This Mai Tai Beef Jerky captures the bright, tropical flavors of the classic cocktail. It brings to mind warm afternoons by the pool or on the beach with a refreshing drink in hand.
I enjoy tropical drinks like Pina Colada, Rum Runners, Hurricane, Blue Hawaiian, and Mai Tai—especially on vacation. Inspired by those flavors, I created a jerky recipe that mirrors the Mai Tai profile.
One distinctive element of this jerky is the use of rum. For this recipe I used a dark spiced rum and a coconut rum to recreate the layered flavor of a Mai Tai. The coconut rum I used is Malibu; for the spiced rum I chose Kraken Black Spiced Rum.
The beef I used was eye of round, sliced with the grain and dried in the oven. Slicing with the grain produces a chewier texture; if you prefer an easier chew, slice against the grain.
I marinated the meat for about 18 hours. When ready to dry, the strips were placed on a cooling rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet and dried in the oven at 170°F with the oven door propped open slightly. For my oven this batch took five hours to reach the texture I wanted.
Pineapple and orange juice in the marinade add bright sweetness, while the rum provides a bold, boozy backbone. If you prefer less alcohol flavor, reduce the rum or substitute club soda to make a non-alcoholic version. This recipe leans sweet and strong—if you don’t like a pronounced alcohol taste, consider adjusting the rum amount or making a virgin Mai Tai marinade.
I was pleased with how this batch turned out—sweet, fruity, and unmistakably rum-forward. My wife found the alcohol flavor too strong for her taste, so I recommend making a smaller virgin batch if serving to guests who prefer milder flavors.
For more in-depth directions on drying beef jerky, see Jerky Making Methods.
Mai Tai Beef Jerky
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Ingredients
Lean Beef
- 1 lb Beef Eye of Round or Venison
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon spiced rum
- 1 tablespoon coconut flavored rum
- 1 teaspoon grenadine
- 3 tablespoon pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Optional
- ¼ teaspoon Curing Salt (Prague Powder #1)
Instructions
- Trim all visible fat from the beef, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for an hour or two to partially freeze.
- While the meat is chilling, combine the spiced rum, coconut rum, grenadine, pineapple juice, orange juice, and kosher salt in a bowl and mix well.
- Remove the meat from the freezer and slice 1/4″ strips with the grain; slice against the grain if you want an easier chew.
- Place the sliced beef in a zip-top bag or bowl with the marinade and refrigerate for 8–24 hours.
- When marinating is complete, strain off excess marinade and pat the strips dry with paper towels.
- Dry using your preferred jerky-making method. I used an oven at 170°F for about 5 hours with the oven door slightly ajar.
- The jerky is done when it bends and cracks but does not snap in half.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 3g
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Protein: 24g
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Fat: 6g
Let us know how it was!
For more in-depth directions on how to dry your beef jerky, visit the Jerky Making Methods page.