How to Make Homemade Jerky (2023)
This jerky recipe will have you so happy you learned how to make homemade deer jerky. Venison strips marinated to soak up all the goodness and then dehydrated to your personal preference of “doneness.” No need to spend ridiculous amounts of money on store-bought beef jerky ever again. This will quickly become one of your favorite snacks.
Homemade jerky is very simple. Marinade, dehydrate, eat. This recipe works for not only venison, but can also be used for homemade beef jerky or goose jerky as well!
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Equipment Needed
- Food dehydrator or oven
- Jerky gun (optional)
Ingredients Needed for Homemade Deer Jerky
Meat
- 2 lbs meat, sliced into thin strips (venison, goose, beef, etc.)
Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 4 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
How To Make Homemade Deer Jerky
- Using a sharp knife, cut meat into thin slices of consistent thickness.
- Mix all the marinade ingredients together in medium bowl or plastic bag.
- Put the sliced meat into jerky marinade and refrigerate for 8-48 hours. Stir meat slices after every 24 hours.
- Place strips of meat in single layer on dehydrator trays or wire racks for oven. Dehydrate for 4-8 hours at 155 degrees.
This recipe is very forgiving. If you don’t have garlic, add more garlic powder or garlic salt. If you don’t like chili powder, leave it out. Measurements don’t need to be exact. Play around and see what you like!
If this is the first batch of jerky you have ever made, be sure to check jerky often during the drying process. This will help decide the total time it takes for how you like your jerky done. After the first time, it’s a lot more hands off. For chewier jerky, dehydrate towards the 6-8 hour mark. Tender jerky will be 4-6 hours, however it all depends on how much moisture needs to be taken out.
How to Store Homemade Jerky
Store homemade jerky in a paper bag rolled tight or in an airtight container kept at room temperature and eat within the week. For longer storage, you can use a Food Saver with mason jar attachment and vacuum seal jerky strips in a mason jar.
What if I don’t have a dehydrator?
Believe it or not, you can make jerky right in your oven. For best results, place a wire rack over the top of a baking sheet and lay the meat strips across the rack. As the juices drip down into the pan, the jerky stays dry up top.
Print How To Make Homemade Deer Jerky Here:
Homemade Jerky
Ingredients
- 2 lbs meat (deer, goose, beef, etc.) (sliced thin)
- 1/4 cup liquid aminos (soy sauce works too but is not as healthy)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsp worcesterhire sauce
- 4 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients together in large bowl.
- Put the sliced meat into marinade and refrigerate for 8-48 hours. If you choose to keep marinating longer, I suggest stirring halfway through. However, this isn't completely necessary.
- Dehydrate for 4-8 hours at 155 degrees. Turn meat over halfway through cook time. Again, not completely necessary but helpful.
Notes
This recipe is very forgiving. If you don't have garlic, add more garlic powder or garlic salt. If you don't like chili powder, leave it out. Measurements don't need to be exact. Play around and see what you like!
If you made this recipe, please come back and leave a review. I’d love it if you shared a picture on instagram and tagged me @1898_mama so I can see, as well!
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