Tomato, oregano and cheese powder give this lean beef jerky its pizza-inspired coating. It is a bold pantry marinade based on Jerky’s tutorial, with real video stills for the preparation and a separate heating checkpoint before drying.

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Video by Jerky · Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

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

• 2 lb lean top round, trimmed and sliced ⅛ inch thick
• ½ cup ketchup
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup cheese powder
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

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: Soy sauce commonly contains soy and wheat; Worcestershire may contain fish. Cheese powder contains milk where used. Check every packaged ingredient label.

How to make this jerky

Step 1: Separate the thin beef slices

Use lean top round, trim visible fat and separate the ⅛-inch slices. The source begins with pre-sliced beef rather than showing a knife cutting the roast. Even thickness matters because the tomato-and-cheese coating can hide a moist center.

Step 2: Build the tomato-savory base

Add ketchup, soy sauce and Worcestershire to a blender. This tomato base supplies the familiar sweet-savory pizza direction without adding wet pizza toppings.

Step 3: Blend in herbs and cheese powder

Add Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, parsley, sugar, cheese powder and red pepper flakes. Blend until the cheese powder and spices are evenly dispersed with no dry pockets.

Step 4: Coat and refrigerate

Pour the blended marinade over the beef in a nonreactive bowl. Lift, fold and turn the slices until all surfaces are coated. Cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below for 24 hours.

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. The source hangs strips from skewers; this adaptation uses flat racks with air gaps.

Step 6: Check the cooled texture and store

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

Ketchup and cheese powder create the pizza-inspired coating. Oregano, Italian herbs and crushed red pepper add the familiar seasoning. The lean beef gives these seasonings room to stand out. Keep the slices even so 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

• How to make homemade Pizza Beef Jerky - Easy & Affordable Recipe — 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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