Dehydrating meat for long-term storage can be intimidating, but I promise that with a little bit of prep and a dehydrator, you’ll have your pantry stocked in no time. It is important to follow USDA guidelines before, during, and after dehydrating meat to prevent bacteria and microorganisms from growing on it. 

As an avid backpacker who makes their meals, the process can be tedious when preparing one meal at a time. I have come to enjoy bulk dehydrating ingredients that I can later use to put together energy and protein-packed meals. In this guide, I will show you how to bulk prep and dehydrate different types of meat for long-term storage that you can use to make many different backpacking meals.

I will also go over the best storage methods to keep your dehydrated meat safe from spoilage. 

So if you’re ready to learn how to dehydrate meat for long-term storage and backpacking meals, let’s get into it!

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Complete Guide to Dehydrating Meat for Long-Term Storage and Backpacking Meals

In this complete guide to Dehydrating Meat for Long-Term Storage and Backpacking Meals, I will go over everything that you need to get started on your own food prep. 

If you’re here to create the building blocks of a protein-packed backpacking meal, HI! I started dehydrating for that very reason. It has been a wonderful journey, and I always look forward to creating meals in bulk before the summer backpacking season.

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Selecting the Right Meat

When it comes to dehydrated meat, you should look for lean cuts and low-fat, fresh meat. Fat can cause the meat to spoil and become rancid more quickly. So while there is no “right meat” for dehydration, cutting off excess fat will absolutely help you in the long run. 

For backpacking meals, I tend to choose lean pork cuts, ground turkey, chicken, and extra lean ground beef. If I am making beef jerky, I’ll use a very lean cut of beef and a flavorful marinade.

If you’re just starting out, I’d recommend practicing with canned chicken! It really helped me get a feel for dehydrating meat. 

Start Simple with Dehydrating – Learn How to Dehydrate Pasta Here!

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Preparing Meat for Dehydration

When dehydrating meat for long-term storage, preparation is key. This is what you need to do to prepare the meat before dehydration: 

• Remove all excess fat 
• Season to your liking (at minimum, I add salt and pepper for backpacking meals) 
• Cook the meat until it reaches the safe minimum internal temperature. Reference the table below. 
• Cut meat into small pieces (about 1/8 – 1/4 inch cubes)
• For Ground Meat – Add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs per 1 lb of meat. For ground meat with a higher fat content, like ground beef, you should add more.

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Marinating Meat

If you’re marinating your meat before dehydration, create a mixture of salt, sugar, and flavor-specific spices. Do not use any fat in your marinade like oil or butter. Using water-based marinades is a must to avoid spoiling.

Some recommended bases for marinating meat you tend to dehydrate include cold water, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice, which acts as a meat tenderizer.

Marinate for 6 hours – 24 hours in a refrigerator. Always marinate the meat before cooking. 

When you’re satisfied with the time your meat marinated, then you can proceed with the steps above. 

Related: Chicken Burrito Backpacking Meal Guide

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Dehydrating Meat

Always check with your specific dehydrator what the recommended time and temperature are for dehydrating meat in your dehydrator. Dehydrating the meat is going to remove the water content, so it becomes shelf-stable. 

Low Temperatures – For raw food, vegetables, fruits, and herbs

Higher Temperatures – For meats

1. Space the meat pieces on a mesh dehydrator tray in an even, single layer on parchment paper or nonstick sheets.
2. Gently press the meat with paper towels to remove any remaining oil 
3. Put the dehydrator trays in the dehydrator and set the temperature and time. I set the temperature to 145℉ for 6 hours per the Cosori Dehydrator Handbook. Dehydrating time and temperature is going to vary based on your personal food dehydrator.
4. Halfway through the dehydrating process, shift the meat on the tray and do a quick dab with a paper towel to check for remaining fat. 
5. Check the meat’s progress regularly. Do not let the dehydrator turn off if the meat is not done. 
6. Check for doneness: The meat should be bendy, not brittle, but you should be able to break the meat apart. 
7. Cool the meat completely to room temperature before storing.

Remember: You should never dehydrate raw meat. All food should be completely cooked prior to dehydrating.

