Spicy Italian Sausage Jerky

One thing I’ve really been enjoying about having a proper food dehydrator - and a jerky gun - is just how wild we can go with jerky flavours.

In the case of today’s recipe, I had been wondering about turning Italian sausage into jerky.

Sausage is really fatty, though, which isn’t great for jerky... so I decided to start from scratch in designing a ground meat jerky that had the FLAVOUR of Italian Sausage, but without the fat.

I ended up choosing a ground chicken base for it - partially to keep the fat content down, and partially so my husband could also enjoy it.

After seasoning it up, piping it out, and drying it... we ended up with a FANTASTIC jerky!

This ground chicken jerky recipe tastes exactly like Italian sausage - you wouldn’t even know it’s chicken.

Definitely a unique flavour option for jerkies - and one we’ll make again and again.

Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need to have on hand, to make your own homemade Italian sausage jerky!

Equipment

There are two specialized pieces of equipment that I use for making jerky, beyond basics like spoons, bowls, and measuring cups:

A Food Dehydrator

While you can apparently make homemade Italian Sausage jerky in a regular home oven, I’m not a fan of running one for hours on end.

I’ve had food dehydrators before - the basic kinds with no time or temperature controls, - and I’d always been too nervous to try making jerky in them. I need more control over - and knowledge of - the drying process, when meat is concerned.

I’ve since upgraded to a Cosori 6 Tray Food Dehydrator, and LOVE it.

It was only about $200 Canadian, and it’s paid for itself MANY times over, between all the Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips and jerkies I’ve been making!

Think of it this way - The same size of jerky that I tend to make goes for about $4 in a gas station. (Really, more for something like chicken jerky!)

I get about 10-15 strips out of a batch (varying by recipe) - let’s average that out to 12. That’s $48 worth of jerky, for $8 or less. Make 5 batches, that’s your $200 in savings!

Anyway, we’re using a dehydrator a LOT more, now that we have a nice one. Having the control over the temperature really opens up the possibilities.

A Jerky Gun

Also known as a “jerky cannon”, this is basically a food grade caulking gun that you use to pipe out strips of jerky onto your parchment paper.

Mine is the XINQIAO Jerky Gun Food Grade Plastic Beef Jerky Gun Kit . Regular $35 (Canadian) on Amazon, but it had a coupon for something like 25% off, when I purchased it.

Worth every penny, even if I’d paid full price!

I’ve heard of people making jerky by spreading the mixture out, flattening it with a rolling pin, then cutting it with a pizza cutter, but to be honest, that sounds fussy.

The very first time I used my jerk gun, I was HOOKED. I had no idea that the jerky making process could be so quick and easy!

I’ve never been one for single-function, special equipment in the kitchen... but I LOVE it.

Ingredients

With only 1 exception, the ingredients in this Italian Sausage jerky recipe are super simple - you probably even have them on hand, if you’ve got a robust spice drawer!

As for that last ingredient... it may be specialty, but I use it in pretty much all of my jerky recipes. It’ll definitely get used, if you’re a jerky fan!

Some notes for you:

Lean Ground Chicken

Italian sausage is generally made with pork, but I chose to use ground chicken for this recipe. I just like the texture better, and - by the time the drying process is done - you won’t know the difference. The spices do a lot of heavy lifting, here.

Anyway, be sure to use the highest quality ground chicken you can when making chicken jerky.

While fresh or frozen will usually work in my jerky recipes, I recommend using fresh in this one, just due to the amount of liquid ingredients we’re adding.

Thawed, previously-frozen ground chicken can end up a bit more “watery”, and dry down to a thinner jerky than fresh ground chicken does, in my experience.

If you want to make your own ground chicken, trim some boneless skinless chicken breasts - plain chicken - and run them through a food processor or meat grinder until well broken down.

Lean chicken breast meat will have a better shelf life than higher fat dark meat will - fat can go rancid.

Finally, if you want to make turkey jerky, feel free to use the same amount of lean ground turkey. For that matter, you can swap the meat our for whatever kind of ground meat you prefer!

Prague Powder

Prague Powder is one of a few different curing salts out on the market. It’s not something you’ll normally cook with, but it’ll last a long time - a little goes a long way!

I use Prague Powder #1 Cure, same as I use for my Montreal Smoked Meat Recipe, Back Bacon Recipe, Homemade Corned Beef Recipe, and Peameal Bacon Recipe.

This is a bright pink curing salt that’s a mixture of salt and sodium nitrite. It’s commonly used in cured meats - like pepperoni or summer sausages - and is what gives the jerky its characteristic red colour.

Beyond aesthetics, it also contributes to giving dehydrated meat that iconic jerky flavor, AND helps ensure that your homemade meat snack will be good to eat for a long time. It does this by preventing the growth of bacteria, during and after the drying process.

A couple of things to note:

1. Prague Powder is pink, but it is NOT the same thing as Himalayan pink salt!

2. Prague cure is only to be used in small amounts for curing meats, and should never be consumed as-is. The measurements are important - if you want a saltier Italian sausage chicken jerky, add some regular salt, rather than increasing the curing salt.

Everything Else

The bulk of the remaining ingredients are just herbs and spices. Yeah, it’s a bit of a laundry list - but they’re all important for replicating the flavour of Italian sausage.

These are:

Crushed Chilies / Red Pepper Flakes
Dried Parsley
Fennel Seeds
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Ground Black Pepper
Onion Powder
Dried Oregano
Dried Thyme
Salt

You’ll also need granulated sugar (white sugar) and a little honey.

How to Make Italian Sausage Jerky

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:

Cut 2 or 3 squares of parchment paper slightly smaller than your dehydrator trays, set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl - using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine ingredients well. REALLY well - for best results, it’s better to overhandle it, than to under-mix it.

Use a spoon to load the mixture into a jerky gun, taking care to avoid creating air bubbles.

Line your dehydrator racks with the cut parchment paper, then pipe your jerky strips out onto them, leaving some space in between each.

Return to the dehydrator and continue dehydrating at 165 F for another 2 - 3 hours. (Actual time will depend on the thickness of the chicken strips.)

To test for doneness, remove a piece of Italian Sausage chicken jerky from the dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature. It should feel dry to the touch and be able to bend to 90 degrees without breaking. (A bit of cracking or crackling is ok!)

Italian Sausage Jerky Storage

Allow jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.

Italian Sausage Chicken Jerky will keep at room temperature (in a cool dark place) for a week or so, or a few weeks in the fridge.

If sealed into an airtight container WITHOUT OXYGEN, it should be good for a month or so in a cool dark place, a couple months in the fridge, and 6 months or so in the freezer.

Once you open your vacuum sealed bag of chicken jerky, it should be eaten within a couple days - or a week, if put in the fridge after opening.

More Homemade Jerky Recipes

Are you someone who loves to bring jerky on road trips, hiking trails, and when camping? Me too! Here are some of my go-to recipes for homemade jerkies!

Basic Ground Beef Jerky
Blueberry Bison Jerky
Chipotle Chicken Jerky
Ginger Beef Jerky
Ground Venison Jerky
Homemade Salmon Jerky
Honey Garlic Chicken Jerky
Jalapeno Chicken Jerky
Jerk Chicken Jerky
Lingonberry Elk Jerky
Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky
Mushroom Jerky, 2 Ways
Pumpkin Spice Chicken Jerky
Rosemary & Blueberry Beef Jerky
Spicy Garlic Chicken Jerky
Sriracha Chicken Jerky
Tofu Jerky, 2 Ways
Pepperoni Jerky