How to Make Deer Jerky in a Dehydrator

This deer season we got several deer between my husband and 3 girls. Which was good because we ran out of beef in October and didn’t have a fat steer ready for butcher. Rookie mistake. With all this venison we had a lot of jerky meat saved up. Today I’m going to show you how to make deer jerky using a dehydrator or oven. 

The process is really simple and it doesn’t take many ingredients. 

The key to getting good jerky meat is how long you dehydrate it for and if your pieces are evenly cut. 

​We have some good friends that own a butcher shop so we took all our deer meat there to be processed. He made me some specialty items like deer dogs (hot dogs!), breakfast sausage, and snack sticks out of our venison.

But by taking it to him it also eliminated so much work on our part. We are so thankful!

Since we took it somewhere they cut up all my jerky meat for me so I didn’t have to worry. If you were starting completely from scratch you want to make sure you cut your jerky meat into thin slices, about 1/2″ thick, and the same length. This matters because some pieces will dehydrate faster than others.

If you don’t get them perfectly uniformed I suggest putting them on your wire rack a little more organized. Keep like sizes together that way you can watch it and pull out trays when they are done faster then others. This will ensure all your pieces get dehydrated to perfection and no pieces get brittle. 

What’s the best brand of dehydrator?

There are several dehydrators out there to choose from. One quick Amazon search and your head will spin on which one is the best! I have used several and there are 2 I would recommend. 

First option is the Denali Canning dehydrator, The Beast. I am loving it for all my dehydrating needs. I have used it for apple chips, beef bouillon powder, incubating yogurt, and jerky. It has worked wonderfully for all and I would highly recommend it.

I love the digital touch screen front and how compact it is. It is not super big and bulky which makes it sit out nicely and not take up too much space. 

One of the main features I love is that it has a timer on it. The longest it can go is 5 hours and then it shuts off. This works so well for people like me… who uhhhhh tend to forget about things often.

Especially when making jerky. It prevents me from letting it go too long. 

Having a timer forces me to check it and start again if needed. Instead of forgetting and then mad dashing to get the food out so it is not ruined. 

​Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission on qualified purchases at no additional cost to you.

The other dehydrator I have used is the 9 tray excalibur dehydrator. Although I loved that one too there was a few things that the Denali has that this particular excalibur doesn’t. There isn’t a timer, so I often forgot about my food.

It is also a lot bigger and bulkier. That means it takes up more space on my counter.

However, I could fit more food in the excalibur because of the size. So if you are a large family this one may be better for you. 

Both are good options and will work great for dehydrating deer jerky. Or any of your dehydrating needs!

Can I dehydrate deer jerky in my kitchen oven?

​You absolutely can! Here is how to make deer jerky in the oven.

The drying process will be much the same as using a dehydrator. First, slice venison into even pieces and marinade with the recipe below over night. When ready to dehydrate, pre-heat your oven to the lowest temperature. 

Preferably you want to dehydrate your deer jerky at 165 degrees. But most ovens don’t go that low. They typically will go as low as 180-200 degrees. 

If that is the case for your oven, you will want to prop the door open with a wooden spoon to let some of the heat out as it is dehydrating. 

Layer the deer slices in a single layer on a wire rack or the rack of the oven if the meat will stay on it. Make sure you have something on the rack below it to catch drippings! Let it dehydrate for 6-8 hours, just like in the dehydrator, making sure to check it around 5-6 hours and pull out pieces that are done. 

​The down fall of making it in your oven is it ties up the use of your oven for a long time. So you need to make sure to do it on a day you don’t plan to use your oven. Another reason I don’t prefer it in the oven is the mess. 

Don’t forget about keeping a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil on the bottom rack to catch any drippings. Otherwise it is a pain to clean up!

Ingredients:

• 5lb deer jerky meat, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp black pepper

How to make deer jerky:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut evenly thin slices of meat. This year we sent our deer to our friends who own a butcher shop. They cut the slices for us but if I were to do it myself I like to make them no thicker then 1/2″ so that they dehydrate evenly. You can use any cut of meat you would like. This is a great way to use up any scraps of meat that you aren’t going to use for anything else. 
2. Place the thin strips of meat in a large bowl.
3. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl mix the marinade ingredients making sure to remove any clumps with a whisk. 
4. Pour the marinade over the deer meat and place in the fridge. Marinate meat for a minimum of 6 hours but I like to do it overnight. 

Dehydrating your jerky:

1. The next day pull marinated meat out of the fridge to be ready to put in the dehydrator. 
2. Take your dehydrator trays and cover each tray with a piece of parchment paper. This will help the mess of the marinated meat. 
3. Place your jerky strips in a single layer on your trays. 
4. Turn your dehydrator on to 165 degrees and dehydrate for 6-8 hours. The drying time will vary depending on the thickness of the slices. You want to check around hour 5-6 to make sure they are not over done.
5. You know your deer jerky is done when you can bend it and it breaks softly. If it doesn’t bend and it just snaps it was over done. The jerky will be a dark color and should have no parts of raw meat left.
6. If your meat just snaps in half, it is still edible but won’t be the soft chewy jerky you are used to.
7. Store in an airtight container on your pantry shelf. 

How to store your homemade deer jerky.

Since your deer jerky should be fully dehydrated and have no more liquid in it, it should be shelf stable. 

That means you can keep it in an airtight container on a shelf! 

I like to keep ours in a half gallon mason jar with a lid and ring. Since we always have mason jars floating around here, it just makes sense to store the deer jerky in it. 

This homemade jerky is a favorite snack around here and is perfect for on the go. 

The best part about this recipe is that it can easily be tweaked for different flavors. Try adding some brown sugar to the marinade for a little more sweetness. Add some red pepper flakes or hot sauce for a spicier jerky. Or even some liquid smoke for a BBQ rustic flavor.

The possibilities are endless with the recipe. The process will remain the same even if you change up the marinade. 

This recipe can be used to make beef jerky as well. Follow the same process just use beef as your meat instead of venison meat. 

If you make this jerky recipe make sure to snap a picture and tag me on social media with it! I love to see everyone making good healthy foods in their kitchen.