by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!
Here's how to dehydrate meat safely! Dehydrating meat in a dehydrator is a great option - if you are looking for a way to preserve meat without going the canning or freezing route.
Learn about
dehydrating different meats by clicking on the images below...
Click any of the images above to visit the meat page of your choice!
I discuss how to dehydrate leftover meat safely, step-by-step - along with tips on how to store your dried meat and use it in recipes. Let's get started!
We've also got an easy Beef Jerky recipe a little further down the page.
Dehydrate beef jerky - top question!
See "how-to" for Beef Jerky further down this page.
How do dehydrate meat?
Read all the dehydrating deets for beef, chicken, turkey, pork, and seafood on the page you're on now (with links out to your meat of choice).
Dehydrating ground meat?
This is also covered on this page, a little further down!
How to dehydrate meat in a food dehydrator, and drying meat in dehydrator?
The answer to both are on this page PLUS on the individual meat pages where their full instructions are. Just scroll down a little further down the page, thanks!
See our Podcast Page here on this site, or here on Buzzsprout.
Meats are preserved using these popular methods:
Shelf life is important, right? But we're all about the 'easy' here as in 'easy'-food-dehydrating!
For example, when preparing chicken for the family dinner, put an extra breast in the cooking pot and save it to dehydrate later on!
Dehydrators do a fine job of drying meats for backpacking.
Let's get busy learning how to dehydrate meat NOW before inflation gets any worseāand meat prices escalate (even more than they already have).
Because your meat is already cookedāthat's one step savedāno further preparation is necessary for dehydrating meat safely. Remember, we're not dehydrating raw meat.
The best meats to use are choice cutsāthe tender cutsāso they won't be chewy or tough. Trim off visible fat. The less fat in the meat, the better, as it's the fat in meat that causes it to go rancid. Simply place your cut meats onto dehydrator trays.
If you're wanting to dehydrate raw ground beef, cook it first!
Make sure you break up clumps as you go, just as you would when making chili. This makes your ground beef much easier to dehydrate and rehydrate more evenly.
Ground beef is really easy because it's already ground into pretty much uniformly sized pieces.
Cooked meats are best dehydrated at 160Ā°Fābut please consult your food dehydrator's owner's manual for their specific instructions to prevent bacteria from growing. Dehydrate your meat until it is dry to the touch and slightly leathery.
Use our Fahrenheit to Celsius converter here on our site!
If meat is not dehydrated long enough, bacteria can still grow. The shelf life of meat that has been properly dehydrated will last for several months without refrigeration, although it will begin to lose flavor, and meat that has been dehydrated at too high of a temperature will be dry and tough.
If you're storing meat for long-term purposes, learn how to vacuum-seal meat here.
Fastest and Easiest Way to Dehydrate Meat: Use Pre-Cooked SLICED Meats!
Meat that is already cooked and pre-sliced makes this task easyāwe have the perfect way of dehydrating meat safely!
Dehydrating meat is simply a process of removing the water content from it. Dehydration concentrates the flavor of the meat and allows you to store it for a longer period of time.
Snacking and Backpacking - Beef Makes a Beef Jerky Treat!
Looking to make beef jerky? Yes! (Please scroll farther down the page). If you make pouches of beef jerky, you'll have backpacking snacks ready to go! It's easy to vacuum seal dried meats by using a food vacuum sealer.
Check out these two recipe links when you're ready to make lots of great stews and soups using your dehydrated meat!
A Note About Rehydrating Meat
If you overly dehydrate meat, you may experience a more chewy texture than you'd like... but it's better than not having any meat available at all unless you are a vegetarian, of course!
Experiment with longer rehydrating times for less chewy meat and use flavored stocks to enhance the flavor.
Fattier meats dehydrate better than leaner meats. This is because the fat keeps the meat moist during the dehydration process. Some of the best meats to dehydrate include:
NOTE: There has been a health-scare recently (late December of 2023) regarding a disease in Venison. Please heed any warnings prior to cooking and eating venison!
When learning how to dehydrate meat properly, it is important to slice the meat thinly. This helps the meat dry evenly and prevents it from drying out too quickly. It is also important to marinate the meat before dehydrating it when making jerky. Marinating adds flavor and helps keep the meat moist - no surprise there.
