One of the hardest things about eating low carb (or doing the Whole 30) is having food that is portable and ready to eat when hunger strikes. Sometimes you know you’re going to be gone all day and it makes sense to pack a cooler. Other times, your day can get out of hand, and you find yourself starving with nothing to eat nearby. I always keep a bagful of nuts handy just in case, but that gets old fast. Enter beef jerky. Its portable, doesn’t need to be kept cold, is loaded with protein, and has almost no carbs. That is, if you make it yourself. Trying to find store-bought beef jerky that isn’t loaded with sugar is almost impossible, depending on where you live.
Making low carb beef jerky isn’t difficult, it just requires a little advanced planning. You’ll need time to marinate your strips, and then time to dry them out in the oven. You can also use a dehydrator if you have one. 
Mr. Hungry is a jerky connoisseur so when he said it was delicious, I knew it must be good. I couldn’t eat this batch because something in it aggravated my new allergy problems. My mother in law also liked it though, so that’s two people who can vouch for this recipe. Feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations. I made this version Whole 30 approved, so it has no soy sauce in it which I would probably have added if I was just doing low carb. You could also add coconut aminos which would still keep it Whole 30 compliant. A few other possible recipe variations would be to replace the allspice with cumin and the red pepper flakes with chili powder, I’d also add a bit of chopped habanero to up the heat. Or you could go Korean with soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced scallions. There are endless possibilities when it comes to making your own jerky. Have fun experimenting, and I hope you’ll share your jerky recipe creations with the rest of us! :) Enjoy!
Print Low Carb Beef Jerky (Whole 30 compliant)
- Yield: About 8 servings 1x
Description
A portable low carb and Whole 30 approved snack.
Ingredients
- 1 large (about 2lbs) london broil, trimmed of all fat
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 2 Tbl kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbl red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp lime juice
Instructions
- Thinly slice the london broil (across the grain) into strips. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large bag or bowl. Add the strips of beef and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees (F). Spread the jerky strips on cookie sheets. Place in the oven and let dry for about 6 hours. Check for doneness, they should be dark in color and completely dried out. If they are still not done, turn the oven off and leave them inside for another few hours or overnight.
- Store in an airtight container. I keep mine in the fridge just in case.
Notes
Approximate nutrition information per serving as is:
143 calories, 4g fat, 2.25g net carbs, 22g protein
If you want to reduce the carbs, replace the apple juice with 1/2 cup of water and 1 1/2 tsp splenda or other sweetener of your choice.
Approximate nutrition information per serving w/out apple juice:
137 calories, 4 g fat, .5g net carbs, 22g protein
Allie from Colorado says
I was so happy to find this recipe. I am in power lifting training and need lots of protein to build muscles. Jerky is a quick answer to getting enough protein but most commercial brands have lots of added sugar. (Who needs to eat sweetened meat???) I have made this two times.. It is delicious! The first time I made it according to the recipe. I did not use the London broil meat cut, I used USDA Prime Sirloin Steak. It was too salty for my taste. The next time I made it, I reduced the salt to only a light 1/2 tablespoon. It was sooo much better. This is a recipe that is so versatile. It goes in my own BEST RECIPES BOOK. One quick question, how many ounces/grams in one serving?
Judy says
Keto is no sugar so the apple juice was a no. So much salt, it burns the tongue when you eat it. Will modify or find a different keto jerky to make.
★
Jack Oliver says
Looking very delicious! low carb beef jerky is most famous in all over the world. I always get hungry on the drive home.
★★★★★
JenniBold says
I have checked your blog and i’ve found some duplicate content, that’s
why you don’t rank high in google’s search results, but there is a tool that can help you to create 100% unique content, search for; SSundee
advices unlimited content for your blog
★★★★★
CWB says
Can you do this with a pork roast? And pineapple juice instead of apple?
Amy says
Way too long of a cook time. 4 hours in and it was burnt. I baked it at 250 as instructed. I was so looking forward to the jerky. Does anyone have a realistic cook time?
★★★★★
Mimi says
I cut my meat in small pieces and baked at the lowest temp my oven would go (150F). It was done in 2.5 hours. Just keep checking. If it’s done, remove it before it burns. This method uses the oven as a dehydrator.
★★★★★
Dexter says
I had the same results as you. Thankfully, I only had 1/3 of the batch in the oven. The rest I had in the dehydrator. The portion in the dehydrator was done at the four hour mark though.
★
Mellissa Sevigny says
If you don’t use Kosher salt as called for, but instead a table salt then it will be harsh and salty.
