• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Grain Free Table logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Let's Connect
  • Work With Me
  • About
×
Home » Recipes » Appetizers and Snacks

Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky

Published: Apr 20, 2020 · Modified: Jan 27, 2025 by Meeta Arora · 7 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky being pick by hand

Beef jerky is a staple snack in our pantry. This homemade Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky is a family favorite. Don't worry, it's not hard to make, and I'm giving you different ways to make it even if you don't have a dehydrator. 

gf bbq beef jerky spread on a parchment paper

How many people LOVE beef jerky? I'm not talking about the super dried-out kind that takes you an hour to chew. I'm talking about that sweet and tender melt-in-your-mouth treat that usually comes in tiny bags at the convenience store and often costs an arm and a leg. Not to mention that it usually has some gluten or grain-containing ingredients.

How do you make Beef Jerky?

Beef jerky is really easy to make.

  1. Thinly slice your choice of beef.
  2. Marinate the beef.
  3. Dehydrate it until your preferred dryness, and enjoy!
bbq beef jerky on dehydrator

What's the best beef to make beef jerky?

One of the biggest questions I always get when I share my jerky recipe with people. I've made it all kinds of beef. But my favorite type of meat has been either top-round roast or flank steak. The trick to a good cut of meat is to find one that is lean and make sure you cut off as much excess fat that may be present on the cut of beef.

Note: If you leave chunks of fat still attached to the beef when you marinate, it will yield little ball-like mounds of hard fat, and trust me, no one wants to eat that.

bbq beef jerky spread on a parchment paper

Good Beef Cut Choices

  • Flank Steak
  • Eye of the Round
  • Top Round
  • Bottom Round
  • London Broil

Just make sure that you pick a lean cut and trim off the excess fat as you slice the beef.

Butcher Box Offer of the Month

Slicing Beef Jerky

When it comes to jerky, there are two main ways you can cut your meat that will yield a different texture depending on what you prefer. You can cut it with the meat's grain for a more chewy jerky, or you can cut it against the grain of the meat for a more tender jerky. I prefer a more tender jerky, so I will always cut my beef against the grain.

I like to cut my meat to about ⅛ - ¼ in thick. When it is really thin, it tends to dry out a lot faster, and too thick will cause the cooking times to increase.

Tip: When prepping the meat for slicing, place it in the freezer for about 30 min - to an hour, depending on size. This will help stabilize the cut of beef, making it easier to get more uniform slices of jerky.

If you have a friendly butcher at your local store, you can always ask them to do this step for you as well.

Delicious bbq beef jerky being picked by hand

Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerk Marinade

This is where your jerky gets its flavor, so I recommend making sure that you allow enough time for this. I prefer to let my jerky marinate overnight, but you can get delicious flavor after a few hours if you don't want to wait that long.

There are SO many different beef jerky marinades out there, and I use different recipes depending on my mood, but this recipe is straightforward, and one my kids tend to ask for the most. It's a little smoky and a little sweet, and when I make it, it never lasts long.

Ingredients

  • Choice of Beef
  • Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce
  • Steak Sauce
  • Brown Sugar or Honey
  • Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Garlic
  • Salt 
Homemade gluten-free sweet and tangy bbq beef jerky sitting in a jar and spilled over the side.

Dehydrator vs. Oven

Honestly, this is a question that I get a lot because many people don't have a dehydrator, and I'm here to tell you that's okay. Trust me, before I bought one a few years ago, I didn't have one either, and I was still making beef jerky all the time in my oven.

bbq beef jerky

Tips and Tricks

If using my dehydrator, I tend to put mine on medium for about 6 hours. I wouldn't say I like the way mine works on high, personally, but if you have a dehydrator, play around with the settings to see what yields the best results for what you like.

If you are using the oven, I find that placing the jerky on top of a wire rack over a sheet pan cooks more evenly than if I were to lay it on a sheet pan.

I find the dehydrator method yields a more consistent result over time, but the oven will do just fine. Go with whatever cooking method works best for you. I've included both cooking instructions for the dehydrator and the oven for the beef jerky below.

With all that said, it's time to make some beef jerky for yourself. Toss all the ingredients into a bowl or storage bag to marinate together until you are ready to cook it up. Fair warning ----- Your house is going to smell AMAZING, and your family will continue to ask if they can eat it while this cooks!

bbq beef jerky on a table

More Easy Snacks

  • Deviled Eggs
  • Chocolate Pudding
  • Crispy Fried Okra
  • Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

📖 Recipe

gf bbq beef jerky spread on a parchment paper

Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky

Meeta Arora
Beef jerky is a staple snack in our pantry. This homemade Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky is a family favorite. Don't worry, it's not hard to make, and I'm giving you different ways to make it even if you don't have a dehydrator.
4.60 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 6 hours hrs
Total Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 161 kcal

Equipment

  • Dehydrator or Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 2 to 3 lbs Eye of Round Roast or choice of beef
  • ½ cup Coconut Aminos or gluten-free soy sauce
  • ½ cup Steak Sauce I use Primal Kitchen or Steve's Paleo
  • ½ cup Brown Sugar or honey
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions
 