There are a number of ways to perfect dried meat. The most popular method is to use a dehydrator, but you can also dry meat in the oven or even in the sun.
Whichever method you choose, be sure to follow the instructions carefully to ensure that the meat is properly dehydrated. Yes, I know the sun cannot provide directions on dehydration... ;-)
Properly dehydrated meat can be stored for several months. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Read how to store beef (and other foods) here.
Use Stock To Add Flavor
Check out our "rehydrating" pageāand consider using a flavorful stock when re-hydrating 'regular' meat! Adds much more flavor, that's for sure! I love Better Than Bouillon by Superior Touch in just about any savory recipe.
Store in Refrigerator or Freezer Until Ready to Use
To maintain the quality of dehydrated meats, refrigerate or store them in the freezer until ready to use. Dehydrated meats stay fresh for up to six months in the freezerāwithout freezer burnāwhen you use a food vacuum sealer!
Is it Safe to Store at Room Temperature?
Vacuum-sealed dried cooked meats can last up to 2 to 3 weeks at room temperature. Make sure to add an oxygen absorber to your dehydrated meat package before drawing out the air when using your food vacuum sealer.
REMEMBER to add a 100cc oxygen absorber to your bag before removing the air with the food vacuum sealer. This keeps your dried meat safe and inhibits mold growth and bacteria. Oxygen absorbers are not poisonousāwhich is a good thingābecause they're in direct contact with our foods!
How to Make Beef Jerky in an
Electric Dehydrator:
Jerky Ingredients:
Jerky Instructions:
Every time, #7 is a MUST.
Use our Fahrenheit to Celsius converter here on our site!
Don't forget, your food dehydrator manual will highly likely feature their own tasty jerky recipe! Check out these Nesco and Excalibur Food Dehydrators here. Dehydrate food properly. Use the correct-size oxygen absorbers inside vacuum sealer pouches to keep bacteria at bay!
How to Make Beef Jerky in a
Regular Oven:
Jerky Ingredients:
Jerky Instructions:
Use our Fahrenheit to Celsius converter here on our site!
#10 is a MUST.
Check out this guide to the eight best cuts of beef, brought to you by The Best Stop.
One of our site visitors, Paul Bee, wants to add this:
"I get mine at a deli counter. Get lean roast beef, turkey, or chicken. I have them slice it about 1/16 inch thick. When I'm back home, I slice it into strips and dehydrate it. I use it for a quick snack or when camping. As mentioned by Susan, freeze it until you are ready to use it within the time limit. Vacuum sealing keeps moisture from getting to the jerky."
ā Thanks, Paul, for writing in!
Sarah, in Australia, wanted us to know this about canned chicken:
"I do a lot of dehydrating for long hiking trips and have found that the canned chicken (that looks like canned tuna) in the supermarket (yes sounds gross) is the only chicken I've been able to dehydrate that rehydrates exactly like it was prior. The taste and texture after rehydration are perfect! just remember to buy the canned low-fat kind".
Hi Sarahāthat's really great to know! I actually have used the 'canned' variety in soups and salads! :-) And yes, the low-fat stops rancidity when storing "long term". Thanks so much for posting!
As you know, eggs are nature's "perfect food," and are a superb source of protein. Check out how to safely dehydrate eggs right here!
Treat yourself to our Beef Stew recipe...
Thanks for taking the time to read how to dehydrate meat safely.
As you may have noticed(!), I prefer to use cooked meats.
Please feel free to make jerky using the recipe I provided, and/or follow the beef jerky recipe that's highly likely included in your dehydrator's owner manual.
Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!
If you like the content, please give me some love by clicking on the š©· in the lower right hand corner (on just about all my pages). This signals to me that you find it enjoyable and useful. Thank you so much!
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Hi, I'm Susan Gast and I've been making food preservation simple since 2010.
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Hi, I'm Susan Gast and I've been making food preservation simple since 2010. Let me show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
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easy FOOD DEHYDRATING: Making food preservation simple since 2010.
I show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: I am an Affiliate for Amazon, and other sellers of quality merchandise.
Should you purchase an item through their links, I may receive compensation. The price you pay does not increase.
THANKS for your support! Read full disclosure here.
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easy FOOD DEHYDRATING: Making food preservation simple since 2010. I show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
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