This is my Buddy’s go to deer jerky recipe every year after we harvest a couple bucks during hunting season. He was nice enough to give me the recipe to share with you guys, so I named it after him. Jimmy’s Teriyaki Deer Jerky!
So who is Jimmy? Well, in the picture below; Jimmy is the one on the right and I am on the left. This picture was taken last year when Jimmy, our friend Kyle, & I went on the boat when some really cold weather came through to pick up cold stunned turtles on the verge of death and bring them to the National Park Service’s Turtle Patrol on South Padre Island, Texas. (Turtles can not handle the extreme temperature changes and go into shock. They need to be picked up and brought somewhere they can be warmed back up to prevent them from dying)
Jimmy taught me how to hunt. The first buck I ever harvested was with him by my side and was shot with his rifle. Those antlers are proudly displayed on top of my moms fine china cabinet in her kitchen.
Every year a couple of us guys get together and go hunting and fishing. This year I shot a nice 10-point buck and that is where I got the Venison for this jerky. Jimmy also shot a 10-point this year making it one of our better years of hunting.
Making Deer Jerky
So after processing our deer, I kept a couple of roasts to make jerky out of. One of the first recipes I made this year was Jimmy’s Teriyaki Deer Jerky recipe. I started with a roast (cut out of the hind quarter of the deer).
I had vacuum packed and sealed this roast and let it defrost partially in the refrigerator before pulling it out to trim and slice. I sliced at about 1/4″ with the grain of the meat.
*I recently started using a Weston Jerky Slicer to cut my strips of jerky. It slices all the strips the same thickness allowing them to dry evenly in your smoker or dehydrator. No more pulling pieces out that are finished and letting thicker pieces keep going. It’s definitely nice when making a bunch of jerky. Below is a picture of some beef eye of round I sliced the other day.
The recipe for this jerky is very simple, but extremely tasty! For 1lb of venison, I mixed 1 cup of Allegro Teriyaki Marinade and 2 tbsp of Liquid Smoke (Mesquite).
Both of these can be found at your local grocery store. I found the Teriyaki Marinade near the BBQ sauces, NOT in the Asian section, so make sure to check both places.
I marinated the venison for 20hrs and strained in this colander. This is where you will want to sprinkle on some garlic powder for a little extra flavor.
If you want a true Teriyaki Deer Jerky, you can start to dehydrate the jerky right here. I split this recipe and made half with some black pepper as well.
Just dredge one side of the jerky in a bowl of fresh cracked black pepper and wipe off any excess. I found that one side was enough to give this deer jerky a great pepper flavor.
Using my Excalibur Dehydrator, I arranged the venison strips on the trays with enough space between strips to allow for proper air circulation.
This jerky was dehydrated for 2.5hrs at 165F & 1hr at 145F. Yep, it was finished and perfect in just 3.5hrs! Jimmy’s Teriyaki Deer Jerky had a nice strong Teriyaki flavor. The pieces with pepper also had that great flavor with the extra little kick of the fresh cracked black pepper. I love spice and pepper, so the peppered pieces were my favorite.
Cook’s Tips:
- Keep game meat very clean while butchering and wash thoroughly with fresh water
- Partially freeze meat or use a jerky slicer for even strips. This allows all jerky to finish drying evenly and at the same time
- Using cracked black pepper instead of ground pepper really enhances the flavor and spice on this recipe
- Start checking deer for doneness after 3 hours in the dehydrator, it tends to dry faster than beef
You need to make this jerky! This recipe would also be great when making beef jerky. But if you still have some venison in the freezer from this past hunting season, get some out and start marinating it now! I really liked this recipe and can see why Jimmy makes it EVERY year. Thanks for sharing the recipe Jimmy!
!!All of the Beef Jerky Recipes on this Site can also double as Venison Jerky Recipes!!
For more in depth directions on how to dry your beef or deer jerky, visit my page Jerky Making Methods or click on the pictures below.
Jimmy's Teriyaki Deer Jerky
This is my Buddy’s go to deer jerky recipe every year after we harvest a couple bucks during hunting season. He was nice enough to give me the recipe to share with you guys, so I named it after him. Jimmy’s Teriyaki Deer Jerky!
Marinade
- 1 cup Allegro Teriyaki Marinade
- 2 tbsp Mesquite Liquid Smoke
Extra
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 3 tbsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper for dipping
Trim all visible fat from the venison and place in freezer for an hour or two to partially freeze.
While the meat is in the freezer, combine all the ingredients in a bowl or ziplock bag and mix well.
Remove the meat from the freezer and slice ¼" strips against the grain for an easy chew. Cut with the grain for a more chewy jerky.
Add sliced venison to the mixture in a ziplock bag or bowl and marinate for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator.
After the meat has finished marinating, remove from refrigerator and strain excess marinade in a colander.
Sprinkle meat evenly with the garlic powder.
Dredge one side of each strip of meat in fresh cracked black pepper if you want a peppery flavor *Optional
Dry with your favorite jerky making method. I used my
Excalibur Dehydrator and dried for 2½ hours at 165F & 1 hour at 145F.
The jerky is finished when it bends and cracks, but does not break in half.
Expert Tips:
- Keep game meat very clean while butchering and wash thoroughly with fresh water
- Partially freeze meat or use a jerky slicer for even strips. This allows all jerky to finish drying evenly and at the same time
- Using cracked black pepper instead of ground pepper really enhances the flavor and spice on this recipe
- Start checking deer for doneness after 3 hours in the dehydrator, it tends to dry faster than beef
Nutrition Facts
Jimmy's Teriyaki Deer Jerky
Amount Per Serving (70 g)
Calories 230 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Sodium 2254mg 94%
Potassium 386mg 11%
Total Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 8g
Protein 28g 56%
Vitamin A 0.4%
Calcium 3.6%
Iron 19.5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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