Teriyaki venison jerky is a flavorful fusion, combining tender venison with the sweet and savory flavor of teriyaki sauce. It's a mouthwatering snack that's both savory and satisfying. Take this teriyaki venison jerky on your next adventure!
Why You’ll Love This Jerky Recipe:
Venison (and other wild game) makes the best meat for jerky because it's naturally lean without much fat so it doesn't spoil quickly. The wild flavor of venison is the perfect pairing with a sweet and salty teriyaki sauce marinade. Making jerky is a great way to clear some roasts out of the freezer in preparation for the hunting season ahead. Looking for another healthy snack idea? Try these spicy kale chips!
Ingredient Notes:
- Venison Roast: I used a sirloin roast for this jerky recipe but any roast will do: eye of round roast, top round, red meat, or any whole cut of meat with little connective tissue works great for jerky.
- Garlic: This recipe uses minced garlic but if you're in a pinch, you can use garlic powder or jarred minced garlic instead.
- Ginger: This recipe uses fresh ginger but you can buy jarred minced ginger to cut down on prep time.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce provides the salty and savory element in this jerky. For a lower sodium option, you can use Worcestershire sauce, but the jerky might not keep as long. You can also add liquid smoke for an extra flavor boost.
Equipment Notes:
- Food Dehydrator: This recipe is written for a food dehydrator but it can also be made in the oven or a smoker. See below for more specific instructions.
- Parchment Paper: When making jerky in a dehydrator, lining the trays with parchment paper is a great option to cut down on clean-up time. It keeps the jerky from sticking to the dehydrator trays which makes the jerky easier to remove and the trays easier to clean.
Step by Step Instructions:
How To Prepare Venison for Jerky:
Venison roasts can be sliced thin or thick when making jerky. If you cut thicker slices, you'll have chewier jerky. Thick strips will have a longer drying time. I like to slice the roasts somewhere in between thin and thick slices. Not so thin that the jerky is crispy and not chewy. But not so thick that it doesn't dehydrate fully.
Step 1: Combine all marinade ingredients (soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds) in a medium bowl or airtight container. Set aside until ready to use.
Step 2: Trim visible fat from the venison roast. Slice venison roast into ¼" thick slices, approximately 1-2" wide.
Step 3: Place the thin strips of venison into the marinade.
Step 4: Stir to coat each piece. Cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Stir jerky 1-2 times during the marinating time to ensure all pieces are coated.
Pro Tip: Slice the meat while it's still a little frozen. This makes it easier to get more uniform slices.
How to Dehydrate Venison Jerky:
Once your meat is sliced and marinated, it's time to dehydrate it!
Step 1: Set the dehydrator to 160°F. Line the dehydrator trays with parchment paper. This will extend the drying time but will make clean-up much easier. Remove the venison strips from the marinade and let the excess marinade drip off before placing them in the dehydrator. You can also pat the meat dry with paper towels to remove excess marinade before dehydrating.
Step 2: Arrange the marinated meat in a single layer on the parchment paper-lined dehydrator trays. Don't crowd the trays or you won't have enough air circulation to dry the meat properly.
Step 3: Dehydrate for 6-8 hours, or until dried but still pliable and not crispy. Flip all the pieces over after the first 2 hours.
Step 4: Place the jerky in a container and loosely place a lid on top. Let the jerky steam until it is cool. This allows the remaining moisture to redistribute into the meat leading to more tender jerky. Freeze for up to 6 months or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Pro Tip: Move the dehydrator trays around throughout the drying process to help the jerky dehydrate evenly.
Dehydrating Options:
Jerky can be made in a variety of ways. If you don't have a food dehydrator, you can get creative!
- Pellet Grill: Heat the pellet grill to 170 degrees F. Arrange the marinated strips of venison on baking racks and place them in the smoker. Smoke for 2-3 hours or until dried but still pliable and not crispy.
- Electric Smoker: An electric smoker works very similarly to a pellet grill in this instance. You can follow the instructions for a pellet grill but you may have to rearrange the jerky a couple of times depending on where the heat source is in your smoker.
- Oven Rack: Some people like to make jerky by draping strips of meat over the rungs of an oven rack. I prefer to place the strips of meat on a baking/cooling rack on top of a sheet pan. This makes clean-up much easier. Heat the oven to 170 degrees F, crack the door open with a wooden spoon, and bake for 3-4 hours.
Recipe Variations:
This recipe uses a simple teriyaki sauce marinade. You can switch it up by adding the ingredients below.
- Black Pepper: Add some subtle spice with the addition of black pepper to the marinade.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Kick it up a notch by adding some spicy red pepper flakes.
- Liquid Smoke: If you're not already smoking your jerky, you can add some smoky flavor with liquid smoke.
