Easy Air Fryer Beef Jerky

Step 1

Slice the steak into thin strips about 1/8 of an inch thick. If you slice against the grain of the meat, your jerky will be more tender. If you slice with the grain, it will be more chewy.

Step 2

Add the steak to a large bowl. Add in all of the ingredients for the marinade and stir.

Step 3

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to overnight. The longer you marinate, the more flavor the jerky will have.

Step 4

There are two ways you can place the jerky in the air fryer. You can use bamboo skewers (You may have to cut and size them for your air fryer) and thread the beef lengthwise through the skewer so that the beef dangles from the skewer. You can add several slices of beef, be sure that they don't touch. This will help distribute the air flow needed to dry out the beef. Place the skewers along the top edges of the air fryer.

Step 5

You can also simply place the beef in the air fryer basket. I sprayed it with olive oil first. Do not stack or overcrowd the basket. This will take a longer cook time.

Step 6

If you thread the beef along skewers: Air fry on 180 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes.

Step 7

If you place the beef in the air fryer basket: Air fry on 180 degrees for 2-3 hours.

Step 8

For both methods, watch your beef to ensure it reaches your desired texture. For the bamboo stick method, the jerky will become firm, yet tender around 60 minutes. It will need a longer cook time if you want it to be chewy.

Step 9

For just the air fryer method, it will become firm and tender around 2 hours, but for chewy jerky you will need more time.

Step 10

Overall, my preference is the bamboo method. It comes the closest to the jerky I buy in stores, but better.