Vegan jerky sounds bizarre, but what if it doesn’t have to be? The truth is, even those that don’t eat meat probably feel like eating jerky sometimes. Your new addiction doesn’t have to be full of preservatives, and it doesn’t even have to contain any meat to be as flavorful as regular jerky.
If You Want Healthy and Eco-Friendly, This Vegan Jerky Is For You
The main ingredient in your vegan jerky is called Soy Curls, which is a meat alternative made entirely from soybeans and seasoning. I also suggest you use liquid aminos, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and hickory smoke. You could switch to soy sauce, but this one may contain non-vegan traces and high-sodium content. A regular Worcestershire sauce is not vegan, so it won’t work if you need a plant-based diet.
Feel free to also add any spices you like, such as cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic, and lemon juice. Make sure to soak up your soy curls in a bowl with water for a while, at least 10-15 minutes. You will need to drain them afterward and then spread the sauce and ingredients over them.
Now, onto the baking part! Since this isn’t real meat, the drying process is much quicker, which makes things easier. This recipe takes about one hour in total, but you will want to turn the soy curls every 15 minutes to prevent burning.
Keep your vegan jerky in the fridge to be on the safe side, and it should last there for weeks. I suggest you check on it often, but since it is so tasty, I’m sure it will not last very long.
This vegan jerky will become a family favorite, and since you are in control of everything, you can pick and choose what ingredients to use and what flavors to give it.
Time to get cooking with this fantastic vegan option that won’t disappoint.
Vegan Jerky
Ingredients
4 (512 g) cups soy curls
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) Vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp liquid smoke sauce
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250 F (121 C).
- Cover baking tray with parchment paper.
- Soak soy curls in a large bowl of water for 5-10 minutes.
- While the soy curls are soaking, combine the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
- Drain soy curls well. Remove excess water by pressing on them lightly.
- Pour sauce onto the soy curls. Mix well.
- Spread the soy curls on the baking tray with parchment paper.
- Bake for 1 hour at 250 F (121 C). Turn every 15 minutes.
- Let it cool then serve.
- Enjoy!