Shannon Macgillivray says
Mellissa,
If I use soy sauce, do I still use the same amount of apple juice? Also, how much soy would you use?
Whitney says
I don’t get why this worked for other people for this long on this temp…I just completely destroyed an expensive piece of meat, not to mention a bunch of work. Needed this for a trip in the morning and my whole house smells like burned meat. It’s only been in the oven 3 hours at 250, not the full 6. I thought there must be a typo, but other people have made this and it worked? I sliced mine thin, like it said to…is this why mine burned? So disappointed.
Laurie says
Exactly the same here. I just barely pulled mine out and came back here to see if I misread the directions. I didn’t slice them too thin, but they were completely burnt at 4 hours.
Melissa, did you by chance mean 150 F?
Chris says
Question: doesn’t the apple juice add quite a few carbs in the form of fruit sugar? Is it really needed or will the recipe suffer if skipped?
Chris says
Nevermind – I noticed the note about swapping with water on the bottom – made this jerky the texture came out perfect but to much like a salt lick, next time will reduce the salt by 1/2 (at least). I stupidly took her suggestion of adding soy to make more of a Korean style but didn’t reduce the Kosher salt, yikes, I should have known better that you didn’t need both.
Sean says
Not to burst your bubble but do you realize you are putting over 1700 MG of sodium per serving? That is close to a days worth in one sitting.
Mellissa Sevigny says
When you’re on a very low carb diet it’s actually important to get more sodium than the average person because you don’t retain water like you do when you eat carbs. It’s important to retaining your electrolyte balance which is why some people actually drink very salty broth to supplement their sodium while on low carb. That being said, please feel free to adjust the salt to your needs and preference.
Abbie says
Also important to remember, it’s a marinade, so not all of the salt is “consumed”. Marinades are always much saltier/stronger in flavor than sauces.
Joanna says
Sounds awesome! How long will this last if kept in the fridge? And if not? Thanks!
Libby at ditchthecarbs.com says
These are divine. Just to let you know, I have added them to my Top 30 Best Low Carb Snacks. They so deserve to be there. http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2014/08/07/best-low-carb-snacks/
cliff hobbs says
will have to try this, have done a batch only once got a recipe of the net someplace, anyhow I dried my meat with a dehydrator then vacuum sealed it to keep every thing out, I still have 1 pack left its kept in my computer room un-refrigerated, and cant see any signs of mould, will have to open it one day?
steffturner says
I just wanted you to know that I loved your recipe and I added a link to it in a recent blog post. http://steffturner.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/my-truths-112-jerky/
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for sharing Steff, glad the jerky was a hit with the family!
Darren says
Looks delicious! Might have to make this as a snack i can take to work. I always get hungry on the drive home.
Lisa says
It looks delicious! I have a ? I remember being a little girl and my father bringing home large slabs of peppered jerky it looked like it was home made and it was not sweet at all. How can I accomplish this? I stopped buying beef jerky because they are all so cloyingly sweet.
Thanks
Lisa
Barefootcookingirl says
Oh my! I was just wanting to try making some jerky of my own. You rock! Can’t wait to try this. BCG
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hey BCG! Looks like I read your mind on this one! ;) Hope you like it!
diane says
This looks so delish… I’m off to get a roast from the freezer right away! I can hardly wait to surprise my family with what used to be a favorite, pre-LC/SF!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I hope it’s a hit with the family Diane! One tip is to cut your meat before it’s completely defrosted which makes it easier to slice thinly. Enjoy!
Paul C says
just had to google London Broil… never heard of it, and I’m English and live in England…
PS, what’s the American obsession with Kosher salt???
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Paul, any super lean cut of beef will do – some people use eye of round. It’s important that there isn’t a lot of fat in the meat you use or it will go rancid over time. I use Kosher salt because it has no additives and a superior flavor over regular table salt which is harshly salty in my opinion. I also use sea salt and Himalayan salt sometimes.
paulc says
should try Maldon Salt if you can get it… nice soft large flake sea salt still produced by traditional hand methods. Easily crumbled by hand…
GiGi says
Kosher salt does not contain added Iodine. Many chefs feel it has a more pure taste.
Meta says
Great! Can’t wait to try this. One suggestion, please! Add 250 Farenheit/ 120 Celsius in the recipe to avoid any of us Brits ending up with bits of charcoal in the oven! ;)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Oops, I usually remember to add (F) but forgot this time! Thanks for catching that! :)