This is a great, basic venison jerky recipe. A few simple seasonings let the flavour of the deer meat take centre stage! A nice, traditional deer jerky.
When it comes to wild game meats, I like to use a few basic seasonings - judiciously - to make a delicious jerky. One where the flavours accent - but not overpower - the taste of the game meat being used.
Venison is a great meat to work with, because it can go both ways - it’s a great foundation for other flavours*, but it also stands really well on its own.
When you’re working with a really fresh, great cut of meat... why overpower it?
Anyway, this basic deer jerky recipe is a great way to preserve venison, and it’s one of my favorite ways to jerky up a deer roast.
It doesn’t really take any special ingredients, and works up quickly and easily - just a few minutes of actual work!
Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need..
*That said, the best jerky I’ve ever made is a ground venison jerky - Jalapeno Ground Venison Jerky Recipe!
Equipment
There’s just one piece equipment that I use for making whole muscle venison jerky, beyond basics like spoons, bowls, and measuring cups:
A Food Dehydrator
While you can apparently make homemade venison 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 like $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 - Whole muscle jerky goes for about $4/serving in a gas station. (Really, even more for venison jerky!)
I get about 10 servings out of a batch (varying by recipe). That’s $40+ worth of jerky, for $15 or less. Make 7-8 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.
Ingredients
With only 2 exceptions, the natural ingredients in this basic venison jerky recipe are super simple - you probably even have them on hand!
As for those last two, they may be specialty, but I use them in pretty much all of my jerky recipes. They’ll definitely get used, if you’re a jerky fan!
Some notes for you:
Venison Roast or Steaks
Use the freshest, highest quality venison you can when making venison jerky. Lean meat will have the best shelf life, as fat can go rancid.
While this recipe is for a pound of meat, it scales really well.
Our food dehydrator can handle 3-4 pounds of venison at a time, but that’ll vary from machine to machine, and based on how thick you cut the meat.
Finally, if you want to make elk jerky, feel free to use the same amount of lean elk. For that matter, you can substitute beef, or whatever type of meat you prefer!
Soy Sauce, or Soy-Adjacent Sauce
I developed this basic venison jerky recipe using Coconut Aminos, which is what I use for myself - it’s gluten free and paleo/AIP friendly.
Tamari is another gluten free option (USUALLY GF, anyway!), or you could use plain old Soy Sauce.
I do find regular soy sauce to be saltier than Coconut Aminos, though. For best results, I recommend using low sodium soy sauce, if possible - otherwise, you might want to cut back the salt (regular, NOT the curing salt) amount.
Whichever you use, it brings some umami - savory flavor - to the homemade venison jerky.
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 XX venison jerky, add some regular salt, rather than increasing the curing salt.
Liquid Smoke
As with all of my jerkies, you’ll need some Liquid Smoke - a little goes a lot way!
I only use a small amount in this XX recipe, to give it a traditional “jerky” flavour - it’s not at all overpowering, just an accent.
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Worcestershire sauce
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Ground Black Pepper
Honey
Salt
... as always, I don’t really have anything to add, when it comes to these last few ingredients!
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How to Make Basic Venison Jerky
The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:
Trim ALL visible fat or silver skin from the venison. Fat will go rancid, so - for best results - remove as much as you possibly can!
Using a sharp knife, slice deer meat across the grain. I like to aim for 3/16-¼" thick. You want to have the slices be relatively even thickness, for uniform drying.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients (everything other than the venison!), then pour this marinade over the venison slices.
Push out most of the air, seal the bags, and put them in the fridge – I like to put the bag in a loaf pan, just in case of leakage.
Chill in the fridge for at least 8 - and up to 24 - hours.
Once the marinating time is done, drain the slices of deer meat - do not rinse. Arrange venison jerky slices in a single layer on food dehydrator trays, leaving space between each.
Dehydrate at 165 degrees F for a couple of hours.
Continue dehydrating at 165 F for another 2 - 3 hours. (Actual drying time will depend on the thickness of the venison jerky strips.)
The finished product should feel dry to the touch, but also be somewhat pliable. If you rip it, you want to see white threads - not pink.
Once jerky is all fully dehydrated, allow to cool to room temperature before packing and storing.
Venison Jerky Storage
Venison jerky will keep at room temperature (in a cool dark place) for a week or so, or a few weeks in the fridge.
For anything over a few weeks, we like to vacuum seal.
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 deer jerky, it should be eaten within a couple days - or a few weeks, if put in the fridge after opening.
Other Venison Jerky Recipes
Looking for more deer jerky recipes? Here are a few to get started:
Basic Ground Venison Jerky Recipe
Jalapeno Ground Venison Jerky Recipe
Peppered Ground Venison Jerky Recipe
Sweet & Spicy Ground Venison Jerky Recipe
Be sure to check out the full list of ALL of our Jerky Recipes, too!
Basic Venison Jerky [Deer Jerky Recipe]
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Large Freezer Baggie
- Food Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Venison
- ¼ cup Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce, or Tamari
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Prague Powder #1 Cure
Instructions
- Trim ALL visible fat or silver skin from the venison. Fat will go rancid, so - for best results - remove as much as you possibly can!
- Slice deer across the grain. I like to aim for 3/16-¼" thick. You want to have the slices be relatively even thickness, for uniform drying.
- Once all of the venison is sliced, place the slices in a large freezer Ziplock baggie.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, then pour this marinade over the venison slices.
- Push out most of the air, seal the bags, and put them in the fridge – I like to put the bag in a loaf pan, just in case of leakage.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 8 - and up to 24 - hours.
- Once the marinating time is done, drain the slices of deer meat - do not rinse. Arrange venison jerky slices on food dehydrator trays.
- Dehydrate at 165 F for 2 hours.
- Once two hours has passed, flip each slice over, and rotate the location of the trays.
- Continue dehydrating at 165 F for another 2 - 3 hours. (Actual time will depend on the thickness of the deer strips.)
- To test for doneness, remove a piece of deer jerky from the dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature.
- It should feel dry to the touch, but also be somewhat pliable. If you rip it, you want to see white threads - not pink.
- Once jerky is all fully dehydrated, allow to cool to room temperature before packing and storing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Porters
When you're just getting into making homemade deer jerky, this is a fantastic recipe to start with. Great flavour, not a lot of effort or weird ingredients needed!
Hope you love it as much as we do!