Five-spice powder and turmeric make this honey-coated beef jerky warmly aromatic. Zedlee’s Khô Bò tutorial combines the spices with soy sauce and honey, then dries the thin beef in an oven. This adaptation keeps the distinctive turmeric and honey combination and adds a clear heating checkpoint before drying.

Watch the original video

Video by Zedlee · Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

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

• 2 lb lean beef eye of round, trimmed
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp five-spice powder
• 1/2 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 5 tbsp honey

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

Allergens: Soy sauce commonly contains soy and wheat. Check the five-spice blend for additional allergens.

How to make this jerky

Step 1: Trim and firm the beef

Start with cold, lean beef. Trim away exterior fat and silver skin, then briefly firm the roast in the freezer if it is difficult to slice. Keep raw beef refrigerated at 40°F or below while preparing the other ingredients.

Step 2: Cut even strips

Using a clean sharp knife or a slicer according to its instructions, cut across the grain into even strips about 1/8 inch thick. Keep the thickness consistent and return the sliced beef to the refrigerator while mixing the marinade.

Step 3: Make the marinade

Stir turmeric, five-spice powder, paprika, black pepper, soy sauce and honey until the spices are evenly dispersed. Scrape the bottom of the bowl because honey can leave a thick layer with dry powder trapped beneath it.

Step 4: Coat and refrigerate

Turn the beef strips through the marinade until both sides of every piece are coated. Cover in a food-safe container and refrigerate overnight at 40°F or below, turning occasionally. Separate any slices stuck together so the coating reaches every surface.

Step 5: Heat to 160°F, then dry

Before drying, place the strips and marinade in a saucepan, adding enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and check with a thin-tip thermometer that the thickest strips reach 160°F internally. Work in batches if necessary. Drain with clean utensils and discard the used liquid. Arrange heated strips in a single layer on clean dehydrator racks, leaving air spaces between them. Dry at 145–155°F and check periodically. The dryer air temperature does not verify the temperature inside the meat.

Step 6: Check, cool and refrigerate

Cool a test strip before bending it. Look for a dry center and small cracks rather than a soft, wet middle; return moist pieces to the dryer. Cool the entire batch completely on clean racks before packing. Refrigerate finished jerky and freeze extra portions. A texture test does not establish a safe room-temperature shelf life.

Why this flavor works

Five-spice powder generally combines warm spices such as star anise, cinnamon and cloves, but recipes vary. Turmeric brings earthiness and a golden tint beneath the honey glaze. Choosing the lower end of the source’s spice range lets the honey and beef remain noticeable.

Serving and storage

Serve a small refrigerated portion with a simple lunch or fresh fruit, keeping the remainder chilled.

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

• Five Spice Beef Jerky - Khô Bò — Zedlee
• 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 Zedlee. Photographs are timestamped source-video stills. Use the full written method for details.

Save the complete recipe guide

Keep the ingredient list and all six steps together. Save the image for your next batch.

Download the recipe infographic