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Dehydrating meat is an old fashioned way of preserving meat. It makes it convenient to take on long trips, backpacking or hiking since refrigeration is not required and it is much more lightweight than regular meat. Dehydrated meat can be eaten as is, typically referred to as jerky, or reheated with moisture to semi-rehydrate the meat to be added into main dishes. Commonly dehydrated meat includes beef, venison, buffalo, chicken and turkey.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Saucepan Method

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  1. Trim away all visible fat. [1]
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  3. Cover with plastic wrap if the bowl does not come with a cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Oven Method

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  1. [2]
  2. [3]
  3. The meat is dehydrated when it cracks but does not snap. There should be no moisture present, as this is where bacteria will grow. [4]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Storage

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  1. Place the strips of meat on cooling racks.
  2. [5]
  3. [6]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How does the saucepan texture compare to the oven method?
    Community Answer
    When you're cooking meat, a saucepan will fry and an oven will roast. Making any meat meal in a saucepan makes the meat dryer and crispier. Making meat in an oven (cooked right) makes it juicier and more tender.
  • Question
    Should meat be cooked prior to oven method dehydration?
    Maggie Peterson
    Community Answer
    Yes, the meat should be cooked prior to dehydrating. Otherwise, it will be too moist to dehydrate properly.
  • Question
    Can you dehydrate meat without an oven or a saucepan?
    Community Answer
    You can slice it very thinly along the grain and smoke it, or set it in the sun if it is very hot. Be sure to follow instructions for doing it either way; you cannot mess around with meat preservation.
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      Warnings

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      Things You'll Need

      • 2 Lb. (.91 kg) Meat
      • 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) Worcestershire Sauce
      • � Cup (118 ml) Soy Sauce
      • 2 Tsp. (10 ml) Minced Garlic
      • � Tsp. (2.5 ml) Black Pepper
      • 2 Tsp. (10 ml) Hickory Smoked Flavored Salt
      • Knife
      • Large Bowl
      • Plastic Wrap
      • Tongs
      • Saucepan
      • Paper Towels
      • Airtight Container


      About This Article

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Kathy Manning

        Aug 31, 2017

        "I have never done dehydrated meat and found this information to be very helpful in directing the method I will use. ..." more
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