Recipe: Venison Jerky

This recipe was originally published on the Browning Behind the Lens Blog and we're sharing with you with the author's permission.

Have excess meat? Making homemade jerky is a simple way to preserve, and when done correctly, can be stored 1-2 months. Depending on the ingredients used, it can serve as a healthy, high-protein and low-carb snack—perfect for training for upcoming hunts or while in the mountains hiking or hunting.

Special thanks to Sarah Honadel who is an avid outdoorswoman from Kentucky, now living in Idaho. She enjoys hunting turkey, deer and elk and is a team member at Huntress View and Brand Champion for ReelCamo Girl, two organizations that work to support, encourage and empower women in the outdoors. Sarah is a GoWild™ user, and you can find her on Instagram @waddysarah and @arrowridgecreations. Enjoy her recipe. 

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. venison meat (can also use elk or other meat)
• 2 cups teriyaki
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar (dark or light is ok)
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon dried and crushed hot peppers (such as cayenne, jalapeno or habanero)

 

Directions

• Slice meat into 1/8”-1/4” slices using meat slicer
• Combine all ingredients (except meat) in small pot, mix well and heat over a low heat just enough to dissolve the sugar
• Add meat to liquid mix, one piece at a time, ensuring all pieces are thoroughly coated
• Place meat and all liquid in Ziploc bag and refrigerate at least 4 hours (I prefer overnight for a stronger flavor)
• Place slices of meat on dehydrator racks, making sure not to overlap any of the pieces
• Let dehydrate for 7-8 hours at 155°F
• Remove from dehydrator and store in plastic Ziploc bag 

Tips

• 3 lbs. of raw meat yields approximately 1 lb. dried jerky
• Many people use a jerky gun, but I prefer making jerky with sliced meat instead of ground meat. A restaurant-quality meat slicer was used here, but good slicers can be purchased at Bass Pro or Cabela’s.
• Sugar can be omitted for a lower-carb recipe; can also substitute a can of crushed pineapple.
• Cajun seasoning and hot peppers can be omitted if you prefer non-spicy jerky
• I recommend the Nesco American Harvest Dehydrator, available for purchase on Amazon. I purchased this in 2009 and have used it for multiple batches of jerky every year, as well as for drying fruits and veggies in the summer. It comes with four dehydrator racks, and more can be purchased separately.