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Long-Term Storage for Dehydrated Meat

The shelf life of food is going to vary from food to food and the storage method is used. Let’s go over some of the common types of storage methods that can be used for dehydrated meat as well as the best storage method for creating backpacking meals.

Mylar Bags

Mylar Bags are great for storing dehydrated food. They are lightweight and tough, and block both air and light from impacted dehydrated food. 

I use Mylar Bags to create my backpacking dehydrated meals because you can rehydrate food inside the bags. 

Pair the mylar bag with oxygen absorbers for longer-term storage.

Shop my Mylar Bags

Canning & Glass Jars

Jars are a popular and convenient way to store your dehydrated food. With many different sizes to choose from you can bulk dehydrate food. 

The rubber seals on the lights ensure an airtight seal on the container.

Vacuum Sealing

Vacuum sealing your dehydrated meat is going to be the best way to preserve your dehydrated meat. This method will keep the meat dry. 

With the various-sized vacuum seal bags available, this preservation method is also good for bulk dehydration. 

While this method is phenomenal, it does require you to have a vacuum sealer and vacuum bags. If you plan on dehydrating food for long-term storage, I highly recommend this investment.

5-Gallon Bucket

Dehydrated meat needs to be kept in a cool, dry place. Further, protect your dehydrated meat by keeping your mylar bags and vacuum-sealed bags in a 5-gallon Bucket. 

This will also help protect the meat products from rodents.

Zip Lock Bags

You can store your own backpacking meals in Zip Lock bags if you plan on eating your meal shortly after dehydrating it. Sandwich bags are significantly lighter than the Mylar Bags that you can purchase, but they don’t do a great job at preserving your dried meat as some of the other options do.

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Dehydrated Food Best Practices for Storage

To keep the dehydrated meat fresh: 

• Store in a cool, dry place away from moisture and sunlight
• Use airtight containers 
• Label the containers with the type of meat and date of dehydration 
• Freezing Dehydrated Meat in freezer bags increases the shelf life infinitely Do not eat any dehydrated meat with mold on it. If the meat feels, looks, or smells off, do not eat it for the risk of E. coli or food poisoning. 

If you’re making backpacking meals with dehydrated meat, you can pack them in plastic bags for lightweight storage on the trail. However, I would not recommend storing dehydrated meat in plastic bags for long periods.

Read Next: Dehydrating Apples

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Re-Hydrating Meat for Backpacking Meals

Dehydrating meat for backpacking meals is a great way to add protein to your meal plan on the trail. 

To rehydrate meat on the trail, soak it in warm water. For a specific rehydration, weigh the meat before and after dehydration. Add the lost weight from dehydration in grams of water to the dry meat. 

For a simple rehydration, just completely cover the meat in hot water and wait for it to be absorbed. It will take about ten minutes, depending on how much you’re rehydrating at one time.

Related Read: Chicken Noodle Soup Backpacking Meal

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You might also be interested in…

• Dehydrating Homemade Backpacking Meals for Beginners
• Dehydrated Peanut Butter Pad Thai
• How to Dehydrate Pasta for Backpacking Meals
• Dehydrating Bell Peppers
• Dehydrated Chili Mac for Backpacking

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Pack it Up

Dehydrating meat for long-term storage is a phenomenal way to create bulk backpacking meals or simply preserve your own meat. 

• When dehydrating meat for long-term storage, choose fresh meat with a low-fat content. Even lean meat like chicken should have all visible fat removed.
• Store meat in an airtight container in a dark place to ensure the longest shelf life. Add oxygen absorbers to increase the shelf life of food.
• Use a paper towel to remove fat during the dehydration process
• Reference your food dehydrator handbook to determine the best temperature and time for the drying process.
• Cook all meat before dehydration to the kill temperature to inhibit bacterial growth

Food preservation is a great hobby for creating backpacking meals with a high nutritional value and preserving foods for long-term storage. In recent years it has grown in popularity. Be sure to reference the National Center for Home Food Preservation for research-based recommendations on food preservation. 

Now that you have your dehydrated meat, build out some of your favorite backpacking meals and hit the trail!