This beef jerky recipe delivers a delightful sweet cherry flavor in every bite.
I first tasted cherry-flavored jerky at a stop in Texas on the drive back to Austin from Corpus Christi. At the popular Texas market Buc-ee’s I sampled several jerky varieties and was impressed by their cherry jerky. That inspired me to craft my own sweet cherry beef jerky recipe at home.
My wife added the smiley face for a little visual fun — thanks, Linda! I used sweet cherries from the grocery store, pitted and blended into the marinade to create a smooth, fruity base.
The cherries were pitted, combined with the other marinade ingredients in a blender, and mixed into the beef. I let the meat marinate about 20 hours before drying it in an Excalibur dehydrator for roughly 5 hours. You can see small flecks of cherry throughout the jerky — they add a natural fruitiness and attractive color to the finished strips.
Making this cherry jerky was a lot of fun and the results were delicious. If you enjoy experimenting with flavors, this recipe is worth trying — grab fresh cherries (or use cherry pie filling) and get started.
For detailed directions on drying beef jerky, see Jerky Making Methods
Sweet Cherry Beef Jerky
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1 hour
5 hours
6 hours
Ingredients
Lean Meat
- 1 lb Beef Top Round or Venison
Marinade
- 1 cup sweet cherries (seeds removed)
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Almond Extract
- ¼ cup cold water
Optional
- ¼ teaspoon Curing Salt (Prague Powder #1) (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Trim all visible fat from the beef and place it in the freezer for one to two hours to partially firm the meat.
- While the meat chills, combine cherries, sugar, lemon juice, almond extract, and cold water in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Remove the meat from the freezer and slice into 1/4″ strips. For a firmer chew, slice with the grain; to make the jerky easier to chew, slice against the grain. If you prefer, use a jerky slicer for consistent strips.
- Place the sliced beef in a zip-top bag or bowl, pour in the blended marinade, and refrigerate to marinate for 8–24 hours.
- After marinating, remove the meat from the refrigerator and strain off excess marinade.
- Pat the strips dry with paper towels to remove surface moisture.
- Dry the strips using your preferred jerky method. Using a dehydrator, dry at about 160°F (71°C) for approximately 5 hours, or until the jerky bends and cracks but does not break in half.
Nutrition
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Calories: 204kcal
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Carbohydrates: 9g
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Protein: 24g
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Fat: 6g
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For more in-depth directions on drying beef jerky, see Jerky Making Methods