I admit it, I love my jerky gun. I was a wee bit skeptical when I got it three years ago, but I quickly learned that it streamlines the process of laying ground meat jerky mix out on dehydrator and oven trays. It’s simple to use, easy to wash, and has multiple size and shape settings. Best of all, my jerky-making time is cut in half when I use it.

However, if you don’t have a jerky gun (also called an extruder), you can still create ground meat jerky by hand. It takes more time, but it’s pretty easy. Below are four simple methods that work nicely when working with ground meat.

The methods don’t differ vastly from each other – it’s simply a matter of personal preference. If you don’t like getting your hands covered in raw meat, use Method #1. If you don’t have parchment paper, use Method #2. I find Method #3 the quickest and easiest for simple, wide strips. Method #4 will make clay and Play-doh fans happy.

This post covers techniques for laying out ground meat jerky by hand. For my jerky recipes, go here:

To make flat jerky strips – 3 methods

Method #1: Two layers of parchment paper

This method works nicely for creating flat strips.

crease the paper twice to make it lay down flat

  1. Prepare two large sheets of parchment paper, roughly the size of a dehydrator tray. To get them to lay flat, create two creases, lengthwise.
  2. Place ½ lb of the ground meat jerky mix on one sheet of paper, and lay the other sheet on top.
  3. Slowly press the meat out into a square or rectangle, until it’s about ½ cm thick.
  4. Peel up the top layer of paper, then lay it right back down on the meat.
  5. Gently flip the whole unit (lifting that top layer off, then flipping the whole unit makes it easier to separate meat from bottom paper later).
  6. Now lift the new top paper off the meat.
  7. Using a sharp knife, score the meat into strips. It helps to wet the knife with hot water, like you might do with cake. It also helps to use a long knife you can simply press down on, instead of dragging a knife through the gooey mix.
  8. Using a thin spatula, lift the strips off the paper and lay them out on dehydrator trays, with ½ to 1 inch of space between to facilitate even drying. If you wet your hands and the spatula with water before each lift, they won’t stick to the meat so much (… or, keep it simple and buy a jerky gun…).

If you are using an oven, lay the jerky on parchment paper on top of cookie sheets.

 

Method #2: Cutting board

You can use a cutting board instead of parchment paper, but it can be messier to deal with and clean up.

Depending on the surface of your cutting board, it can be hard to separate the gooey mix from the surface. I find a plastic board is better than wood, as wood sticks to the meat more, and seems to hold – and transfer – more flavors from other items you’ve chopped on it in the past. I like to use this easy to clean flexible plastic cutting board.

  1. Place ½ lb of the ground meat jerky mix on the cutting board, and slowly press the meat out into a square or rectangle until it’s about ½ cm thick.
  2. Using a sharp knife, score the meat into strips. It helps to wet the knife with hot water, like you might do with cake. It also helps to use a long knife you can simply press down on, instead of dragging a knife through the gooey mix.
  3. Using a thin spatula, lift the strips off the paper and lay out on dehydrator trays, with ½ to 1 inch of space between to facilitate even drying. If you wet your hands and the spatula with water before each lift, they won’t stick to the meat so much (… or, keep it simple and buy a jerky gun…).

If you are using an oven, lay the jerky on parchment paper on top of cookie sheets.

 

Method #3: One layer parchment paper

If you don’t mind getting mix on your hands, this method is fast and easy.

  1. Take about ¼ cup of mix, and roll into a 3 inch cylinder.
  2. Lay it on a large piece of parchment.
  3. Wet your hand (to keep it from sticking to the mix) and use it to flatten the mix into a rectangle the size and shape you’d like your jerky to have. Make it about ½ cm thick.
  4. Place one hand on top jerky strip.
  5. Slide your other hand under the paper and flip the paper over, so the jerky meat rests on the first hand.
  6. Peel the paper up, leaving jerky strip on hand.
  7. Lay strips out on dehydrator trays, with ½ to 1 inch of space between to facilitate even drying. If you wet your hands with water before each strip, they won’t stick to the meat so much.

If you are using an oven, lay the jerky on parchment paper on top of cookie sheets. See Method #1 for mention of creasing paper.

press onto paper

flip over in hand, peel paper off

 

To make round jerky ropes or sticks

Method #4: “Play-doh” pencils

Remember Play-doh? Ground meat jerky works nicely in round ‘ropes’.

  1. Take about 2 Tbs of mix, and roll it into a ball.
  2. Slowly work the ball into a cylinder.
  3. Hold the cylinder between your hands, and slowly roll it to lengthen it, allowing most of it to dangle from your hands – just like Play-doh! Aim for a rope about 1 cm across, like a big pencil. If you go too fast, the dangling end will whip around and snap off (bonus: your dog or cat will love you even more than before).
  4. Once you reach the desired thickness, lay the rope down on the dehydrator tray. Leave ½ to 1 inch of space between to facilitate even drying.

If you are using an oven, lay the jerky on parchment paper on top of cookie sheets. See Method #1 for mention of creasing paper.

When making sticks the Play-doh way, don’t attempt to make them as long as the tray is wide; they will break when you transfer them to the tray. Plus, you’ll never carry strips that length in your backpack anyhow. Make them about half that length or less – they are easier to transfer. And if the strips break, no worries. It’s jerky! Nom.

The image below shows results from methods 2, 3, and 4:

 

Finally, if the build-it-by-hand method doesn’t appeal to you, try using a jerky gun. The one I use is inexpensive, durable, and works great:

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above may be affiliate links, meaning if you click through the links to vendors, and purchase a product, those vendors may pay me a small percentage as commission, without affecting the price you pay. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”