Teriyaki Carrot Jerky

Slightly crisp, but still chewy, this Teriyaki Carrot Jerky mimics the texture of beef jerky in a totally vegan form. Like a vegetarian or vegan jerky, carrot jerky has a bold teriyaki flavor and a satisfying, toothsome chew, making it a healthy snack you can feel good about eating.

Everyone’s approach to healthy eating is different (as it should be based on your dietary needs and goals!), but for me, a big part of healthy eating is trying to include as many fresh foods and veggies in my diet as possible. So sometimes, that means getting creative with how I incorporate veggies into my meals and snacks. I love doing all sorts of creative, and other wise unexpected things with veggies. For example, putting things like celery or brussels sprouts in tacos with my Brussels Sprouts and Ricotta Crispy Tacos, this Jalapeno Lime Brussels Sprout Slaw, or these Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Creamy Celery Ranch Slaw. And for this Teriyaki Carrot Jerky, I definitely thought out of the box!

The idea for this Teriyaki Carrot Jerky was completely random. We happened to be smoking a huge batch of jerky, and, as he often does, Steve asked “What else can we smoke?” This time my mind went to the bag of several giant carrots that I had stashed away in the fridge. I am not sure what I was planning on doing with them originally, but I immediately said, “I wonder if we can jerky carrots!” I did a quick Google search (as I often do when researching new recipes), and was disappointed to find not a single carrot jerky recipe. Seriously, how has no one thought of this!

Not letting that stop me, we went ahead and sliced up some carrots, marinated them in some teriyaki jerky marinade, and made the carrots anyway, and, just like that, Carrot Jerky was born!

What Is Carrot Jerky?

Carrot Jerky is a little like dehydrated carrots (or if you have ever had any other dehydrated fruit or vegetable). I like to cook the jerky just until it begins to crisp slightly around the edges, but so that the inside is still flexible and chewy. This Teriyaki Carrot Jerky has a similar toothsome chewiness and leathery texture that you would expect from beef jerky. It definitely gives you that satisfying jerky tear and chew that you expect.

Of course, carrot jerky is still made from carrots, so it still has a nice carroty flavor, but thanks to the strong teriyaki marinade, the carrots take on a great teriyaki flavor as well with hints of spicy ginger, garlic, and salty soy. I added a little sriracha for kick. The recipe as written is not spicy at all, but if you like it spicier, feel free to add more sriracha.

If you are a fan of carrots, you will love this Teriyaki Carrot Jerky. Looking for other out of the box ways to turn carrots into healthy snacks? Check out my Quick Pickled Carrots.

Can I Make Smoked Teriyaki Carrot Jerky?

Absolutely! When I first created this Teriyaki Carrot Jerky, I actually cooked it on our pellet smoker alongside lots of beef jerky we were smoking. The smoked carrot jerky has the same texture and chew as when baked in the oven, but the pellet smoker adds a nice smoky flavor and darker color as you can see pictured below.

When cooking this carrot jerky on the smoker, I set the temperature slightly cooler than the oven, to 180°. Since there is so much airflow moving through the smoker, the jerky actually took just about the same amount of time as in the oven even at this slightly lower temperature. Just make sure you check it every 15 – 20 minutes as you get near the end of the cooking time so you don’t overcook it.

Here you can see a picture of the smoked Teriyaki Carrot Jerky, with a darker, smokier look.

Either way you cook it, this Teriyaki Carrot Jerky is a tasty, healthy snack! If you make my carrot jerky, be sure to share your photos and tag me @NamasteHomeCooking on Facebook or @NamasteHomeCooking on Instagram.

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5 from 1 vote

Teriyaki Carrot Jerky

Slightly crisp, but still chewy, this Teriyaki Carrot Jerky mimics the texture of beef jerky in a totally vegan form. Like a vegetarian or vegan jerky, carrot jerky has a bold teriyaki flavor and a satisfying, toothsome chew, making it a healthy snack you can feel good about eating.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Marinating Time8 hours hrs

Total Time11 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Healthy, Smoked

Keyword: carrots, healthy, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ⅛ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs rice wine vinegar
• ¼ inch piece of ginger (peeled and thinly sliced)
• 1 clove garlic (thinly sliced)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp sriracha
• 1 lb carrots (I prefer to use the biggest carrots I can find so I end up with larger pieces)

Instructions

Marinate the Carrot Jerky:

• Wash and scrub carrot clean – there is no need to remove the peel.
• Slice carrot on a bias into about ¼ inch thick slices.
• Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip top bag, add carrots and let marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours, up to 24.

To Make Carrot Jerky in the Oven:

• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 200°.
• Using paper towels, spread carrots out in a single layer and pat each side dry with paper towels. This will help the carrots to get crispy.
• Place an ovenproof rack over a baking sheet, and spread carrots out flat on rack, making sure none of the carrots are touching.
• Place in oven and bake 3 – 4 hours, until carrots are slightly crisp on the edges, but still a bit chewy and flexible in the middle. Baking time will vary based on your oven and other factors, so I recommend checking on the carrots at about 2 ½ hours, then every 30 or so minutes. As they start to get close to ready, you may want to check every 15 minutes to avoid over cooking. Mine were perfect at just about 3 ½ hours.
• Cool and enjoy immediately, or store in an air tight container in refrigerator. Jerky should keep 1 week.

To Smoke Carrot Jerky on the Smoker:

• Preheat smoker to 180°.
• Using paper towels, spread carrots out in a single layer and pat each side dry with paper towels. This will help the carrots to get crispy.
• Spread carrots out flat on a heatproof rack, making sure none of the carrots are touching. The rack will help keep the carrots from falling through your smoker grates.
• Place on smoker and cook 3 – 4 hours, until carrots are slightly crisp on the edges, but still a bit chewy and flexible in the middle. Smoking time will vary based on your smoker and the moisture in the air, so I recommend checking on the carrots at about 2 ½ hours, then every 30 or so minutes. As they start to get close to ready, you may want to check every 15 minutes to avoid over cooking. Mine were perfect at just about 3 ½ hours.
• Cool and enjoy immediately, or store in an air tight container in refrigerator. Jerky should keep 1 week.

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