Make the best venison jerky at home with this simple recipe! Thinly slice venison, marinate it in a flavorful spice blend, and dehydrate or smoke to perfection. A must-try for hunters and jerky lovers!
If there’s one thing Aaron does better than most, it’s turning a venison haul into the tastiest jerky around. His dear meat recipes are straightforward, adaptable, and so good you’ll have folks sneaking extra bites when they think you aren’t looking.
- This jerky starts with slicing almost-frozen venison roasts, steaks, or any larger cuts into thin strips—don’t skip this step because the firmer the meat, the easier it is to slice!
- Then we let it hang out in an overnight soak in Aaron’s special jerky marinade that packs just the right punch of flavor. The next day, it’s as simple as laying it out on wire racks and letting the dehydrator or smoker do its thing.
Whether you like your jerky smoky, spicy, or a little sweet, this recipe is endlessly customizable to suit your tastes. Ready to fill your snack stash with homemade carnivore goodness? Let’s get started!
If you love cooking with venison, be sure to try our viral Venison Summer Sausage, All-Purpose Venison Marinade, Venison Breakfast Casserole, Venison Goulash and Venison (Hamburger) Helper.
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Ingredients
These ingredients come together to create a marinade that’s bold, smoky, and perfectly balanced with a hint of sweetness. It’s everything you want in jerky—flavor-packed and satisfying without being overpowering.
- Semi-frozen venison (roasts, steaks, or other large cuts)
- Worcestershire sauce
- Brown sugar
- Yellow onion (or try 2 for extra flavor—white onions work too!)
- Garlic
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Jalapeños
- Lime, peeled and blended whole
- Insta Cure (curing salt)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Tequila (optional)
- Water - This isn't added until the meat is put in the marinade. Use this extra water to rinse your blender or bowl and then pour it over the meat.
See recipe card for quantities
Instructions
- Prep the Venison Jerky Marinade: In a large bowl, combine the Worcestershire, brown sugar, chipotle in adobo, jalapeños, lime, garlic, onion, tequila, Insta Cure, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Do not add the water yet! Blend everything until nearly smooth—this is your marinade.
- Marinate the Venison: Slice your venison into thin strips while it’s still slightly frozen (this makes it easier to get even cuts). Place the strips in a large container, like a meat lug, and pour the marinade over the top. Mix well, making sure each piece is coated. Use about 16 ounces of water to rinse the blender or bowl and pour this liquid over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours. We think 36 hours is the sweet spot.
- Prep for Smoking or Dehydrating: After marinating, remove the venison from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Shake off any excess marinade, but don’t rinse—it’s where the flavor is! See below for detailed smoking/dehydrating instructions.
- Cool and Store: Once the jerky is done to your liking, let it cool completely to room temperature. We use the 'bendy test' to check for doneness- the jerky should nearly fold in half before a few fibers begin to tear. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for long-term storage.
How to Make Deer Jerky in Smoker
- Heat your smoker to 140°F (no hotter than 180°F). Fruitwood is a great wood choice for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with your favorite. We used hickory for this batch and we all liked it!
- Lay the venison strips on wire racks or directly on the smoker grates or stackable jerky trays, making sure they aren’t touching.
- Smoke until the jerky reaches a leathery texture—firm but not brittle. Start checking at 2 hours and keep an eye on it every 20 minutes after that.
How to Make Deer Jerky in a Dehydrator
If you’re using a dehydrator, lay the venison strips out in a single layer on the trays. Dehydrate at 155°F until leathery, typically 4-6 hours.
Recipe
Venison Jerky
Equipment
- Smoker or dehydrator, including trays
- large meat lug or container for mixing
- sharp knives and cutting board
Ingredients
- 15 pounds venison roasts, steaks, or other large cuts
- 2 cups Worcestershire sauce
- 1⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 heads garlic
- 14 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 2 (7 ounce) cans
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 1 lime peeled and blended whole
- 2 teaspoons Insta Cure
- 4½ tablespoons salt
- 3 tablespoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 2 ounces tequila optional
- 16 ounces water
Instructions
- Prep the Venison Jerky Marinade: In a large bowl, combine the Worcestershire, brown sugar, chipotle in adobo, jalapeños, lime, garlic, onion, tequila, Insta Cure, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Blend everything until nearly smooth—this is your marinade.
- Marinate the Venison: Slice your venison into thin strips while it’s still slightly frozen (this makes it easier to get even cuts). Place the strips in a large container or zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the top. Mix well, making sure each piece is coated. Use the 16 ounces of water to rinse the blender or bowl and then pour the liquid over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours.
