I’ve been making loads of beef sticks lately, since the flavor combos are endless and the cooking process itself is a lot of fun. My latest entry in the beef sticks empire: pizza beef sticks! We’re infusing them with mozzarella, dried Italian herbs and diced pepperoni for that perfect pizza taste. You’ll love these pizza sticks as your next road trip snack or protein-packed pick-me-up!
Why You’ll Love Pizza Beef Sticks
Making beef sticks may seem intimidating. Fortunately, though, smoking your own beef sticks at home is both straightforward and freakin’ delicious! It’s also a healthier option than what you find on the convenience store shelves, since you can prioritize clean ingredients and control the process yourself. Once I discovered this, the sky became the limit as far as different types of meat sticks. My original beef stick was the smoked beef sticks; from there, I branched out into different flavors like Texas Twinkie and straight up spicy. I love making pizza-flavored everything, so these bad boys were the next natural choice!
I’m making these pizza beef sticks with simple ingredients that bring out all the classic flavors, including lean ground beef. You can use grass-fed beef with great results, or even venison or elk. You’ll see that these beef sticks take a long time on the smoker, but it’s really hands-off. You can chill with beer in the backyard or catch the game while your new favorite snack cooks away.
Looking for more protein-filled snacks? Check out my recipes for Smoked Bacon Jerky, Crispy Brisket Jerky and Smoked Salmon Jerky.
Pizza Beef Sticks Ingredients
- Beef: We’re flavoring our 90/10 ground beef with low moisture mozzarella cheese, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, fennel seeds, dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes and Parmesan. I also threw in some finely diced pepperoni, but this is optional!
- Binder & Cure: Like my other beef stick recipes, you’ll need Prague Powder #1 and ice water to properly preserve the pizza beef sticks.
Tips for the Best Beef Sticks
If these pizza beef sticks are your first foray into homemade jerky, I’ve got you covered. Keep these tips in mind while you’re cooking and you’ll be stoked with how they turn out!
- Yes, you can eat the pizza beef sticks right off the smoker. Better to be patient though! I recommend letting them completely cool as they might crumble before then.
- I used 90/10 ground beef so the mixture is meatier and less fatty, but use what you like.
- Make sure the mixture is a wet-ish paste so it presses out better.
- Use a slightly larger jerky gun tip (about ½-¾”) so the sticks stay more moist.
- The temperatures are to prevent breakage and dryness, so go slowly on the smoker.
How to Make Pizza Beef Sticks
Start by combining 5 pounds of ground beef, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon lightly crushed fennel seeds, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoon Prague Powder #1. While mixing, slowly add 1/2 cup ice water. Mix aggressively until the meat becomes tacky and sticky. Then, fold in 10 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes; 1/2 cup very finely grated Parmesan; and 1/2 cup finely diced pepperoni at the end until well incorporated.
Next, load the meat into a jerky gun. Grease some wire cooking racks and press out long ropes of the beef sticks with spacing between. Make sure to go slow and steady to not create breakage.
To cook your pizza beef sticks, add the sticks to your smoker at 130 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour to dry the outside and create a pellicle. Bump up the heat 10 degrees F every hour until the smoker gets to 170 degrees F. Let the beef sticks cook until the internal temperature reaches at least 150 degrees. Cooking should take about 5-6 hours total.
As an optional step, you can brush the pizza beef sticks with beef tallow over the last hour. This step will get some extra flavor and shine if you like.
Once you’re done making the pizza beef sticks, remove them from the smoker and place in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Pizza Beef Sticks
These pizza beef sticks are definitely a level up on the snack front. You can also enjoy them as part of a tailgate spread or as an appetizer for your next pizza night. You could even serve them with recipes like Pizza Cheesesteak or Pizza Smashburger to round out a pizza party theme!
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover smoked beef sticks, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. No need to reheat — just grab and go!
More Pizza
FAQs
The top suppliers for this curing agent tend to be specialty butcher shops, stores that specialize in BBQ and grilling gear or online. You might find similar results with another curing agent or related products, but this one worked best for me.
The LEM Jerky Gun gets top marks for capacity, ease of cleaning and attachments. People also like Axansiho or Smokehouse Products. Let me know if you have a favorite brand or model!
Low moisture mozzarella is your best bet here because it has less water content. This quality keeps our pizza beef stick mixture from getting too wet. If you want to use a different cheese, low moisture provolone could work as a swap and would keep the pizza vibes strong. I’d stay away from fresh mozzarella, though, since the extra moisture will throw off the texture of our beef sticks.
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Pizza Beef Sticks
Ingredients
Beef
- 5 lbs 90/10 ground beef
- 10 oz low moisture mozzarella small cubes
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp fennel seed lightly crushed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup very finely grated Parmesan
- ½ cup finely diced pepperoni optional
Binder & Cure
- 1 tsp Prague Powder #1
- 1/2 cup ice water
Instructions
- Combine ground beef, seasoning, cure, and binder. Add ice water slowly while mixing. Mix aggressively until the meat becomes tacky/sticky. Fold in the cheese & pepperoni at the end until well incorporated.
- Load the meat into a jerky gun. Grease some wire cooking racks and press out long ropes of the beef sticks with spacing between. Make sure to go slow and steady to not create breakage.
- Add to your smoker at 130F for one hour to dry the outside and create a pellicle. Bump up the heat 10F every hour until the smoker gets to 170F. Let cook until the beef sticks are at least 150F internal. Cooking should take about 5-6 hours total. (Optional) In the last hour, brush with beef tallow to get some extra flavor and shine if you like.
- Once done, pull off and place in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!
