Hot Honey Garlic Beef Jerky Recipe (2024)

I have been wanting to make a beef jerky recipe for a long time, so I am super stoked to share this Hot Honey Garlic Beef Jerky with Oklahoma Joe’s.

I marinated a thinly-sliced beef round in a hot honey garlic marinade, then smoked it on the Oklahoma Joe’s Judge Charcoal Grill for 4-5 hours at low heat. Finally, I finished it off with some honey and enjoyed some of the best jerky I’ve ever tasted!

All you need to do is spend 45 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cooking time to serve up to six people– or keep it all to yourself for long-term snacking!

Post Sponsored by Oklahoma Joe’s.

Why You’ll Love This Beef Jerky Recipe

Everyone loves store-bought beef jerky, but did you know there’s even better jerky out there? It’s true, making your own beef jerky will absolutely transform your snacking experience.

All you need is a big piece of beef, the Oklahoma Joe’s Judge Charcoal Grill, and the ingredients for your marinade. Let’s dive into the process!

Hot Honey Garlic Beef Jerky Ingredients

To make your homemade beef jerky, you’ll start out with a 3 lb beef top round, trimmed of silver skin and fat. You’ll also create a marinade made out of soy sauce, minced garlic, BLK Hot Sauce, Big Bad BBQ Ale Rub, brown sugar, honey, black garlic sauce, and sesame seeds.

How to Make Homemade Beef Jerky

The Prep

Begin this beef jerky recipe by combining your marinade ingredients: soy sauce, minced garlic, hot sauce, BBQ rub, brown sugar, honey, black garlic sauce and sesame seeds, in a bowl and then mix thoroughly. Set to the side.

Take your beef round and slice it in half lengthwise. Then, cut the steak into thin slices with a sharp knife for your jerky.

Using a mallet or meat tenderizer, flatten all the pieces and place into a food safe bag or bowl. Add the flavorful marinade to the bag and mix the beef around until the jerky marinade coats all the pieces.

Set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight.

The Cook

Preheat your Oklahoma Joe’s Judge Charcoal Grill for indirect cooking at 175F for this beef jerky recipe.

Pull out the beef and place them in a single layer on a mesh tray. Place the tray with the beef onto the smoker to cook for 4-5 hours or until the beef jerky is no longer bending when you pick it up.

About 10 minutes before pulling off, glaze all of the jerky strips with more honey and keep smoking. Pull off once done and let the meat dry and cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 2-3 minutes.

Store any extra tender jerky in a sealed container or plastic zip-top bag in a cool, dry place to avoid staleness.

Serve up and enjoy!

For more on the Oklahoma Joe, check out my Steak Onion Skewers, Smoked Pork Crown Roast and Mushroom Swiss Steak Sandwich.

Beef Jerky Recipe Tips and Tricks

If this is your first batch of jerky, it might take some trial and error to hone in your favorite flavoring and seasoning/marinade ration. But don’t give up! The recipe is easy. You could even try a few different flavor combos all in the same cook so find your favorite faster.

Also,make sure your strips of meat are very thin, and thoroughly flattened before marinating.This will give you the classic, thin layers of snackable jerky at the finish line!

The key for beef jerky is time and temperature. Low heat around 165-175F is all you need for 3-4 hours. Smoke it until the beef firms up and does not bend anymore!

How to Store Leftovers

To continue enjoying the best beef jerky, make sure to store it correctly and keep it fresh! For maximum shelf life, store any leftover homemade jerky in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

What to Serve with This Beef Jerky Recipe

Everyone loves a packed charcuterie board. Tender beef jerky is a delicious snack that can be accompanied with assorted cheeses and nuts, crackers, green olives, pickles, and a glass of red wine.

Recipe FAQ’s

The Oklahoma Joe’s smoker was perfect for this beef jerky recipe, because I could sit back and relax as my dinner cooked. There were no rogue flames I had to tame, the smoke had it covered. When my jerky was ready, it was full of real, wood-fired flavor. I don’t know if I’ll ever eat store-bought jerky again!

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