Lemongrass Chili Beef Jerky Recipe (Hang-Dried)

Name: Lemongrass Chili Beef Jerky Recipe (Hang-Dried)
Prep time: 24 h 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Cuisine: Jerky
Ingredients: 2 lb pre-sliced top round; 1/4 cup soy sauce (or fish sauce); 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice); 1/4 cup brown sugar (or palm sugar); 1/3 cup minced lemongrass; 1/4 cup minced garlic; 2 tbsp minced shallots; 2 tbsp grated ginger; 2 tbsp Thai chili paste (or chili flakes); 1 1/2 tsp black pepper

Jerky Recipe Made, tasted and honestly reviewed in our test kitchen.

Lemongrass chili beef jerky recipe - hang-dried jerky video

This one came straight from the comments: someone told us to use soy sauce and lemongrass and see how good it is. Soy sauce is a staple around here, but lemongrass is new for the Jerky.com Test Kitchen, so we turned it up a notch with chili paste for a little kick. The goal: savory first, a touch of sweetness, a bright citrus lift and heat at the end, hang-dried for a clean bend and tear. Like savory, herby jerky? Try our Pastrami Beef Jerky.

How to use lemongrass in jerky

Lemongrass is bright, almost citrusy, and it can take over if you're not careful. Blend it nearly to a paste so you don't end up with stringy pieces in the jerky. After a 48-hour marinade it mellows and folds into the soy and ginger. A little sugar matters too: it's not a sweet jerky, but the sugar keeps the flavor from going flat.

Ingredients:

2 lb pre-sliced top round
1/4 cup soy sauce (or fish sauce)
2 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)
1/4 cup brown sugar (or palm sugar)
1/3 cup minced lemongrass
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 tbsp minced shallots
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp Thai chili paste (or chili flakes)
1 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

Blend the marinade: Add the soy sauce and brown sugar to a blender, then the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, rice vinegar, chili paste and black pepper. Pulse a few times, then run it until it's smooth and loose, with no sugar grit or floating chunks.

Marinate: Separate the slices into a bowl, pour the marinade over the top and lift and fold until every surface is coated. No pockets, no folded or stuck-together pieces. Seal and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours; we went 48 in these marinade containers. Most of the marinade should soak in.

Hang it: Instead of laying the strips flat, pierce each piece near one end with a stainless steel skewer and load as many as fit without touching. Hang the skewers from the underside of the dehydrator racks with stainless steel S hooks so every piece is suspended with air moving all the way around it.

Dry it: We dried ours in our Cosori dehydrator at 167°F. We expected 2 to 5 hours, checked at 2 (crisping up but not done) and called it at 3 hours.

Check for doneness: Look for white fibers. It should still be a little pliable, maybe a little crunchy on the edges.

More Thai-inspired flavors: our Thai beef jerky recipe and spicy Thai beef jerky recipe.

Taste test notes: Doug tasted this one on camera. First thing: "the brightness." It's "a lighter flavor profile than what I'm used to with all the soy and Worcestershire. It's not sweet. It's not really heavy either. It's just kind of clean." The lemongrass "definitely feels integrated into the flavor profile, kind of into the chew." The heat came in lower than expected, "maybe a two or a three out of 10," so next batch he'd bump up the chili. The finish is clean, with a little garlic and ginger. Texture landed in the middle, "maybe slightly on the drier side," with a little crunch on the edges from the hang-dry. If you like our Pastrami or Jamaican Jerk Chicken jerky, "this one here is going to make sense to you."

Can I buy it? Lemongrass Chili isn't one of our flavors right now. Want first shot at new Test Kitchen flavors? Sign up to become an Official Jerky.com Taste Tester. You'll try new flavor drops first and vote on which ones stay.

Lemongrass Chili Jerky FAQ

Can you put lemongrass in jerky marinade?
Yes. Mince it and blend it nearly to a paste so there are no stringy pieces. It mellows during a 24-48 hour marinade.

Is lemongrass chili jerky spicy?
Ours was mild, about a two or three out of 10 with 2 tbsp of chili paste. Add more chili paste for more heat.

Can I use fish sauce instead of soy sauce?
Yes. The recipe works with either. Lime juice can stand in for the rice vinegar, and palm sugar for the brown sugar.

How long does lemongrass beef jerky take to dry?
Ours took about 3 hours at 167°F, hang-dried. Start checking at 2 hours.

What temperature should I dry lemongrass beef jerky at?
The USDA recommends heating beef to 160°F (poultry to 165°F) before or during drying. The simplest way is to dry at 160°F. If your dehydrator can't reach 160°F, steam or roast the strips to 160°F first.

Rather skip the work? Try ours: Pastrami Beef Jerky or Jamaican Jerk Chicken Jerky, or browse all our beef jerky.

More heat or keep it mild? How much kick would you want in lemongrass chili jerky? Tell us in the comments!

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