Big Game and Venison Jerky Recipes

Here, you will find four more venison jerky recipes for your homemade jerky cooking pleasure. Also, know you can use any beef or venison jerky recipe for buffalo/bison jerky. I love a good buffalo jerky.

Some of the recipes give specific directions for drying, while others are vague. There are links below where you can learn more about drying meat to make delicious homemade jerky.

You may have seen me mention that I prefer no preservatives or chemicals in my food, yet some of these recipes call for it. You can substitute with the same amount of kosher or other salt in most recipes. The choice is yours.

Photo of a young buck deer walking through a grass field. Just what yuo need to decide among the venison jerky recipes on this page.

Venison Jerky Recipes


Deer or Elk Jerky

  • Deer or elk meat sliced 1/8″ thick.
  • 2 tb Hickory smoked salt
  • 1 TB Garlic salt
  • 2 TB Monosodium glutamate
  • 4 TB seasoned pepper
  • 2/3 cup Soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce smoked
  • Tabasco sauce to taste

Sprinkle meat with the dry mixture on both sides.

Drape on oven racks without touching while oven heats to 200 degrees.

Place in oven with the door open 2-3 inches. (or see note on The Basics… A Trusty Oven and the use of a convection oven)

After one hour, baste with sauce, repeating every half-hour for the remaining two hours at 200 degrees.

Now drop oven to 170 degrees and finish meat in 45 to 90 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before storing.


Deer Jerky Marinade

  • 3 lbs Deer meat, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 c Wine, dry
  • 1/3 c Lemon juice
  • 1/4 c Onion, minced
  • 1/4 c Brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Liquid smoke
  • 1 tsp Seasoned salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 3 Bay leaves

Marinate deer meat for 24 hours in the marinade mixture, covered, in a cold part of the refrigerator. Turn meat several times to keep coated.

Remove meat, spreading out to bring to room temp.

Place on greased racks in a smoker and smoke at low heat (160-190 degrees) for 5 to 7 hours, until meat becomes slightly translucent and dark red, near black.

Store in plastic bags in the refrigerator.


BBQ Venison Jerky

  • 4 lbs Venison
  • 1 c Barbecue sauce
  • 2 tb Liquid smoke
  • 1 tsp Chili powder
  • 1 tb Worcestershire sauce
  • A few grains of cayenne pepper

Freeze venison until firm and solid enough to slice easily. Cut into 1/8-inch slices with a sharp knife or slicer, then cut slices into strips 1 & 1/2 inches wide.

Meanwhile, blend the remaining ingredients and pour over the venison strips that have been arranged in rows in a shallow baking pan. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Drain well.

Next, choose your drying method…

Dehydrator

Cover trays with strips without overlapping. Dry for 4 hours at 140 F. Turn strips and rotate trays. Dry another 6 to 8 hours. Well-dried jerky should be dark and fibrous looking and brittle enough to splinter when bent in two.

Sun

Drying meat or venison into jerky is not recommended in most climates

Oven

Lay strips of marinated meat in rows over trays, being careful not to overlap strips. Dry at 110 F until strips splinter on the edges when bent in two, 18 to 24 hours.

Smoker

This recipe didn’t include a smoker, but I am. Follow the instructions on your smoker, or if you are using a fire-fed homemade smoker, try to maintain 150 degrees until it is done. There are too many variables on smokers to give a time.


Beef Or Venison Jerky

  • 8 lb Venison/beef roast
  • 1 TB Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 1 tsp White pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Red pepper
  • 1 tsp Meat tenderizer
  • 2 TB seasoned salt
  • 2 tsp Accent
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1 TB Kitchen bouquet
  • 2 TB Morton tender quick
  • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 cup Soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup Barbecue sauce
  • 1/3 cup Liquid smoke

Cut meat into thin slices. Meat is easier to cut when partially frozen, and it will cut evenly.

Combine salt, peppers, meat tenderizers, seasoned salt, accent, garlic, and onion powders, kitchen bouquet, Morton Tender Quick, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, and liquid smoke. Marinate meat in sauce for 24 hours in a sealable plastic bag.

Place meat directly on oven racks, line the bottom of the oven with foil, or on the rack in a shallow pan and dry in the oven for 6-8 hours on the lowest setting.

Continue to dry in a warm oven if necessary. Ovens with pilot lights work exceptionally well.


More Ideas for Venison and Big Game

Smoking Meats for Jerky

Venison and Elk Jerky Recipes

What is this webpage all about?

Ingredients for Jerky – Game meats, red meats, and more…