Jerky.com Jerky-Making Gear
Jerky-Making Gear We Use: Supplies and Equipment for Homemade Jerky
You only need a few tools to make great jerky at home: a sharp slicing knife, a way to marinate, a dehydrator or oven rack, a meat thermometer and a vacuum sealer. Here’s the gear we reach for, in the order you’ll use it.
Start with step 1 How to make jerkyAs an Amazon Associate, Jerky.com earns from qualifying purchases.
Step 1: What’s the best knife for slicing jerky?
Even slices dry evenly, so a long, sharp blade matters more than anything else. Partly freezing the meat for an hour or two makes it much easier to cut clean strips. Working with ground meat instead? A jerky gun presses out even strips every time; compare our best jerky guns. See Step 1: Properly Cutting and Weighing Meat.
Victorinox Fibrox Pro 12" Slicing Knife
A long Granton blade glides through a roast in one stroke, so whole-muscle strips come out clean and even.
Stainless Steel Jerky Gun Kit
Our go-to for ground venison and beef. The stainless barrel and flat nozzles press out uniform strips fast.
Step 2: Do you need to tenderize meat for jerky?
It’s optional, but it helps if you like an easier chew. Running strips through a tenderizer opens up the meat so the marinade soaks in deeper. Skip it if you love a tougher, Old Fashioned chew.
Weston Meat Tenderizer & Cuber
Hand-crank rollers tenderize whole strips in seconds and help the marinade soak in.
Step 3: What’s the best way to marinate jerky?
Marinate in the fridge in a sealed container so every strip stays coated. A vacuum container speeds things up by pulling the marinade into the meat. Need a marinade? Browse our beef jerky recipes and read Step 2: Apply Jerky Seasoning and Marinate Meat and Step 3: Vacuum Seal and Refrigerate Meat.
FoodSaver Preserve & Marinate Vacuum Containers
Pair them with a FoodSaver to vacuum-marinate strips quickly, with less mess than a bowl.
Step 4: Do you need curing salt for jerky?
Curing salt is optional. Some recipes call for it, especially for ground-meat jerky and smoky, cured-style flavors, and many recipes leave it out. If your recipe lists Prague Powder No.1 (pink curing salt), measure it exactly as the recipe says.
Hoosier Hill Farm Prague Powder No.1
The pink curing salt we keep on hand for recipes that call for it.
Step 5: Dehydrator or oven: which is better for jerky?
Both work. A dehydrator is the easiest way to get even results with steady low heat and airflow. No dehydrator? Lay strips on a wire rack over a sheet pan in the oven so air can reach every side, and prop the door open a crack. Learn both methods in Step 4: Dehydrate Meat in Oven and Dehydrator.
Cosori Food Dehydrator, 6 Stainless Steel Trays
The dehydrator we use. A rear fan dries evenly across all six trays, and it reaches 165°F.
Checkered Chef Baking Sheet and Cooling Rack Set
Our oven-jerky setup. The rack lifts strips off the pan so air can circulate and drips stay in the sheet.
Step 6: What temperature should jerky reach?
For homemade jerky, the USDA recommends heating meat to 160°F before drying. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of it.
ThermoPro TP19H Instant Read Meat Thermometer
A fast, easy-to-read probe for checking that strips hit 160°F.
Step 7: How do you store homemade jerky?
Let jerky cool completely, then seal it in airtight bags. Vacuum sealing squeezes out the air and keeps batches neat in the pantry or freezer. See Step 5: Properly Bagging and Storing Jerky.
FoodSaver V4400 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer
Seals finished jerky airtight in portions, and it detects bags automatically so sealing is quick.
Where can I find jerky recipes?
Rather skip the work?
Making jerky is fun, but sometimes you just want a bag. See our picks for the best beef jerky, or grab our best-selling Original Beef Jerky.
Want a flavor picked just for you? Take our jerky quiz and we’ll match you with a flavor you’ll love, plus an offer to get it for free.
Find my jerkyFrequently asked questions
What is the best dehydrator for jerky?
Look for even airflow, a temperature that reaches at least 160°F, and enough trays for your batch. We use a 6-tray Cosori with stainless steel trays and a rear fan.
Do you need a jerky gun?
Only for ground-meat jerky. A jerky gun presses ground meat into even strips; see our best jerky guns guide. For whole-muscle jerky, a sharp slicing knife is all you need.
What is the best knife for slicing jerky?
A long, sharp slicing knife, like a 12-inch Granton-edge blade, cuts even strips in one stroke. Partly freezing the meat makes slicing easier.
Do you need curing salt for jerky?
No. It’s an optional ingredient that some recipes call for, especially ground-meat and cured-style jerky. If you use it, follow your recipe’s measurement exactly.
Can you make jerky in the oven instead of a dehydrator?
Yes. Lay strips on a wire rack over a sheet pan so air can circulate, use your oven’s lowest setting and prop the door open a crack. For homemade jerky, the USDA recommends heating meat to 160°F before drying.
How do you store homemade jerky?
Let it cool completely, then seal it in airtight bags. A vacuum sealer removes the air and makes it easy to portion batches.
What equipment do you need to make jerky?
A slicing knife or jerky gun, a container to marinate in, a dehydrator or oven rack, an instant-read thermometer and airtight bags or a vacuum sealer. See How to Make Beef Jerky at Home.
Find the jerky you’ll love!
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