Air Fryer Beef Jerky Recipe | Love Food Not Cooking (2024)

FAQs

Can you dehydrate raw meat in air fryer? ›

Place steak strips on air fryer tray making sure strips do not touch. Cook beef on steak setting at 350° F for 3 minutes or until there is no pink in the center of the strips. USDA recommends the beef reach an internal temperature of 160° F. Switch air fryer to dehydrate setting for 2 hours.

Precooking meats to a minimum temperature of 160°F before drying ensures that you kill any harmful bacteria that may be present in the meat. The good news is, precooking shortens the drying time and tenderizes the meat.

The only downside: the air fryer can dry out foods that have been in the fridge, especially meat. Meat can be delicate when reheated, and if it's overcooked, it can go from tender and juicy to dehydrated and stringy in an instant.

When ready to cook, remove pieces of beef from a marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Preheat air fryer to 160-degrees. Place beef in basket and cook for 3 to 4 hours. Checking the jerky periodically for desired doneness.

Cooking meat before dehydrating is the surest way to eliminate any harmful bacteria. You can skip the pre-drying cooking step, however, as long as you ensure proper dehydrating practices.

The danger in dehydrating meat and poultry without cooking it to a safe temperature first is that the appliance will not heat the meat to 160°F and poultry to 165°F — temperatures at which bacteria are destroyed — before the dehydrating process. After drying, bacteria become much more heat resistant.

In technical terms, beef jerky is “done” when it's been cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F and dried to a water activity under 0.85. In a commercial jerky factory, needle-thin probes and water activity meters can detect and measure these benchmarks to scientific precision.

Jerky is a fully cooked product and is never raw. During the dehydration process, most of the moisture is taken out of the jerky which allows it to have a long shelf life. There are also multiple ways to dry meat. Some of the common methods include using a smoker, oven, or a dehydrator.

Depending on the production process, beef jerky can be either raw or cooked beef. Some jerky is heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (thus cooked) before dehydrating the beef slices, while other jerky is simply dried at very low temperatures.

Using oil

Using oil in an air fryer is perfectly fine and helps the meat to remain moist and come out looking golden brown. However, a little oil in an air fryer does go a long way. With most cuts of pork, simply rubbing some oil into the meat will be all you need. You can use either regular olive oil or a spray oil.

What temperature do you dehydrate in an air fryer? ›

Arrange in a single layer inside the basket of a 6-quart air fryer. Put the basket into the air fryer. Turn on the dehydrator setting and set the temperature to 175 degrees F.

Adding water to the bottom of an air fryer can make it easier to clean. The water can help loosen any food particles or grease, making them easier to wipe away after cooking. It's crucial to add only a small amount of water, usually no more than a couple of tablespoons.

Drying meat requires low temperatures (160-180°F [71-82°C]). A low drying temperature is crucial.

Remove beef strips from the bowl and place between two pieces of plastic wrap; pound to 1/8-inch thickness. Arrange pounded beef strips in a single layer on the trays of a dehydrator. Dry at the dehydrator's highest setting until jerky is done to your liking, at least 4 hours. Enjoy!

Top round and bottom round are lean, flavorful and – in our opinion – the best cuts of beef for jerky. Sirloin tip is extremely lean, but not as tender, and a bit more expensive. Flank steak is also lean (though you may need to trim some fat) and flavorful, but can be tough if its sliced with the grain.

Dehydrating produce in your oven or air fryer is extremely simple and helps to extend the shelf life of many of your favorite fruits and vegetables. While it's easier to dehydrate larger quantities in an oven, the air fryer works a little quicker thanks to its controlled and circulating heat.

Pat the protein dry with paper towels, place it on top of the rack and transfer it to the refrigerator uncovered. The rack allows the air to circulate and dry the surface of the meat on all sides. Large cuts of meat with greater surface area should air-dry in the fridge for one to three days.

It is safe to cook raw meat in the air fryer if it is fully defrosted, seasoned, and monitored. Some fully cooked foods, including chicken tenders or fries, can be placed frozen in the air fryer. However, with raw meat, it's recommended to thoroughly defrost to allow more even cooking and a tasty final product.