Love beer? Add beer to jerky and you’ll love jerky. Kings County’s Smoked Beer Jerky is a flavorful, all-natural beef jerky that comes from an unexpected place: Brooklyn, New York.
The Kings County Jerky Co. began in 2009, evolving from a home kitchen into a small artisan producer. Their smoked beer jerky recipe uses simple, common ingredients with one standout addition: a dark smoked beer. The original recommendation is Schlenkerla, a traditional smoked lager, but any robust dark beer works well. In my test I used New Belgium 1554, which complemented the beef nicely.
The published recipe is for 2.5 lbs of eye of round; I scaled it down to 1 lb and adjusted the ingredient amounts accordingly. Marinating the meat for about 8 hours allows the flavors to penetrate well. You can dry the jerky in an oven, dehydrator, or smoker—use whichever method you prefer. The oven method was used here, following guidance from the original write-up.
Aside from the beer, the marinade is straightforward: soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cracked black pepper, a touch of honey, and onion powder. For food safety and longer shelf life you can optionally include a small amount of curing salt (Prague Powder #1), though it isn’t required for everyday home jerky intended for prompt consumption.
The process is simple: trim all visible fat from a lean cut (eye of round is ideal), partially freeze the meat for easier, even slicing, then slice against the grain about 1/8″–1/4″ thick. Combine the marinade ingredients, add the sliced meat, and refrigerate to marinate for 6–24 hours. Remove the strips, pat them dry, and dry them using your chosen method until the jerky reaches your preferred texture—about eight hours in a low oven in my test.
Kings County’s Smoked Beer Jerky
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Rate Recipe
30 minutes
8 hours
8 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
Lean Meat
- 1 lb Eye of Round or Venison
Marinade
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup Soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Dark or smoked beer
- 1 tablespoon Cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
Optional
- 1/4 teaspoon Curing Salt (Prague Powder #1)
Equipment
Instructions
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Trim all visible fat from a lean cut of beef. Partially freeze the meat for 1–2 hours to make slicing easier. If using pre-sliced meat, skip the freezing step.
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Mix the soy sauce, Worcestershire, dark beer, cracked black pepper, honey, and onion powder in a bowl or a resealable bag.
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Slice the partially frozen meat against the grain into strips 1/8″–1/4″ thick. A jerky slicer can help ensure uniform thickness.
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Add the sliced beef to the marinade and refrigerate for 6–24 hours, turning occasionally to coat evenly.
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Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
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Dry the strips using your chosen method. In an oven, arrange strips on racks and dry at low temperature until the jerky reaches the desired texture (approximately 8 hours). Dehydrators and smokers work well too.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 6 g
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Protein: 26 g
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Fat: 6 g
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Ready to make jerky? Gather your tools, pick a good dark beer, and enjoy crafting this savory smoked beer jerky at home.