Spanakopita Chicken Jerky [Ground Chicken Jerky]
Want a jerky with a ton of flavour, and a bonus hit of vegetables? This Spanakopita Chicken Jerky is loaded with spinach - and great flavour!
Servings: 10 Servings
Calories: 76kcal
Equipment
- 1 Jerky Gun
- 1 Food Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Chicken
- ½ lb Baby Spinach chopped
- 2 Green Onions Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon Dill Weed Dry
- 1 tablespoon Dried Parmesan Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Lemon Zest
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- Pinch Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Prague Powder #1 Cure
Instructions
- Cut 2 or 3 squares of parchment paper slightly smaller than your dehydrator racks, set aside.
- Measure spinach into a large, nonstick skillet - do NOT add any oil! Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach is fairly wilted.
- Add the green onions, cook until the spinach is almost completely wilted - with no moisture in the pan. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute.
- Remove from heat, allow to cool a bit.
- Add the spinach mixture to a mini food processor, blitz until a relatively smooth paste forms. Add remaining ingredients - aside from the chicken - and blitz again to form a paste.If it’s too thick, add a SMALL amount of water to help it get going. Start with 1 tsp.
- Add the spinach paste to a medium mixing bowl, along with the ground chicken. Using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine ingredients well. REALLY well - 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.
- Dehydrate in a food dehydrator at 165 F for 1.5-2 hours.
- Once two hours has passed, remove the jerky strips from the parchment, flip them over, and place them directly onto the dehydrator racks.
- Return to the dehydrator and continue dehydrating at 165 F for another 1.5 - 3 hours.
- To test for doneness, remove a piece of 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!)
- Allow jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.
Notes
Jerky will keep at room temperature (in a cool dark place) for a week 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 jerky, it should be eaten within a couple days - or a week, if put in the fridge after opening.
Nutrition
Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 2158IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
