Given its high protein content, savory flavor, and convenient portability, homemade beef jerky has been popular for centuries. We get the appeal — much of the team here has fond memories of our families making jerky at home when we were kids. We’d take it camping and on road trips or grab a few pieces as an after-school snack. While we’re still making (and eating) plenty of beef jerky today, we’re not using our ovens or dehydrators, and there are several good reasons why.

Homemade Jerky

If you’ve ever made homemade beef jerky, you know it’s a bit of a process. To begin, you must first select the best cut of beef for beef jerky, as the cut you pick will have a huge impact on the finished product’s flavor and texture. We use only lean cuts like top and bottom rounds in our jerky, and we recommend you do the same. Fattier cuts with more marbling won’t produce tender jerky, though they are cheaper, which is why many other commercial jerky makers use them. 

When it comes time to season the lean cut you chose, look for a jerky recipe that includes a balance of salty, sweet, and maybe even spicy flavors. Ingredients like soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar form the base of many marinades, while onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper add depth. If you’re looking for a little kick or smoke, you’ll want to add some crushed red pepper flakes or smoked paprika. 

Once you’ve assembled your ingredients, cut the meat into thin strips, marinate and season it, and line it up on baking sheets or in a food dehydrator. Most recipes will take the better part of a day to complete. If you have an air fryer and want to speed things up a bit, you might want to give our air fryer beef jerky recipe a try. 

Store-Bought Beef Jerky

Unfortunately, the homemade beef jerky vs. store-bought beef jerky battle isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. As mentioned, many familiar commercial jerky brands opt for lower-quality cuts of beef for their product since they’re less expensive. They then layer on excess sugar and salt plus unnecessary preservatives to increase shelf life.

While those were the store-bought products our homemade jerky was up against as kids, the best beef jerky available today doesn’t cut any of those corners. Mountain America Jerky is 100% handmade using high-quality, whole-muscle, solid strips of meat from our Colorado cows. 

Since smoked jerky is the best jerky, we cook it daily using a low-and-slow method and never dehydrate it. We skip the MSG, nitrates, and preservatives often found in other brands and never add any binders or fillers. We also use less salt than most commercial jerky makers.

We’ve also already gone to the work of perfecting our recipes, eliminating the risk of ending up with an entirely bland or overly seasoned product. Our facility is USDA and FDA-approved, meaning you also don’t need to worry about the safety issues of making jerky at home. 

If you are looking to eat beef jerky while pregnant, it’s even more important to be sure you choose a regulated product. For those making it at home, expecting or not, be sure to follow safe food handling and preparation guidelines for jerky. 

How long does homemade beef jerky last?

How you store jerky has a big impact on its flavor and freshness. In our head-to-head competition, store-bought jerky will typically last longer, with some preservative-heavy brands claiming six months or even a year. Homemade jerky, on the other hand, won’t last more than a month or two without refrigeration or freezing. 

We vacuum seal our jerky, which significantly slows down degradation, allowing it to stay good for several months without refrigeration. Once you open the package, we recommend you store it in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer to maintain its excellent flavor and texture.  

Using Jerky in Recipes

Whether you’re willing to give making your own jerky a go or prefer the convenience of having a high-quality jerky maker do the heavy lifting for you, remember that jerky is more than a snack. There are several great ways to use jerky in recipes, and you can even add jerky to Thanksgiving leftovers for a unique take on a classic holiday meal. 

Jerky is a great addition to easy camping meals and an indispensable item on any summer river trip packing list. Whether you make it at home or buy it from a trustworthy vendor, quality beef jerky is worth its weight in gold.  

Is homemade jerky better than store-bought jerky? 

Our family has been in the meat industry for four generations, and the jerky we make today is based on our long tradition of producing high-quality products. Because of that, choosing between homemade jerky and a handcrafted treat from Mountain America Jerky isn’t really a fair fight. 

We stand firmly behind all our beef jerky flavors as well as our range of unique and increasingly popular exotic jerkies. If you aren’t sure which to choose, we guarantee you won’t be disappointed with one of our sampler packs. 

If you’re a big fan of homemade jerky and spent an afternoon or evening pitting our products against yours, we’d love to hear about it in our reviews.