🔥 Homemade Smoked Beef Jerky Seasoning 🔥

After a lot of testing, I finally dialed in my go-to dry beef jerky rub — no liquid marinade, no soy sauce, no nonsense. Just beef, meat tenderizer, and this seasoning. Savory, smoky, and perfectly balanced.

🧂 Smoked Jerky Seasoning (Pint Jar)
Mix together:

• 3 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 4 Tbsp fine sea salt
• 4 Tbsp granulated garlic
• 4 Tbsp granulated onion
• 3 Tbsp coarse black pepper
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2–3 tsp brown sugar (optional, very subtle)
• 4 tsp tomato powder (optional - but it does add some richness)

Stir well, jar it up, and shake before using.

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🥩 How I Use It for Beef Jerky (Dry Rub Method)
Meat: Top or bottom round, thinly sliced
Equipment: Dehydrator
For 1 lb of beef:
1½–2 tsp meat tenderizer
2½–3 tsp jerky seasoning

1. Toss beef evenly with tenderizer and seasoning
2. Let rest 30–45 minutes max (don’t go longer or it gets mushy)
3. Lay slices flat on dehydrator trays (no overlap)

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⏱️ Dehydrator Instructions
Temperature: 160°F
Time: 4–6 hours (depends on slice thickness)

Jerky is done when it bends and cracks but doesn’t snap.
Let it rest 4–6 hours before storing — flavor gets even better.
No liquid, no mess, just pure beef flavor with a smoky kick.
This one’s a keeper. 🥩🔥

How this recipe came about. My husband loves Alfredo sauce on his noodles instead of red spaghetti sauce. So I would purchase the jars, but since it's just him that eats it, it would go bad before he could finish an entire jar. So then we were buying the packets at the market, and that just seemed silly since they had so many added ingredients that we couldn't even pronounce. So, I got out my Freeze Dried powders and started putting together a recipe that he could use on his pasta. In no time at all we had a solution.

Powder is good for approx. 2 months in an airtight container on the shelf. Best when stored in a cool, dry and dark place at temperatures between 55F and 70F. Actual shelf life may vary based on individual storage conditions.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered butter
1 cup instant non-fat dry milk
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup freeze dried Monterey Jack Cheese (optional)

Directions
1. In your food processor, add all of the ingredients above. Pulse to combine. If adding the freeze dried cheese, pulse until there are no lumps.
2. Store in Quart Size Mason Jar.

Option: Add garlic powder for a Garlic Alfredo Sauce

To Make the Alfredo Sauce
1. Add 3 tbsp of mixture with 2-3 tbsp of water (or milk), whisk together in small bowl, pour over cooked noodles. Recipe is easy to double and triple if needed.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp Paprika
2 tbsp Minced Onion
1½ tbsp Dill Weed- Ground
2 tbsp Minced Garlic
1½ tbsp Black Pepper - Freshly Ground
2 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tbsp - Coriander - Ground
1½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium size mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix thouroughly. I usually double or triple the batch if I wan to make a large amount to share.
2. Carefully pour into airtight container and store - or Share!

This spice mix makes a great gift - especially for Father's Day, Birthdays, or Christmas!

This year, while my husband and I were visiting family, my husband stumbled upon a new favorite for him at the coffee house. It's called a Dirty Chai Tea. What is a Dirty Chai you ask? It is an awesome marriage of 1-2 shots of Espresso and Chai Tea Latte, and it is... DIVINE!

One thing I have learned about living in rural Nebraska is that if you find something you like in the city, there is a good chance that you won't be able to get it in our town. So it got me thinking...I could totally make a mix for him and he can have it anytime he wants. Now granted, it's not going to be exactly like the coffee house, but I have to admit, it's pretty darn close.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups dry instant nonfat milk
1 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
1 1/2 cup French Vanilla flavored non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
2 cups instant coffee crystals (or 1/3 Espresso Powder)
3 cups white sugar
2 cups unsweetened instant tea
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground clove
2 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom*
1 tbs pink peppercorns** (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a wire whisk. Using a food processor or a blender, add a couple of cups at a time and blend until it becomes a fine powder. When pouring the fine powder into a clean mixing bowl, make sure to pass it through a strainer to get out the peppercorns that did not grind up all the way.

Store in an airtight container - I used a 1/2 gallon Ball Jar (and a 1/2 pint jar for the overflow). To serve – add 3 tsp. to a mug of hot water, add a dash of milk.

*cardamom can be hard to find, and can be a little expensive. You can substitute nutmeg in its place. Will have a slightly different taste, but still tastes very yummy.
**peppercorns - it is very important to not substitute these with anything else. If you do not have them, leave them out. Regular pepper is too strong, and has a different flavor profile.