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Holding a handful of finished Beef Sticks
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Spicy Beef Sticks

This spicy beef sticks recipe is just a super fun way to make homemade beef sticks, but with a kick that I know your taste buds will love.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time6 hours
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Beef

  • 5 lbs 90/10 ground beef
  • 10 oz cheddar cheese small cubes (optional)
  • 3-4 fresh jalapeños finely diced (optional)

Spicy Rub

  • 2 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tbsp Cayenne Powder
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Chile Powder
  • 1 tsp Chipotle Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp Lime Juice
  • 2 tsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper

Binder & Cure

  • 1 tsp Prague Powder #1
  • 1 cup Ice Water

Instructions

  • Combine ground beef, rub, and pink powder cure. Add ice water slowly while mixing. Mix aggressively until the meat becomes tacky/sticky. Fold in the cheese & jalapeños 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 using Duraflame CharLogs 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!

Notes

Your Recipe for Spicy Beef Stick Success
If it's your first time making beef sticks, here are a few things to keep in mind. 
  • You can eat the spicy beef sticks right off the smoker, but 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 885kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 88g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 293mg | Sodium: 3304mg | Potassium: 1384mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1980IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 408mg | Iron: 10mg