How to Store Venison Jerky:
This venison jerky is not cured and should not be stored at room temperature. Instead, store it in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge or freezer. The shelf life is 6 months in the fridge or 2 weeks in the fridge.
Recipe FAQ's:
Homemade jerky does not need curing salt. However, jerky made without a curing agent should not be stored at room temperature. It should be stored in the fridge or freezer instead. Curing salt is also referred to as Prague powder, pink salt, and sodium nitrite.
Starting with lean meat with little fat is the first step to creating great jerky. Fat does not dehydrate properly and will decrease the shelf life of your homemade jerky. Venison roasts work great for jerky because they're naturally lean.
For the best flavor and quality, homemade venison jerky should be stored in either the fridge or freezer. If curing salt is used properly, jerky can be stored at room temperature.
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to me and fellow readers. And if you want more delicious wild game recipes, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Recipe:
Homemade Teriyaki Venison Jerky
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb venison roast (sirloin, round, etc.)
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl or airtight container. Set aside until ready to use.
- Trim visible fat from the venison roast. Slice venison roast into ¼" thick slices, approximately 1-2" wide.
- Place the thin strips of venison into the marinade and stir to coat each piece.
- Cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Stir jerky 1-2 times during the marinating time to ensure all pieces are coated.
- Set the dehydrator to 160°F.
- Line the dehydrator trays with parchment paper. This will extend the drying time but will make clean-up much easier.
- Remove the strips of venison from the marinade and let the excess marinade drip off before placing them in the dehydrator.
- Arrange the meat in a single layer on the parchment paper-lined trays.
- Dehydrate for 6-8 hours, or until dried but still pliable and not crispy. Flip all the pieces over after the first 2 hours.
- Place the jerky in a container and loosely place a lid on top. Let the jerky steam until it is cool. This allows the remaining moisture to redistribute into the meat leading to more tender jerky.
- Freeze for up to 6 months or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- I used a sirloin roast for this jerky recipe but any roast will do: eye of round roast, top round, cut of meat, red meat, or any whole cuts with little connective tissue work great for jerky.
- Slice the meat while it's still a little frozen. This makes it easier to get more uniform slices.
- Move the dehydrator trays around throughout the drying process to help the jerky dehydrate evenly.
- This recipe uses minced garlic but if you're in a pinch, you can use garlic powder or jarred garlic instead.
- This recipe uses fresh ginger but you can buy jarred minced ginger to cut down on prep time.
- Soy sauce provides the salty and savory element in this jerky. For a lower sodium option, you can use Worcestershire sauce, but the jerky might not keep as long. You can also add liquid smoke for an extra flavor boost.
- When making jerky in a dehydrator, lining the trays with parchment paper is a great option to cut down on clean-up time. It keeps the jerky from sticking to the dehydrator trays which makes the jerky easier to remove and the trays easier to clean.
- This recipe is written for a food dehydrator but it can also be made in the oven or a smoker. See below for more specific instructions.
- Pellet Grill: Heat the pellet grill to 170 degrees F. Arrange the marinated strips of venison on baking racks and place them in the smoker. Smoke for 2-3 hours or until dried but still pliable and not crispy.
- Electric Smoker: An electric smoker works very similarly to a pellet grill in this instance. You can follow the instructions for a pellet grill but you may have to rearrange the jerky a couple of times depending on where the heat source is in your smoker.
- Oven Rack: Some people like to make jerky by draping strips of meat over the rungs of an oven rack. I prefer to place the strips of meat on a baking/cooling rack on top of a sheet pan. This makes clean-up much easier. Heat the oven to 170 degrees F, crack the door open with a wooden spoon, and bake for 3-4 hours.
Jeremy says
This is an excellent recipe for venison jerky. I have tried everything under the sun (including a jerky gun and cured seasonings) and this is the one I come back to. I also like Steve Rinella’s “queen mother of all jerkies” recipe, which isn’t surprising because it’s a similar recipe to this one.
I add 1-2 tbsp of gochujang and 1-2 tbsp of honey to add a kick of umami heat and some more sweetness. It’s also great without!
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much for your kind review, Jeremy! Your sweet and spicy additions sound delicious. I'll have to give them a try!
Jerry says
Are you using fresh pineapple juice (which has an enzyme that tenderizes meat) or canned (etc.) juice? The processing of canning removes the tenderizing enzyme.
Annie Weisz says
Hi Jerry! I use canned pineapple juice. The bromelain may be destroyed by the canning process but the acidity of the juice still helps tenderize the meat. The juice also adds great flavor to the jerky.
John says
Your recipes are great. I’ve passed them to a few of my hunting friends. They told me that there. Banging. New word for very good. Tks again and u and your family enjoy the holidays.
Annie Weisz says
Haha I love it! Thank you for the kind words, John. I hope you have a lovely holiday season as well!