Ground Beef Jerky

Homemade ground beef jerky is just as flavorful as its steak counterpart, but is more economical. And this recipe tastes just like Persian koobideh kabob.

When my kids were little, they preferred grazing all day to sitting down for a meal 3-times. Now that they are older, it’s like their snacks are the size of a meal and they are eating all day long!

Protein based snacks curb your hunger better than carb based snacks, but there’s just so much nuts and cheese sticks I can get my kids to eat. My husband began making homemade beef jerky several years ago and the kids absolutely love it.

To mix things up a bit, we decided to spread our jerky wings and try a new variety for them. And you are going to love these koobideh kabob jerky treats as much as we do!

You can make jerky using any variety of meat like beef, deer, turkey and chicken. So when you hear about meat jerky, you are thinking of the classic thinly sliced bits of dried meat.

And you don’t need a dehydrator to make jerky. I have already shared with you my very popular oven beef jerky recipe.

But did you know you can make jerky using ground meat, too? To make ground beef jerky you are still drying it completely of moisture. It is typically mixed with spices and very little liquid.

Jerky guns are used to press out the ground meat mixture into thin tubes or flat pieces directly onto racks. For this recipe, we do use a dehydrator. And I must say I prefer ground beef jerky to traditional meat jerky.

Ingredients you need

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• Ground beef: Just like the sliced meat jerky, you want to use meat that is low in fat. Fat causes meat to spoil, so for ground beef jerky you want to use lean ground meat that has at most 10% fat. So look for 90-93% lean ground meat.
• Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt and sumac (optional).
• Pink curing salt #1: This pink curing salt keeps your jerky fresh longer. And it’s pink color gives your jerky that reddish color.

Step-by-step directions

1. Thoroughly mix and combine the ground beef with onion powder, pepper, garlic powder and both salts. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
2. To make ground beef jerky you will need a jerky gun/cannon. It’s like a sturdy chalking gun. Pack the meat mixture into the tube of your gun making sure there are no air pockets. Then gently squeeze out the meat onto the drying racks of your dehydrator. We used the flat jerky nozzle, which was about 1-inch wide. Koobideh kabab is typically flat and long, so the meat was already resembling our inspirational meal.
3. You can also line your racks with parchment paper and squeeze out the meat onto that for easier cleanup.
4. If you want to add sumac, sprinkle it now over the top of the ground beef strips.
5. Place drying racks in the dehydrator and cook at 170ºF for 3-6 hours until the ground beef is totally dry. Check after 3 hours and dry as needed by checking meat every half hour. You want the meat to not break if gently bent. If it easily cracks then you have over dried your meat.

Recipe tips and FAQs

Since we make so much jerky for friends and family, I got tired of the mess making it in the oven would make. We found a fabulous food dehydrator on Craigs List similar to this one and now use it for all of our jerky creations.

It dehydrates the meat perfectly and quickly – and without the mess! Before you dehydrate the beef, you can sprinkle some sumac over the top, as Persian kabob is served with this wonderful tangy spice.

It is not pictured here in this post, but if you choose to use sumac, sprinkle it before you dehydrate the meat so the spice can stick to it.

Uses for ground beef jerky

Meat jerky like this recipe make a great source of protein and snack for those on a low carb or keto diet. It is also super kid friendly. My niece’s two toddlers can’t get enough of our homemade beef jerky!

I have shared before that we are a scouting family and go on many camping trips and hikes. My boys have been on many treks and camping trips. They are always looking for delicious meal options that won’t weigh their backpack down.

Looking for an easy and delicious backpacking meal? Make some instant rice and mix in your koobideh jerky for a Persian feast in the great outdoors!

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Ground Beef Jerky (Koobideh Kabob Jerky)

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Homemade beef jerky is super easy to make. Ground beef jerky is just as flavorful as its steak counterpart, but is more economical. And this recipe tastes just like Persian koobideh kabob.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Additional Time 12 hours hrs

Total Time 16 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Snacks

Cuisine American

Servings 20 8-inch strips

Calories 114 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 lbs lean ground beef 90% lean
• 6 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon pink curing salt #1
• 1 tablespoon sumac optional

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

 

• In a bowl, thoroughly mix and combine the ground beef with onion powder, pepper, garlic powder and both salts.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• Using a jerky gun/cannon, stuff it with the meat mixture.
• Squeeze out long ropes of your ground beef mix onto your dehydrator racks.
• You can also line your racks with parchment paper and squeeze out the meat onto that for easier cleanup.
• If you want to add sumac, sprinkle it now over the top of the ground beef strips.
• Place drying racks in the dehydrator and cook at 170ºF for 3-6 hours until the ground beef is totally dry. Check after 3 hours and dry as needed by checking meat every half hour.
• You want the meat to not break if gently bent. If it easily cracks than you have over dried your meat.

Notes

Don’t have a jerky gun? Spread meat mixture onto parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten the meat about ¼-inch thick. Use a knife to cut into strips about 1-inch wide. Transfer to dehydrator racks or dehydrate in the oven.

To dehydrate in the oven, heat oven to 170ºF and place the racks in your oven. Prop your oven door closed with a kitchen towel. Do not close it completely. Bake for 1 hour, then turn oven off for 30 minutes. Bake again for 1 hour at 170ºF and continue this method of drying out the meat until beef jerky is dry to touch.

When jerky is completely dry and cooled, store in an air tight container in a cool dark place. Homemade beef jerky can last for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 114kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 13gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 227mgFiber: 1g

Keyword ground beef jerky, koobideh, koobideh jerky

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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