Cholula, rice vinegar and garlic make a tangy pepper-sauce coating for lean eye of round. A little brown sugar softens the acidity without turning this into a thick sweet glaze.

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Video by Jerky · Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Starting batch: 2 lb raw lean beef; finished yield varies.

• 2 lb lean eye of round, trimmed and sliced ⅛ inch thick
• ½ cup Cholula Original hot sauce
• ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp salt

Equipment: sharp knife, cutting board, kitchen scale, covered nonreactive container, saucepan, thin-tip food thermometer, clean tongs, wire racks, and an adjustable-temperature dehydrator.

Allergens: Check hot sauce and packaged seasoning labels for your allergens.

How to make this jerky

Step 1: Check the lean beef

Trim visible fat and silver skin from cold lean eye of round. Slice across the grain into even strips about ⅛ inch thick, or use a butcher’s evenly pre-sliced batch. Keep raw beef refrigerated while making the coating.

Step 2: Prepare the flavor base

Whisk hot sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic and brown sugar until the sugar disperses. Stir in granulated garlic, onion, black pepper and salt, scraping the bowl so the powdered spices mix evenly.

Step 3: Mix the coating evenly

Whisk or stir the prepared coating again until the powdered ingredients and sauces are evenly distributed. Cool any heated base fully before adding raw beef. The source adds some ingredients directly to its meat bowl; this written adaptation mixes the coating first.

Step 4: Coat and refrigerate

Separate the beef strips in a nonreactive container and turn them through the coating until all surfaces are covered. Cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below for 12 hours, turning once. Keep the raw meat cold throughout marinating.

Step 5: Heat before drying and leave air gaps

Transfer the meat and marinade to a saucepan, adding enough water for the strips to move freely. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and check several strips with a thin-tip thermometer until each reaches 160°F. Discard used marinade after heating. Drain with clean tongs and place on clean racks without touching. Dry at 145–155°F, checking periodically rather than relying on a fixed clock. The source photo shows spacing, not the added heating step.

Step 6: Check texture, cool and refrigerate

Cool a sample strip before checking it. It should be leathery and bend without a wet center; continue drying any moist pieces. Cool the entire batch fully before packaging. Refrigerate promptly in a clean covered container and freeze portions you will not eat promptly. This home process does not establish shelf stability.

Why this flavor works

Hot sauce and rice vinegar create a tangy chile coating. Two forms of garlic add a strong savory backbone. Similar slice thickness helps the coating and drying remain consistent.

Serving and storage

Enjoy chilled portions as a snack or cut the jerky into small pieces for a savory trail mix. Keep the batch refrigerated between servings.

Keep the finished jerky refrigerated. Pack only fully cooled strips, keep hands and containers clean, and freeze portions you will not eat promptly. Moisture, thickness, and handling affect keeping quality; this home method does not establish commercial shelf stability.

A ready-to-eat option between batches

For a convenient jerky snack when you are not making a batch, explore BULK Texas Style Original Beef Jerky. Its seasoning and production process differ from this homemade adaptation.

Browse every published BULK jerky recipe.

Sources and further reading

• Cholula Beef Jerky Recipe (For Beginners) — Jerky
• USDA: how to make meat or poultry jerky at home
• National Center for Home Food Preservation: jerky

Original BULK adaptation after reviewing the source video’s automatic captions and ingredient discussion. Source footage and creator credit belong to Jerky. Photographs are timestamped source-video stills. Use the full written method for details.

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