This beef jerky recipe delivers a delightful, sweet cherry flavor in every bite.
I first discovered cherry-flavored jerky while driving back to Austin from Corpus Christi and stopping at a large Texas convenience market known for sampling regional foods. After trying their cherry jerky and enjoying the balance of fruit sweetness and savory beef, I decided to recreate the flavor at home. This recipe uses fresh sweet cherries (seeds removed) blended into the marinade to infuse the meat with genuine cherry notes rather than artificial flavoring.
My wife contributed a little artistic touch to the photos—thanks, Linda! The cherries used here were sweet cherries purchased from a local market. They were pitted, blended smooth with the other marinade ingredients, and then used to marinate sliced beef for optimal flavor absorption.
The blended cherry marinade clings to the meat and leaves small bits of cherry on the surface of the jerky after drying, creating visible flecks and an unmistakable fruit-forward aroma. I marinated the meat for about 20 hours and dehydrated it in a food dehydrator for roughly five hours, until the pieces bent and cracked but did not snap in half.
This cherry jerky was a lot of fun to make and turned out even better than I expected. If you enjoy experimenting with flavors, this recipe is a great way to add a sweet, fruity dimension to classic beef jerky. Grab some cherries and give it a try!
For more in-depth directions on drying beef jerky, see the Jerky Making Methods page on the same site.
Sweet Cherry Beef Jerky
1 hour
5 hours
6 hours
Ingredients
Lean Meat
- 1 lb Beef Top Round or Venison
Marinade
- 1 cup sweet cherries, pitted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 cup cold water
Optional
- 1/4 teaspoon curing salt (Prague Powder #1) — optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Trim any visible fat from the beef. Place the trimmed meat in the freezer for an hour or two so it firms up; this makes slicing thinner, more even strips much easier.
- While the meat chills, prepare the marinade. Combine the pitted cherries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, almond extract, and cold water in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
- Remove the meat from the freezer and slice it into 1/4″ strips. For a chewier texture, slice with the grain; for a more tender bite, slice against the grain. If you prefer a softer chew and you did slice with the grain, consider tenderizing the strips gently with a meat mallet.
- Place the sliced beef in a sealable bag or covered bowl and pour the cherry marinade over it. Make sure all pieces are coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours so the cherry flavor penetrates the meat.
- After marinating, remove the meat from the refrigerator and strain off excess marinade. Pat the strips dry with paper towels to remove surface moisture; this helps the pieces dry evenly.
- Arrange the strips on dehydrator trays (or prepare your chosen drying setup). Dry at about 160°F (70°C) for approximately 5 hours, checking periodically. Drying time varies by thickness and equipment; the jerky is ready when it bends and shows small cracks but does not snap cleanly in half.
- Once dried, allow the jerky to cool on racks. Store in an airtight container or vacuum-sealed bag. If you used curing salt, follow safe curing practices and storage recommendations.
Nutrition
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Calories: 204 kcal
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Carbohydrates: 9 g
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Protein: 24 g
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Fat: 6 g
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it turned out!
For more in-depth directions on drying beef jerky, see the Jerky Making Methods page on the site.