- Prep for Smoking or Dehydrating: After marinating, remove the venison from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Shake off any excess marinade, but don’t rinse—it’s where the flavor is! See below for detailed smoking/dehydrating instructions.
- Cool and Store: Once the jerky is done to your liking, let it cool completely to room temperature. We use the 'bendy test' to check for doneness- the jerky should nearly fold in half before a few fibers begin to tear. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for long-term storage.
Notes
- Heat your smoker to 165°F (no hotter than 200°F). Mesquite is a great wood choice for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with your favorite. We used hickory for this batch and we all liked it!
- Lay the venison strips on wire racks or directly on the smoker grates or drying racks, making sure they aren’t touching.
- Smoke until the jerky reaches a leathery texture—firm but not brittle. Start checking at 2 hours and keep an eye on it every 20 minutes after that.
Nutrition
Flavor Variations
- Sweet & Tangy: Replace the brown sugar with honey or maple syrup and add a splash of apple cider vinegar for a tangy kick.
- Smoky BBQ: Swap the chipotle peppers for smoked paprika and add ¼ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce to the marinade. If dehydrating, add a teaspoon of liquid smoke for extra BBQ flavor.
- Teriyaki Style: Replace Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce and add ⅓ cup pineapple juice and 1 tablespoon grated ginger for a sweet, savory twist.
- Tequila Sunrise: Add 1 tablespoon of grenadine and ½ cup of orange juice and the zest of one orange to the marinade.
Heat Adjustments
- Mild Version: Skip the jalapeños and cut the red pepper flakes in half.
- Extra Spicy: Add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a splash of your favorite hot sauce to the marinade. We like to add a few tablespoons of our homemade hot pepper blend that we make with dehydrated peppers from our garden each fall. Here's how we make dehydrated peppers.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Lime Swap: If you don’t have fresh limes, substitute with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice or bottled lime juice.
- Venison Alternatives: This recipe works beautifully with beef, elk, bison, or even turkey.
- No Insta Cure? You can convert this recipe to celery powder. For this recipe, which uses 15 pounds of venison, you’d need about 5.4 grams (about 1.2 teaspoons) of celery powder. If you decide to skip the insta cure and celery powder, consume the jerky within a week and keep it refrigerated. Nitrates are necessary to extend shelf life.
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Equipment
We used a funnel and the butt end of a wooden mallet to stuff our summer sausage decades ago when we first started, so trust me when I say you can do this without breaking the bank. You'll just need a little elbow grease and patience if you're doing this all manually. Most of these tools are linked in my Amazon Store Front in the Butcher Shop section.
If you prefer to shop small, we get most of our butchering equipment and seasonings from Walton's. They gave me a code to share with you for a free Ultimate Steak and Roast Shaker with a $50 purchase! Use MEGAN24 to save!
- sharp knives & cutting board: The roasts should be take from the freezer and transferred to the refrigerator for a few days. They should be stiff but not thawed. If using thawed meat, you will need a meat slicer.
- Stackable jerky trays: We get ours from waltons. It takes about 15 trays to do this recipe in one batch.
- kitchen scale: I like to use my small kitchen scale for weighing the seasonings and a big scale for weighing the meat.
- smoker or food dehydrator: I love this Excalibur food dehydrator. Our upright smoker was from a local restaurant auction, so I don't have any links for it.
- wood chips (if smoking): We get these from Walton's!
- Vacuum seal bags and a vacuum sealer: Our vacuum sealer is a Weston and I use bags either from Walton's (MEGAN24 saves) or Pack Fresh USA (code MEG10 saves!).
Storage
The best way to store your game meat summer sausage is in the fridge. Package the jerky tightly in vacuum, plastic or zip-lock style bags for short-term storage in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze them in airtight, vacuum-sealed packaging. Jerky can be frozen for up to 6 months.
And that's a wrap!
And there you have it, folks! Crafting your own deer jerky is a homestead journey worth taking. Everything is better when you make it yourself, right? From your own deer that you hunted and processed, to a handful of jerky.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll also love my easy Venison Hamburger Helper recipe, All Purpose Venison Marinade or my guide to making the Best Deer Meat Burgers. And yes, even if you consider yourself to be a ground beef person, I know you'd love it!
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Catie
10/10 this was the easiest and most delicious Jerky i have ever made. I made some beef and some venison.