Cajun Jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro

A friend of mine recently let me sample some of his homemade beef jerky. I thought it was the best jerky I’d ever had, so I picked his brain and found out which dehydrator he had.  That of course meant that I needed one, so I got one and got to work. My first attempt at jerky was this Cajun jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro. Boy, was I (and my neighbors) impressed! In about 14 hours we were all chowing down on perfectly-dried, lightly spicy Cajun beef jerky. Fantastic!

Cajun Jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro

This was my first time making Cajun Jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro, so I made sure to take very good notes for future batches. I’ve made teriyaki and black pepper jerky on my smoker before with great success, but I found that the Nesco Snackmaster Pro made the process 100 times easier. And although I usually prefer making my own spice mixes, I’ve opted to stick with pre-made flavorings for now.

I like to load up my dehydrator. To do that I picked up a handful of extra trays. They really add a whole lot more drying space! Since I have to rotate my trays, I write a number on each one on a piece of blue painter’s tape so I can keep track of them.

Check out my guide to using the Nesco Snackmaster Pro. You will be making fantastic jerky at home in no time at all!

Cajun Jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro
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Cajun Jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro

My first attempt at jerky was this Cajun jerky. Boy, was I (and my neighbors) impressed! 
Course Dehydrator
Cuisine Jerky
Keyword Cajun, dehydrator, jerky, nesco snackmaster pro
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 14 hours
Servings 1 batch
Calories 646kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place beef in a resealable bag or container.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the seasoning, red pepper flake if using, curing salt and water. Pour over the meat and seal. Shake to coat.
  • Refrigerate the meat for up to 8 hours, shaking or massaging every hour or so to get the marinade distributed and absorbed evenly.
  • Remove meat from the marinade and place flat onto Nesco trays. Do not overlap meat.
  • Add the dehydrator top, set to maximum temperature setting and dehydrate for 5 hours, rotating the trays bottom to top every 2 hours or so.
  • To test for doneness remove a piece and let cool slightly. Try to bend the meat. If it gives and starts to tear at the bend it is done. If it bends without tearing return to the dehydrator and let it run another 15 minutes and test again. If the meat is crunchy it is overdone but still good. It’s really personal preference as to how you like your jerky. Soft, chewy, crunchy. There’s no wrong here.
  • Let cool before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

This recipe is for starting with 1 pound of meat. You’ll end up with about 1/2 pound in the end. You can easily double/triple/etc this recipe for large quantities of meat, however 5 pounds is about all you can fit onto a Nesco Snackmaster Pro fitted with 12 trays (the unit comes with 5).

Nutrition

Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 103g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 1675mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1186IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 10mg

Nutritional values are approximate.