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    You Are Here Home » Low Carb And Keto Recipes

    Published: Mar 26, 2017 Updated: May 31, 2023 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 4 Comments

    Elk Jerky Recipe

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    jerky in a bowl

    Spicy and flavorful Elk Jerky Recipe that you can make at home using my amazing marinade and a dehydrator. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can still make this tasty Elk Jerky. I'll also show you how to make this jerky in a smoker or an oven. And if you have more elk, try my new elk steak and elk chili too!

    spicy game jerky in a bowl

    My husband, Scott, and I created this Elk Jerky recipe years ago, after he returned from one of his hunting trips, with an abundance of game meat. We have been using this marinade on all kinds of game meat ever since! Our family and friends all love this elk jerky recipe.

    I was not planning on sharing this recipe. As a matter of fact, I used to refer to this as my "Secret Jerky Recipe." Then an Instagram follower asked me to share the recipe after seeing my post about my Elk Jerky recipe. So, how could I say no?

    🔖 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Meat: Since this is an elk jerky recipe, guess what? We're using elk meat! Elk roast, scrap, or elk trim can be used. If all else fails, you can use deer meat instead.
    • Oil: The sesame oil in the marinade really takes this recipe over the top, so I'm not going to recommend a substitute.
    • Other Liquids: You'll also need some soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and liquid smoke for the marinade.
    • Spices: The elk jerky marinade is seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, and cayenne.

    🥩 How to Make Elk Jerky

    Step 1: Slice semi-frozen elk meat, against the grain, anywhere between ⅛" to ¼" in thickness. If using trim or scrap, you'll need to make sure you trim off the sinew. Place the meat in ziplock bag or a large.

    raw elk meat

    Step 2: Whisk marinade ingredients into a medium bowl and pour all over the sliced elk meat. Stir the mixture to make sure all the pieces are covered with the marinade. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and marinate overnight, or for at least eight hours.

    meat marinating in a plastic bag
    raw elk meat being marinated in a bowl

    Step 3: Place jerky on the dehydrator trays, leaving some space in between to allow for circulation.

    raw elk jerky on dehyrdator trays
    raw elk jerky on dehydrator trays

    Step 4: Use your dehydrator's settings to determine the length of time to dehydrate the meat. My dehydrator has a jerky setting and usually takes approximately eight hours until the jerky is ready.

    dehydrator

    Step 5: Once all the jerky pieces are ready, turn off the dehydrator and allow the jerky to cool completely before storing.

    elk jerky in a dehydrator

    How do you make jerky with an electric smoker?

    • Yet another way to make jerky is to use a smoker. We have a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker, so I will be giving you instructions accordingly.
    • Remove racks from the smoker.
    • Add wood chips to the smoker tray, then heat the electric smoker to 250F. Leave a small crack in the vent.
    • While the smoker is heating up, drain the marinade from the jerky.
    • Place jerky on smoker racks, leaving enough room for air and smoke circulation.
    • When you begin to see heavy smoke coming out of the vent, which could take 30 to 45 minutes, place the racks inside the smoker and seal the door.
    • Allow the smoke to build back up, then lower the temperature to 165 degrees F.
    • Cook for 4 to 6 hours, or until the meat is no longer wet.
    • Make sure the meat is still pliable. You don't want it to overcook, making it brittle.

    🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

    What tools are needed to make jerky?

    It depends on the kind of jerky you are making. If you are preparing jerky with sliced meat, you will need a sharp knife to slice the meat. You will also need a dehydrator unless you plan on smoking the jerky or preparing it in the oven.

    What meat can be used to make jerky?

    Besides elk meat, you can use this marinade to make beef jerky. However, if you do hunt, or have access to game meat, I'm pleased to tell you that this recipe is very versatile.

    Can you make jerky without a dehydrator?

    You certainly can make jerky without a dehydrator, although a dehydrator is the easiest to use. Another option is using your oven. Just follow these steps:
    • Preheat oven to 175 degrees F
    • Place jerky on a wire rack, with a foil-lined tray underneath. Allow room for air circulation between the jerky pieces.
    • Bake until dry and leathery, 3 to 4 hours.

    Jerky on a plate

    👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

    • I've also used this marinade to make venison, bison, and antelope jerky. My personal favorite is elk jerky, with bison jerky being a close second.
    • Sometimes I sprinkle sesame seeds, crushed red pepper, or cayenne pepper over the meat before dehydrating it.
    • The thinner pieces will be ready sooner than the thicker ones. Start checking the jerky after approximately six hours and pull off any pieces that are ready.
    jerky in a wooden bowl

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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    spicy game jerky in a bowl

    Elk Jerky Recipe

    Spicy elk jerky recipe; the marinade can be used on beef, venison, elk etc.
    4.42 from 34 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours hours
    Resting Time: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 368kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • dehydrator

    Ingredients

    • 3 lbs roast (elk, venison, buffalo etc.)
    • ½ cup soy sauce
    • ¼ cup sesame seed oil
    • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 2 teaspoon coriander powder
    • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

    Instructions

    • Slice semi-frozen meat, against the grain, anywhere between ⅛" to ¼" in thickness. Place in a ziplock bag.
    • Add the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until completely combined.
    • Carefully pour the marinade over the meat. Seal the bag and marinate overnight, or at least eight hours.
    • Place jerky on the dehydrator trays, leaving some space in between to allow for circulation.
    • Use your dehydrator's settings to determine the length of time to dehydrate the meat. My dehydrator has a jerky setting and usually takes approximately eight hours until the jerky is ready.
    • Once all the pieces are ready, turn off the dehydrator and allow to cool completely before storing.

    Notes

    • I've also used this marinade to make venison, bison, and antelope jerky. My personal favorite is elk jerky, with bison jerky being a close second.
    • Sometimes I sprinkle sesame seeds, crushed red pepper, or cayenne pepper over the meat before dehydrating it.
    • The thinner pieces will be ready sooner than the thicker ones. Start checking the jerky after approximately six hours and pull off any pieces that are ready.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 1100mg | Sodium: 1897mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 1g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    1. Sara says

      November 16, 2020 at 9:48 am

      I am making this jerky as I write… I will come back and leave a star review after it is out of the oven, cooled and we have tried it… I made the marinade yesterday there was no weird ingredients, everything I already had on hand it came together nice and smelled pretty good! I usually make a sweeter marinade for my jerky, this will be my first time doing a more savory one so we will see how that goes. I am doing it in the oven as I have not yet gotten a dehydrator. I usually do jerky on my smoker but a dehydrator is on my list of things to get! I have been making my elk jerky for the last two days now, I did my original recipe yesterday and yours is in now so now we wait for the taste test! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        November 16, 2020 at 1:37 pm

        Hi Sara,
        That's funny because my elk is defrosting in the sink so that I could make some jerky. You got me thinking, maybe I'll try a sweeter marinade this time.. want to share your recipe?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          November 16, 2020 at 2:45 pm

          It’s a mixture of yoshidas, teriyaki, brown sugar, garlic, chili flakes and cayenne pepper. I don’t measure I just dump and taste. It’s pretty dang good. If you’re doing it not on smoker your would add a little liquid smoke.

          Reply
      • Sara says

        November 16, 2020 at 2:50 pm

        We also want to come up with a honey sriracha jerky marinade! We were discussing it today as we have a few elk roasts that we want to make into jerky!

        Reply

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