Honey Free Lemon-Dill Beef Jerky

Total time12 hr 20 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time4 hr

4.9

(20)

Bright, herby, and deeply savory, this beef jerky is a serious upgrade from anything you'd grab off a gas station shelf. So many commercial jerkies sneak in sweeteners — honey, cane sugar, or syrup — to balance the salt and smoke, but this marinade skips all of that and leans on fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and fragrant dill to do the heavy lifting instead. Coconut aminos bring that umami depth you'd expect, while garlic, ginger, and turmeric layer in warmth and a gorgeous golden color. The result is a strip of jerky that tastes bright and complex rather than cloying. Chilling the beef before slicing is a small trick that makes a real difference, giving you clean, even strips that dry uniformly in the oven. After a long marinade and a slow, low oven dry, you end up with chewy, intensely flavored jerky that's genuinely satisfying — perfect for road trips, hiking, or just snacking straight from the container all week long.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the jerky

1 ½ lb beef top round or flank steak, trimmed of visible fat

For the marinade

¼ cup coconut aminos
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 1 large lemon)
3 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

1
Place the beef in the freezer for 30–45 minutes, until it is firm but not frozen solid — this makes slicing much easier. Using a sharp knife, slice the beef against the grain into strips about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. For chewier jerky, slice with the grain.
2
In a zip-top bag or shallow dish, combine the coconut aminos, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh dill, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and sea salt. Stir or squeeze to mix well.

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