Emulsifier Free Bison Jerky
Bison makes an exceptional jerky base — it's leaner than beef and carries bold, savory flavors beautifully. The marinade here is built entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients: coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, honey, and a warm spice blend of garlic, ginger, turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, and onion powder. There's not a single additive, stabilizer, or emulsifier in sight, which is more than you can say for most store-bought jerky bags. The brief freezer step before slicing is a small but brilliant trick that makes it easy to get those thin, even strips that dry consistently in the oven. A long marinade — anywhere from 8 to 24 hours — means the spices really sink in, and the low-and-slow oven method gives you that deeply browned, chewy-but-not-brittle texture that great jerky is all about. Once cooled, it keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks or the freezer for up to three months, so a single batch goes a long way for snacking, hiking, or just having something genuinely satisfying on hand.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the jerky
- 1 ½ lb bison top round or flank steak, trimmed of visible fat
For the marinade
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- 1
Place the bison in the freezer for 30–45 minutes, until firm but not frozen solid. This makes it much easier to slice thinly and evenly.
- 2
Using a sharp knife, slice the bison against the grain into strips about 1/8-inch (3mm) thick. For chewier jerky, slice with the grain; for more tender jerky, slice against it.
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