Making your own beef jerky is not only delicious, but also healthy and saves money. Yet, in order to get the perfect jerky meat, you need a good quality meat slicer.
There are many meat slicers on the market. But how do you know which one is the best? My favorite is the Weston Manual Single-Support Jerky Slicer because it does the job efficiently and has excellent reviews.
Yet it is a manual jerky slicer. You might want an electric version, or you might want something that suctions to the counter instead of clamping to it. There’s a wide range of slicers with their own set of pros and cons.
Which meat slicer is the best jerky slicer for you? Keep reading to learn more.
Contents
Best Meat Slicer for Jerky: Product Reviews
Weston Manual Single-Support Jerky Slicer: Best Overall
This Weston Manual Jerky Slicer has a compact design but packs a powerful punch. It features an aluminum body with stainless steel blades that cut meat quickly and easily. The body is covered with a food-grade coating.
This slicer can handle pieces of meat up to 5 inches wide and 1.25 inches thick. The blades can cut up to 15, 1/4 inch thick strips at once.
The stainless steel combs prevent meat from wrapping around the blades. And the ergonomic handle is designed for easy cutting.
The Weston Manual Jerky Slicer has a c-clamp that clamps to counters up to 2 inches thick. When you’re done slicing, you can transfer the meat using the included stainless steel tongs.
Customers were pleased with the Weston jerky slicer. They used it to tenderize venison and chicken, cut jerky strips, prepare London broil, and cube meat. They liked the ease of use and the results.
It can be a bit of a pain to assemble and disassemble, and cleaning it can be a challenge. Food tends to get stuck, especially if it’s too thick. There’s no doubt as to how well-built this Weston model is.
This slicer is on the pricier side for a manual slicer but more affordable than most electric options.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Great results
- Affordable
Cons
- Tough to clean
- Difficult to assemble/disassemble
Befen Stainless Steel Manual Frozen Meat Slicer: Best for Korean BBQ & Hotpot
This Befen Manual Frozen Meat Slicer features a stainless steel blade and body to easily cut meat slices. Its compact size makes it great for any kitchen.
This Befen slicer features an adjustable thickness knob that allows you to select how thin you want your slices. And the spring feeder handle makes it easy to hold while you slice with the other hand.
After using this meat slicer, disassemble the removable parts and wash with warm soapy water. They are not dishwasher-safe.
This isn’t just a meat slicer, either. You can use it to slice vegetables like zucchini, cabbage, onions, and carrots. But if you do use it as a meat slicer, make sure the meat is frozen. Thawed meat won’t cut as cleanly and will get smushed.
Reviewers were able to use this meat slicer for making Korean barbecue, hotpot, prosciutto, and more. They loved getting perfectly curled cuts of meat. They also liked that it came with an extra blade and suction cups.
Several users did complain that the suction cups don’t work very well, causing the slicer to slide around on the counter. Be sure to use caution and work atop a dry, clear counterspace.
This Befen slicer is very affordable. It’s made of stamped stainless, so it’s not going to have the sturdiness of a higher-end brand, but it will do the job and cut cleanly through frozen meat.
Pros
- Compact, easy storage
- Great for Korean bbq/hot pot
- Includes extra blade
- Affordable
Cons
- Suction cups slide around
- Not dishwasher-safe
CUSIMAX Electric Deli Food Slicer: Best Powerful Electric Slicer
This CUSIMAX Electric Deli Food Slicer sports a powerful 200-Watt motor and a removable 7.5-inch (19.05 cm) stainless steel blade.
This food slicer can cut up to approximately 15 mm thick and can be used for slicing raw meat, cheese, jerky slices, fruit, vegetables, breads, and other foods. This is not designed for frozen meat or bone-in cuts.
The CUSIMAX has an on/off power button, a blade safety guard, and a food pusher for safe handling. These safety features protect your hands from the sharp blade.
Customers considered this slicer one of the best for making charcuterie boards and deli sandwiches. This slicer helped them cut up bulk meat in a snap.
As for beef jerky? Users were delighted with the CUSIMAX slicer. They were able to use it to make homemade jerky, and they loved the adjustable thickness guide plate.
The instructions do say to only use the motor for 10 minutes at a time, so if you want to prepare jerky in large batches, you may want something that can go longer. Still, you can cut a lot of jerky slices in 10 minutes, so that may not be an issue.