  • Thinly slice the steak into strips about ⅛-¼ in thick. (see tips above for how to get more tender to chewy jerky.)
  • Transfer the steak to a bowl or storage bag of choice.
  • In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients until combined. Then pour the ingredients into the steak tossing or stirring to make sure that all the steak is coated with the mixture.
  • Seal and place in the fridge for at least 30 min or overnight.
  • If you are cooking with a dehydrator. Place the jerky pieces into a single layer on the different trays of the dehydrator. Then follow the dehydrators instructions for how long to cook the jerky. You want it dry, yet firm and little pliable. My dehydrator takes about 6-8 hours on medium
  • If you are cooking the jerky in the oven, heat the oven to 175 degrees F. Placed a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Lay the strips of beef on top of the cooling racks in a single layer. Bake until the beef jerky is dry, firm but still a little bit pliable. This process should take about 4 hours in the oven.
  • Place the jerky in a sealed container and refrigerate up to 1 month. (If it lasts that long in your house.)

Notes

Cooking times will vary based on the thickness of your meat, method of cooking, and desired dryness.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 17gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 822mgPotassium: 314mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 70IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 2mg
Keyword bbq jerky, beef jerky, gluten free jerky, homemade jerky, jerky, jerky recipe, sweet and tangy beef jerky
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally Posted 08/6/2019

Check these out next!

  • Super Bowl Recipes
    Gluten Free Super Bowl Recipes
  • Up close look at some pieces of steak cooked in the air fryer on some lemon and sage resting butter.
    Air Fryer Steak Bites
  • Up close looking into a jar of homemade gluten-free caramel sauce.
    Gluten-free Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce
  • homemade tomatillo salsa verde being dipped into with a siete brand grain-free tortilla chip.
    Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa (salsa verde)
1.4K shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susan says

    January 15, 2023 at 10:11 pm

    Which Primal sauce do you use? Wegmans has a variety of flavors, barbecue, mustard, citrus, cooking marinade sauce.

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      January 16, 2023 at 7:08 am

      I use steak sauce. It says steak sauce on the bottle. You can use BBQ if you want or another flavor. I suggest using one you like the flavor of if you can't find the steak sauce. I have to order mine where we live.

      Reply
  2. Linda McCallum says

    December 03, 2021 at 5:05 am

    Grrrrr….I just made the marinade and thought that is ALOT for 2/3 lb …..then read comments ….PLEASE UPDATE THE RECIPE TO SAVE FRUSTRATION. I was planning to do 3 lbs with different marinades … I hope this is good because I will use it for more meat than I intended…will update after making it. 🤞

    Reply
  3. Daniel Mielke says

    September 19, 2021 at 7:07 am

    There is an error in your description. You say cutting with the grain makes it more tender when in fact it is the opposite. I think you got them mixed up.

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      September 20, 2021 at 1:25 pm

      Thanks for catching that, Daniel. You are correct; that is what it's supposed to say; I've updated the post.

      Reply
  4. Louisa redman says

    March 10, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    Is this recipe for 2-3 lbs or two thirds of a pound?

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      March 10, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      It's two to three lbs. You can use less if you want more marinade on the meat or less if you like. I like to make sure the meat is cut and covered in the marinade, so there are no areas left not marinated.

      Reply
4.60 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meeta Arora, writer at Grain Free Table

Welcome to Grain Free Table! I’m Meeta- a busy wife, mom of two girls, and lover of food. Here you’ll find lots of easy and delicious gluten & allergy-friendly recipes, info about my favorite food & products, for a gluten-free way of life!

More about me →

WANT TO STAY CONNECTED?

SIGN UP for emails and updates!

POPULAR

  • Up close on a piece of gluten free chicken fried steak on a bed of mashed potatoes, with green beans and sausage country gravy.
    The BEST Gluten-free Chicken Fried Steak
  • Up close look at some gluten-free chinese bbq pork sliced on a serving board.
    Gluten-free Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
  • A bowl of gluten-free red beans and rice made with cauliflower rice.
    Gluten-free Louisiana Red Beans and Cauliflower Rice
  • Up close look at a plate of gluten-free swedish meatballs and gravy.
    Incredibly Easy Gluten-free Swedish Meatballs
  • A slice of grain-free chocolate in a white plate
    The ULTIMATE Grain-free Chocolate Cake
  • gf bbq beef jerky spread on a parchment paper
    Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky
  • St louis pork ribs sliced and being served with gluten-free bbq sauce.
    Gluten-free BBQ Pork Ribs in the Oven
  • Up close look at square slices of gluten-free deep dish pizza sitting on a cutting board.
    Gluten-free Deep Dish Pizza
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • My Favorites
  • Let's Connect
  • About

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Portfolio

Disclaimers

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Nutrition Disclaimer
  • Photo/ Recipe Policy
  • Comment Policies

Contact

  • Contact
  • Subscribe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Grain Free Table

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.