Pineapple Jalapeno Beef Jerky

Delicious with a mild background heat, Pineapple Jalapeno Beef Jerky has an awesome balance of sweet & spicy and is super easy to make!

Making your own beef jerky is super easy, extremely satisfying and since it is made without any added preservatives, the jerky tastes better than store bought and is also better for you.

Canned pickled jalapenos and crushed pineapple with just a touch of brown sugar make up the marinade that flavors the beef strips in this tender and flavorful jerky. The perfect blend of sweet & heat!

The Secret to Making Flavorful Beef Jerky

The thing with beef jerky is that it requires both a flavorful marinade and soak time. The meat needs to be in that marinade for long enough that it will soak in all of those flavors. Sometimes the flavors need some tweaking and refinement and a few retries before you get it just right.

The first time that we made jerky, we were so excited to make it that we only let it marinate about 12 hours. The result was that our jerky wasn’t flavorful. Pretty disappointing.

Now when we make jerky we put the meat into the marinade and refrigerate for an absolute minimum of 24 hours, sometimes up to a week! Typically, around the 48-72 hour mark the flavors are fully infused and the jerky will be delicious.

You need to find what’s right for you but the longer in has time to take in the marinade, the deeper the flavors of the jerky! Don’t be afraid to experiment and find your happy place!

The UDSA has a great page with all sorts of facts about Beef Jerky that you can get to by clicking here. Great resource!

TOP TEN TIPS FOR MAKING Beef Jerky

1. London Broil (Top Round) makes a very tasty jerky. Strips need to be cut between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. NO THICKER THAN THAT.
2. How you cut the meat determines the final result. Evenly, thinly, and against the grain are key.
3. Marinate, marinate, marinate. What you put the meat in and how long you leave it there for really determine the final result. Marinating under 12 hours is not going to get you the taste you want. You have to let the meat take in the flavor. You can’t rush it. You have to pay attention. Move the meat around while marinating and turn the bag repeatedly while it marinates. A ziploc bag is a great thing for marinating as it is pliable and the meat can be moved around without opening the bag.
4. Be careful with salt. Salt seems to be the first thing that gets soaked up into the meat. You can’t take it out once it’s in. Too salty = bad. Use garlic POWDER and onion POWDER, not the salt versions.
5. Taste and smell your marinade. If it is tasty before adding the meat, the jerky will turn out great.
6. Marinate in the refrigerator. No one wants food poisoning.
7. A food dehydrator is a good investment. The oven can be used but it is harder to get a great end product and it takes longer.
8. When a recipe says it’ll take 5 hours, start checking it at an hour and a half. Timing depends on temperature, thickness and moisture, not what a cookbook says.
9. Don’t be afraid to move the meat and the trays around. Also, don’t be afraid to remove the thinner pieces that are done before the thicker ones. No one is perfect when cutting meat into strips. Check often!
10. And finally, don’t ever put meat in the dehydrator and go to bed, thinking it will be done in the morning. If you do this, you will get over dried jerky that will most likely be inedible. After all that marinating time, it is really sad to have to throw it out!

What if I don’t have a Dehydrator?

We get asked a lot if you can make jerky in an oven. Of course you can!

Prepare and marinate the meat exactly as above but instead of putting it onto dehydrator trays, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature it will preheat to. Usually this is 170 – 175 degrees F.

Position the oven racks to the upper-middle position.  Line two large baking sheets with foil and then place a wire cooling rack onto each. This allows the meat to have some air flow.

Lay the marinated beef strips out onto the wire racks and bake until it is dryer and considerably less spongy than it was going in. Much like a dehydrator, it is important to pay attention to the meat by moving the jerky around and rotating the trays.

Feeling the jerky with your fingers is the best gauge of done-ness. Cooking times vary upon the thickness of the meat and this process can take anywhere from 2-12 hours. Enjoy!

The best meat to use for Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky begins with a lean cut of meat, cut into strips. We use London Broil, which is a fancy name for a smaller beef top round roast (eye of round). It is important that the meat is lean and that it does not contain bones.

We use about 1 1/2 pounds at a time, sliced into strips between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick, any large fatty parts removed. You can cut it yourself or ask the supermarket butcher to do it for you.

Cut it against the grain because it makes the jerky more tender. Once it is cut, set it aside until the marinade is ready.

What You’ll Need to Make Pineapple Jalapeno Beef Jerky

• London Broil – sliced into strips between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick against the grain, any large fatty parts removed. Top round roast or eye of round may be substituted.

• Pickled Jalapenos – we prefer to use the canned version (12 ounces) of pickled jalapenos with their juice for his recipe. They are typically found in the Mexican food aisle of the grocery store. You may substitute with 1.5 cups of “nacho rings” from the pickling aisle instead (with juice).

• Crushed Pineapple – we use a 20 ounce can. You can also use pineapple tidbits, pineapple chunks, or even one cup of pineapple juice as a substitution if that is what you have available.

• Pantry Spices – kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar (light or dark).

• Soy Sauce – low sodium or regular soy sauce may be used. Feel free to substitute coco aminos if you prefer. The flavor is the same, the product is allergy friendly, contains less salt and is a lot less expensive than soy sauce!

how to make Pineapple Jalapeno Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky is so simple to make. It can be made in the oven, but we prefer to use an electric food dehydrator. Owning a food dehydrator opens up a world of possibilities and beef jerky is one of our favorite things to experiment with and create!

Guidelines for using an oven are included below, just in case you don’t have a dehydrator and want to give this recipe a try.

Prepare the meat by cutting into strips between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick,against the grain. Set aside.

In a large zip top bag, combine all of the marinade ingredients and shake or stir until everything has blended together.

Add the prepared meat strips to the marinade in the bag and push the strips around to coat. This will ensure that all of the meat gets flavored.

Place the zip top bag into the refrigerator and marinate for at least 12 hours, flipping the bag occasionally and massaging the marinade into the meat.

Remove the meat from the marinade and lay the strips out onto a double layer of paper towels. Use additional paper towels to blot off excess marinade from the tops of the strips.

Lay the marinated jerky strips out out on dehydrator trays, leaving space between for air flow. Use as many trays as necessary.

Choose the highest temperature setting on the dehydrator (typically 160 degrees). Begin checking the jerky strips after 60-90 minutes. Flip the jerky strips and rotate trays during the dehydration process.

The jerky will become less spongy but remain pliable and it will develop a dry, leathery appearance.

Once sufficiently dried, remove to a resealable container or large zip top bag and allow to cool before sealing.Store in an airtight container in a cool place (or refrigerator) for up to a month. Enjoy!

Other Favorite Easy Jerky Recipes

Horseradish & Herb Beef Jerky – A bold blend of salt, pepper, and herbs with just a hint of horseradish.

Sweet & Spicy Beef Jerky – A fan favorite! Deliciously balanced between sweet & Spicy!

Spicy Dr. Pepper Beef Jerky – Delicious and sweet with a low, subtle heat and a bold beefy flavor.

Worcestershire Beef Jerky – A tried and true family favorite and our most requested flavor combination!

Teriyaki Sweet Hot Beef Jerky – Jerky with a sweet Teriyaki flavor and just the right amount of heat.

Black Pepper Beef Jerky – Tender and flavorful with a low, subtle heat.