The CUSIMAX food slicer is more expensive than manual models, but it’s one of the more affordable electric models.
Pros
- 200-Watt motor
- Removable blade
- Adjustable thickness
- Includes safety features
- Easy to clean
Cons
- 10 minute running time
- Can’t accept bone-in or frozen meat
Chef’s Choice Electric Meat Slicer: Best Splurge
This Chef’s Choice Electric Meat Slicer has a structure made of die-cast aluminum and stainless steel. It makes quick work of slicing meat with 7-inch serrated blades. This heavy-duty slicer can make short work of slicing small batches of meat.
The Chef’s Choice has a safety lock that secures food in place when the unit is not in use. The adjustable thickness dial is useful for getting beautiful slices, and the titled food carriage helps make slicing quick and efficient.
Don’t attempt to slice frozen meat on this thing. It’s not designed for that, and it could damage the blade.
When done slicing, the removable blade is easy to clean. The food pusher and thickness control plate are also removable. They’re not dishwasher-safe, though.
Customers said the Chef’s Choice is a great meat slicer for jerky. It accepts bulk meat, with one user able to slice an entire pork belly to make bacon.
They liked that the switch is on top and safe from food debris. Users said this unit is easily cleaned.
This Chef’s Choice is safe and easy to use. Users did say that the serrated blades are not suited for paper-thin slices, but it can still make thin enough slices for deli sandwiches.
There were some isolated reports that the unit stopped working, but this was not a common issue.
Pros
- Electric, efficient
- Great for jerky
- Removable blade
- Easy to clean
- Safety lock
Cons
- Not as efficient for extra thin slices
- Pricier model
SuperHandy Electric Meat Slicer: Best Bargain Electric Slicer
This SuperHandy Electric Meat Slicer is a compact kitchen tool that’s ideal for small batches of jerky. It features a stainless steel German forged serrated blade that’s 6.7 inches (17 cm) in diameter.
This slicer can slice meat and other food from deli thin to 0.8 inch thickness. This SuperHandy can tackle slicing jerky, cheese, potatoes, bread, bacon, and more.
To get the best results, freeze the meat for 1-3 hours before cutting. If the meat is fully frozen, let it thaw for 20-30 minutes. Of course, you should never slice bone-in meats with the slicer.
As for safety, this slicer requires you to press the on/off power button and the safety lock simultaneously to turn on the unit. This prevents someone from accidentally powering on the machine.
And after slicing, you can easily clean the removable blade, food pusher, trolley, and food deflector.
Users liked this slicer for jerky, especially for their pets. They also used it for slicing roast beef, turkey breast, chicken, and cheese.
One issue customers had was the sliding tray. They said it was apt to pop out of the base or bend as it was going through. This resulted in uneven slices.
This jerky slicer is better for small amounts. It has a recommended run time of just 5 minutes, so you won’t be slicing up an entire roast at once. But it’s lightweight and portable for easy storage. It’s also very affordable for an electric slicer.
If you are on a budget and want an electric slicer, or if you want something for small jobs, this SuperHandy slicer is a great pick for you.
Pros
- Portable, lightweight
- Good for small batches
- Removable parts
- Stainless steel serrated blade
- Affordable
Cons
- Not ideal for large batches
- Slider tray can pop out or bend
Anescra Electric Deli Food Slicer: Best Electric Meat Slicer for Jerky
The Anescra Electric Deli Meat Slicer has a body of solid cast aluminum with two stainless steel 7.5-inch (19.05 cm) blades. Unlike the other electric slicers, this one has a sleek black finish. There is also a silver finish available.
This jerky slicer has adjustable thickness dial that goes up to 0.75 inches thick. What’s nice is that the thickness dial has specific measurement markings on it so you know exactly how thick each slice is.
The Anescra has two blades, one straight and one serrated. The straight blade is great for paper thin slices, while the serrated blade is suited for thicker cuts.
It has a food-grade pusher and an on/off switch to power on the unit. And the blades, sliding bar, and food carriage are removable for easy cleaning.
Customers said making their own jerky was a cinch with this heavy-duty meat slicer. They loved using it for more than just jerky, too. Turkey breast, roast beef, and potatoes were all favorites among users.
