With a deep, earthy flavor cold brew makes beef or venison come to life in this coffee jerky. The scent is of coffee, but the flavor is bold and rich while enhancing the meat.
*This article includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Coffee is often used as a rub for meats so I thought why not use coffee to make jerky. My first iteration used expresso powder and water. It turned out pretty tasty.
I decided to try using cold brew coffee after Pollyanna Brewing (my favorite local brewery) gave me a sample of their cold brew coffee beans after they started roasting coffee. The bartenders at Pollyanna are sometimes my jerky taste testers, so this seemed like a great union—Pollyanna coffee and jerky!
I had never made cold brew coffee before, but with the instructions Pollyanna provided it was easy. The cold brew took the coffee jerky to the next level.
Make some coffee jerky today…you just have to try the amazing flavor for yourself! Don’t forget to rate and review the recipe if you enjoyed it!
Ingredients for Cold Brew Coffee Jerky
- Eye of Round Beef Roast: One of the best cuts of beef for jerky is an eye of round or round roast. These cuts are lean so there isn’t a lot of fat in the meat. A similar cut of venison can also be used in place of the beef.
- Coffee beans: The star ingredient in this recipe. Use your favorite bean roast. A dark roast will bring a bolder flavor while a mild roast may not have as much flavor.
- Water: Used to make the cold brew with the coffee beans
- Soy sauce*: Use normal soy sauce, not low sodium. The salt is needed for curing and preserving the meat.
- Brown sugar: The sweetness balances the strong coffee flavor. Don’t worry, this won’t make the jerky sweet.
- Smoked Paprika*: Gives a hint of smokiness and added flavor.
- Ground Black Pepper: Use fresh ground black pepper for best results. Store-bought ground black pepper would work as well.
- Onion Powder*: Seasoning to add umami flavor.
What can you use if you don’t want to make cold brew coffee?
Trust me when I tell you the cold brew coffee is worth the effort to make it. You could substitute store-bought cold brew, but keep in mind this might be diluted so it may not have as bold of a flavor. You could also use 2 tablespoons of espresso powder and ¾ cup water in place of the ¾ cup of cold brew coffee.
What does the cold brew coffee do to the meat?
Coffee is acidic so this helps tenderize the meat by breaking down the strands. This allows the meat to tighten, which is what can make it tough. Using coffee for jerky makes a great pairing—tender meat and amazing flavor!
Equipment Needed
Food Scale*: Weigh the coffee beans. Cold brew is made in a 1-8 ratio of coffee beans to water.
Mason Jar*: Used to make the cold brew coffee. Any 16 oz (2 cups) glass container will work best as coffee can stain and leave its flavor in plastic.
Fine mesh strainer*: Used to filter the coffee grounds out of the cold brew. A coffee filter can be used, but the fine mesh will filter it enough. A dual-purpose item that would be a great option is this regular mouth canning funnel with a stainless steel filter*; the canning funnel can also be used for packing dehydrated meals.
Meat slicer: A nice to have. A meat slicer helps to cut the meat evenly and makes the process quicker, especially if making a larger batch of jerky. A sharp kitchen knife and cutting board will work if you don’t have a meat slicer.
Measuring cups and spoons: Used for measuring the marinade ingredients.
Glass* or stainless-steel bowl: Mix the coffee marinade and place sliced meat in the bowl. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap to refrigerate the marinating jerky.
Strainer or colander*: Once marinated, strain the meat from the marinade before placing on dehydrator trays.
Paper towels: If the meat is too wet after straining, place briefly on paper towels to absorb excess moisture so the dehydrator trays don’t end up a mess.
Helpful Tips for Making Coffee Jerky
- Freeze the meat for about an hour before slicing. This helps to firm the meat for easier slicing, especially if using a meat slicer.
- Trim any excess fat off the meat. This can be done before or after freezing. If the fat runs through the beef slices, cut it out after slicing the meat while you are cutting it into strips or your desired shape.
- Use a meat slicer for consistent thickness of slices. A meat slicer can also help get a thinner slice as compared to a knife.
- Slice the meat about 1/8 inch thick. A thicker slice will take longer to dehydrate.
- Marinate the meat for at least 24 hours to allow the best flavor. Stir the beef or venison halfway through the marinating time so all pieces are fully covered with the coffee marinade.
- Let the cold brew sit for 24 hours in the refrigerator for the best flavor.
- Plan ahead as it will be 48 hours before you can dehydrate the coffee jerky. The extra time for the cold brew and marinating is worth the wait!
Coffee Jerky Made with Cold Brew
Ingredients
Cold Brew Coffee
- 1 cup Water 8 oz
- 1 oz Coffee beans
Coffee Jerky
- 1 lb Eye of round beef Venison works too
- 3/4 cup Cold brew coffee
- 1/4 cup Soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
Instructions
Make the cold brew coffee
- Grind the coffee beans so they are coarse.
- Combine the ground coffee beans and water in a glass container and stir to ensure all the coffee is wet.
- Put in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Swirl the jar periodically to push all the coffee beans into the water.
Make the cold brew coffee jerky
- Put the beef roast into the freezer for about an hour to firm up the meat.
- Slice the beef round roast into slices about 1/8 inch thick. If desired, cut into strips while trimming any visible fat.
- Strain the cold brew coffee and measure 3/4 cup.
- Mix the marinade ingredients (cold brew, soy sauce, brown sugar, paprika, pepper, onion powder) and stir to make sure all the ingredients are blended together and the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the sliced beef and mix to make sure all slices are covered with marinade.
- Put the beef in the marinade in the refrigerator and let sit for 24 hours.
- Strain the marinade from the beef and place on the dehydrator trays. If the beef seems wet, set on a paper towel first before placing on the tray to remove some moisture.
- Dehydrate about 4-5 hours at 155-160℉ or on the highest dehydrator heat setting. The jerky is done when it cracks and bends. To test, remove a piece from the dehydrator and let it cool for 15 minutes; it should not be wet or damp inside.
Notes
- Use regular soy sauce, not low salt. The salt is used for curing the meat.
- Thicker beef slices will take longer to dehydrate. If you cut larger than 1/8 inch thick, dehydrating time will increase to 5-6 hours or longer.