, this way is better. Plus if you have little counter space you likely don’t have the room for both either.

A glass bowl containing marinated strips of raw beef is shown from above. The text above the image reads, "How to Make homemade air fryer beef jerky." The beef strips are soaking in a dark sauce, appearing ready for the next step in the jerky preparation process.

What is the best cut of meat for beef jerky?

Top round and bottom round roast is lean, flavorful and really the best cuts for making homemade beef jerky. Sirloin tip is extremely lean too but not as tender, and a bit more expensive. Flank steak is lean as well, but can be tough if it’s sliced with the grain.

How thick should I slice meat for jerky?

To make it really good, the meat needs to be the same thickness. One fourth of an inch thick is standard. It is sometimes tough to cut top round by hand consistently at 1/4″ but you may get your butcher to do it for you using a slicer. Just ask!

If I had to compare it to something else for size I would say that the strips would resemble the size of air fryer green beans or so. You can enjoy warm or allow to cool which will make it chewier!

Beef Jerky Marinade

Below is a very simple and mild sauce to soak it in, you could use our spicy Asian steak marinade or our mild Teriyaki marinade is by far our favorite to use and gets the most compliments. I think the sauce you use makes the biggest difference in how good it turns out really.

A metal air fryer basket is filled with pieces of savory beef jerky. The top of the image contains text that reads: "Air Fryer Beef Jerky so easy to do & tons of flavor." The setup is on a gray-patterned countertop.

How Long to Cook Beef Jerky in Air Fryer

Are you wondering how to make beef jerky in an air fryer and how long it takes to dehydrate meat in an air fryer? About 2 hours is all you need. This timing will vary, of course, depending on the thickness and size of your strips, but in general, this temperature and time are ideal.

A close-up of a white bowl filled with pieces of dark brown beef jerky.

How do You Save Homemade Beef Jerky?

You will want to store in a freezer bag sucked with all the air out of it if you don’t have vacuum sealed bags and a machine to do that for you. Keep it out of the sunlight and in a cool dark place like your pantry. Once you open the container you want to make sure that all the air is removed once again before zipping closed. It will last up to 2 months this way.

If you’re like me you love your new hot air fryer and now want to learn how to air fry everything! Here are a few other things we’ve made recently too you may enjoy:

Want a healthy air fryer recipe?
Then try a few other air fryer dinner recipes and let us know which ones are your favorite in the comments below.

Yes! If you have an air fryer you can dry marinated beef into jerky perfectly too. We like to marinate in teriyaki but you can just season with salt and pepper. Made in a Cosori, AirWave or Ninja Foodi without dehydrator function works perfectly.

Is it cheaper to make your own beef jerky?

Yes, especially if you buy meat in bulk like we do. If you’re buying your beef at full retail price, the savings will be minimal. The only true advantage at this point is you can make your jerky taste however you want.

This is what ours looked like, 1 pound was used. If you wanted to make a large batch and store it you could double or quadruple this air fryer beef recipe.

How much jerky will 5 lbs of meat make?

It depends on how moist you like your it. A typical jerky loses half of its starting weight in moisture, so keep that in mind. Low moisture jerky can actually be 1/3 the starting weight, at a 3 to 1 ratio. With all that said, if you double this to a starting weight of 2 ish pounds of beef, you will make about 1 pound of prepared ready to eat jerky.