This unit is not designed for larger cuts of meat. No large briskets with this slicer. But it should handle most small to medium cuts of meat to make your jerky sheer perfection.
Pros
- Sleek black or silver finish
- Includes straight and serrated blade
- Removable carriage, blade, and sliding bar
- Great for slicing jerky
- Affordable (for an electric version)
Cons
- Not suited for larger cuts of meat
PRECISION MEATS Beef Jerky Board Slicer Kit: Best Jerky Board Slicer
As opposed to a manual grinder-style slicer or an electric deli slicer, this Precision Meats jerky board slicer is designed to be used with a knife. This particular kit includes a 10-inch (25.4 cm) carving knife and a Cajun seasoning packet.
The jerky cutting board works like this: place the cut of meat on the jerky cutting board. Slide a sharp knife through the guard rails to slice the meat.
This Precision Meats model has three thickness options available: 0.13 inch, 0.25 inch, and 0.38 inch. Layer the included high-quality plastic sheets to the desired thickness, then slice the meat.
The stainless steel jerky board, plastic sheets, and carving knife are all dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
Customers were overall pleased with this jerky slicer. They were able to slice uniform strips of jerky with the jerky board and knife. One common criticism was the lack of additional plastic spacers. Those would allow even thinner slices of jerky.
This jerky slicer is not as easy to use as the other options on the list. It takes some practice to learn how to cut evenly with the jerky board and rails. However, it’s worth it to some people to get easy-to-clean and space-saving kitchen tools.
Pros
- Easy to store
- 3 choices of thickness
- Designed for jerky
- Includes knife
- Dishwasher-safe jerky board & knife
- Affordable
Cons
- Slides around a lot
- Could use additional spacers
- Learning curve
Jerky Slicer Buying Guide
Why Use a Meat Slicer?
Using a meat slicer for jerky has many benefits. The most obvious is that it’s efficient. Slicing jerky strips with just a knife takes a long time. Not only that, but a knife might produce more uneven cuts. Using a meat slicer will help you get more uniform jerky slices.
Watch this short video for tips on how to slice meat for delicious beef jerky:
What to Look for in a Meat Slicer
If you’re using an electric deli slicer, a good motor is a must. The motor determines how quickly the slicer makes cuts and how much power it uses for each cut.
The more horsepower you have, the more sliced meat you can process at once. Meat slicers with one-quarter to a third of horsepower are considered light-duty. They’re ideal for cutting thin meats, but they’re rarely powerful enough to cut thick steaks or roasts.
A meat slicer’s blade can also make a big difference. The ideal blade size will be determined by the cuts you plan to make. Smaller cutting blades are suited for lightweight or narrow slivers of meat cut into small pieces. Larger blades are better for thick slices and are easier to clean.
Meat slicers are powerful tools, and without proper safety mechanisms, could potentially be dangerous. Safety features such as blade guards can drastically reduce the chance of self-inflicted harm. If you want to take extra precautions, you might opt to invest in cut-resistant gloves.
There are two types of food slicers: automatic and manual. Meat slicers that cut meat as you feed it into the machine are considerably easier to use than manual meat slicers. Manual meat slicers, on the other hand, are simple to use and don’t require much prep time to get started.
How Thin Should I Slice Meat for Beef Jerky?
A thinner cut of meat will dry more quickly and is less likely to lead to tough jerky. The typical thickness in this case is 1/4 inch.
On the other hand, thick slices will last much longer without spoiling. For thick slices, an inch in thickness is a good average.
How Do I Cut Jerky Strips?
Always cut jerky strips with the grain. If you aren’t sure how to find the grain, look for the direction of the fibers on the surface of the meat. The lighter veins of fat embedded in the meat typically develop in the same direction as the grain.
If you can’t tell by looking, trim a small piece of the meat. Grip the two ends of the meat and pull. If the meat tears easily, you cut in the direction of the grain.
Best Meat Slicer for Beef Jerky: My Recommendation
So which one is the best meat slicer for jerky? My recommendation is the Weston Manual Jerky Slicer. It’s made from quality materials, has solid reviews, and can tenderize meat as well as slice it.
If you prefer an electric jerky slicer, I’d go with the Anescra Deli Slicer. It’s one of the best meat slicers for jerky and is the only one to include two separate blades.
With either of these high-quality slicers, you’ll be ready to start slicing in no time.
