Keto Air Fryer Beef Jerky

If you are on a keto diet and love beef jerky you are going to LOVE this keto air fryer beef jerky. It’s super easy to make and the result is spicy flavorful beef strips that makes for a great low carb grab and go snack. The whole recipe has just 4.4g net carbs!

You might also like this keto beef jerky made in the smoker!

I was trying to think of a healthy snack I could make for my teenage son as he’s had a really busy schedule and I remember how much he likes a chewy snack like beef jerky. I didn’t want to buy any store bought jerky products which are full of artificial ingredients.

Then I remember I made some chicken jerky in the air fryer for my dog and so I thought I’d give it a try with beef. I was so happy with out this keto air fryer beef jerky that I will make it over and over again.

The marinade has a sweet and spicy flavor and only uses 4 simple ingredients and making jerky in the air fryer is just a breeze. I used a 1.3 pound flanks steak and got around 40 pieces from it. The WHOLE homemade recipe has just 4.4g net carbs!

Some people like to make it in the dehydrator but I find this air fryer method so much easier not to mention quicker. Below I tell you how to make it in the oven too.

Recipe ingredients I used.

For the homemade jerky itself I used a flank steak. I had used it before and I find that it works well. The sweet and spicy marinade ingredients were

• Swerve brown sugar sweetener
• soy sauce
• chili garlic sauce
• tomato paste.

You can try this with other cuts of meat for beef jerky. However I have not tried it yet. You just want to make sure you use a lean beef and cut thin uniform slices and to cut against the grain.

You can also use Lakanto golden instead of the Swerve brown sugar though it’s a common sweetener that you can find in most stores. The chili garlic sauce is a common product in most big grocery stores. Look in the Asian aisle for it.

Note that I did not use any spices or a dry seasoning blend. Not even basic ingredients like salt and black pepper. The soy sauce adds saltiness, the chili garlic sauce adds spice and the tomato paste and Swerve add sweetness. So nothing else is needed.

Marinating the beef slices.

1. You will want to freeze the flank steak for about 30 minutes so it will firm up and you can slice it easier.
2. Cut into thin uniform meat strips about ¼ inch thick and cut against the grain with a sharp knife. (learn how to cut against the grain)
3. Next mix the Swerve, soy sauce, tomato paste and chili garlic sauce with a little water and pour it into a big baggie. This marinade is easy to remember because it’s 4-3-2-1. It’s made with 4 T of brown sweetener, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Plus you need the 1 tablespoon of water to thin it out a bit.
4. Add the beef slices and seal the baggie. Squish the meat around to get the marinade all over the meat slices. Refrigerate the marinated beef over night for the best taste. The minimum time would be 2 hours.

How to make homemade beef jerky in the air fryer.

Step 1: Take out the beef from marinade and dab them dry with a paper towel.

Step 2: Spray the air fryer trays with nonstick cooking spray and then lay the beef strips on the tray in a single layer. You don’t want to overlay the pieces if you can help it.

Step 3: Set the air fryer to 200°F and plays the trays inside. Cook for about 2-3 hours until the beef looks done. (see below) Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your pieces of beef.

How to tell if your jerky is done.

You can tell if the jerky is done if:

• It looks like jerky. Is it dry and darker in color?
• Take a piece out and let it sit for 10 minutes. Bend it and see if it’s fibrous and frayed like a piece of leather. If so it’s done.
• If it breaks it is overdone. If it’s not done, it will seem like a cooked piece of meat, not jerky.

Store jerky in an air tight container or baggie and keep refrigerated.

Jerky should be good for a couple weeks in the refrigerator. However it never lasts for a whole week in our house! (Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.)

To make the jerky in the oven instead.

Prepare the beef strips just like above and dab them dry. Then place on a foil lined baking sheet that is sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Place in a 170 °F preheated oven for 4-6 hours. Check to see if done after 4 hours and if not place back in oven and check every half hour.

TIP: Because the meat shrinks a lot, 1 lb of meat may produce only ½ pound of jerky. 

Other meaty keto snacks to try.

If you love  keto friendly beef snacks like this one you might also like one of these meat centric keto snack recipes.

• keto gyro meat crackers (like ground meat jerky)
• buffalo chicken chips
• bacon chips and cheesecake dip
• fried pork strips & dip
• ham and cheese chips
• lunch meat rollups
• buffalo chicken dip
• Italian chicken dip
• salmon cream cheese balls
• bacon wrapped avocados
• bacon cheeseburger dip
• meat lovers biscuits
• Mexica meatza
• turkey crust pizza

Well I hope you enjoyed this sugar free keto beef jerky recipe made in the air fryer. It’s an awesome snack and once you make it this way you won’t want to make it any other way. And beef jerky one of our favorite keto snacks to take when traveling too. Enjoy!

You might also like my friend Taryn’s air fryer pork belly.

The nutritional information for the ½ of the WHOLE recipe is: 635 calories / 28g fat / 2.7g carbs / 0.5g fiber / 85g protein = 2.2g net carbs

Continue to Content

Keto AIr Fryer Beef Jerky Recipe

Yield: varies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

You will be amazed at how easy it is to make keto beef jerky in the air fryer. This recipe uses a simple 4 ingredient sweet and spciy marinated that added even more flavor!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds flank steak
• 4 tablespoons Swerve brown sugar sweetener
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Place the flat flank steak into the freezer for ½ hour so that it is easy to slice. Take it out and slice in thin uniform pieces and against the grain. Place into a large baggie.
2. Mix together the marinade and pour over the meat in the baggie. Squish the meat around to make sure to coat the meat with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator over night for best results or at least 2 hours.
3. Take out the racks and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Take out the meat from the refrigerator and dab the beef strips dry and place in a single layer on the air fryer racks. Do not overlap if you can.
5. Cook at 200°F for around 2 hours. Check on the towards the end to see if they are done. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your slices.
6. The jerky is done if it looks dry and darker in color. Take a piece out and let it sit for 10 minutes. Bend it and see if it’s fibrous and frayed like a piece of leather. If so it’s done.
   If it breaks it is overdone. If it’s not done, it will seem like a cooked piece of meat, not jerky.
7. Store in an airtight container or ziplock baggie in the refrigerator.

Notes

Prepare the beef strips just like above and dab them dry. Then place on a foil lined baking sheet that is sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Place in a 170 °F preheated oven for 4 – 5 hours. Check to see if done, and if not place back in oven and check every half hour.

The nutritional information for the ½ of the WHOLE recipe is: 635 calories / 28g fat / 2.7g carbs / 0.5g fiber / 85g protein = 2.2g net carbs

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 11 ounces
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 635