Chicken Jerky

You hear about beef jerky and turkey jerky, but what about chicken jerky?! It tastes AMAZING, but is not as commonly found or made as its counterparts. Let's change that, this protein packed super food is just what you need in your life.

Jump to:

• Video - Homemade Chicken Jerky
• Why this recipe works
• What part of the chicken is best?
• How to slice the meat
• Marinating the chicken
• Dehydrating the jerky
• How to tell when it's finished dehydrating
• FAQ
• Old pro tips
• Other jerky recipes you might like
• Chicken Jerky

Video - Homemade Chicken Jerky

Why this recipe works

This is a classic flavor that works perfectly with the lean chicken breast. The sweetness of the honey and the spice from the chili garlic sauce are what really make this chicken jerky recipe to die for.

What part of the chicken is best?

Chicken breast is the best part of the chicken to use when making chicken jerky. The breast is the largest part of the bird and very lean. Chicken breast is very inexpensive compared to other types of meat and easily sliced into strips as well.

How to slice the meat

Slice the breasts lengthwise into ⅛" - ¼" strips for the best results. Any larger than that and the outside of the jerky will get very dry whereas the inside will still be under dried. After slicing, place the chicken in a gallon ziplock bag.

Partially freezing the chicken

The first thing you want to do before even slicing is wrap the breasts in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about an hour. This will firm up the meat and make slicing even strips a lot easier. Slicing even strips is important because this ensures all the jerky will finish drying at the same time.

Using a sharp knife

The most important tool to have when slicing the breast for chicken jerky is a really sharp knife. This will make a huge difference, I am currently using a Victorinox knife that has a really good feel and sharp blade. When it starts getting dull, a quick sharpen and it is just like new.

If you have never sharpened a knife before, it's super easy and will make a HUGE difference when slicing nice even strips of chicken. The people at Cook's Illustrated put together a great article on how to sharpen a knife, it's a must read.

Marinating the chicken

Time to bust out all those great tasting spices and sauces and make the most incredible tasting chicken jerky recipe there is. Let's get started!!!

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour the marinade over the chicken strips in the gallon ziplock and marinade in the fridge for 6-24 hours. Make sure to shake the bag to make sure all the strips are fully covered by marinade several times while marinating.

Using curing salt

When making chicken or turkey jerky, I always include curing salt into the marinade to help prevent bacteria in the jerky. Curing salt is mostly table salt with about 6% sodium nitrite, an ingredient that removes water from the meat and the bacteria cells themselves.

Once the chicken is finished marinating, strain in a colander to remove any excess marinade. You can also pat dry with paper towels to remove even more excess marinade. This will speed up the drying process.

Dehydrating the jerky

This chicken jerky can be dried by using either a dehydrator, oven, or in a smoker. I decided to make this chicken jerky recipe with a Nesco Dehydrator. Which ever method you are using, arrange the chicken strips on the trays or baking sheet lines with cooling racks.

Make sure the chicken strips aren't touching or overlapping and have enough space in between to allow air to easily flow. This will help speed up the drying process as well.

Dehydrate on the highest setting, normally 165°F, in a dehydrator or at 200°F in a smoker or oven. The jerky should take around 4-6 hours to fully dry.

Pre or post heat treatment

If you are not sure if your dehydrator heats the jerky to this temperature, you can pre-heat the meat or do a post heat treatment to make sure the jerky reaches the all important 165°F. This is done by placing the meat on a cookie sheet and putting in a 300°F pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes. This can be done before dehydrating or after.

Food safety is very important when making jerky, especially chicken or turkey jerky. Here I have put together a lot of great information on jerky safety and food safety steps you can follow when making homemade turkey jerky.

How to tell when it's finished dehydrating

Start checking the chicken jerky about 4 hours into dehydrating to see if it's finished. Remove 1 piece of jerky from the dehydrator, oven, or smoker and allow it to cool to room temperature for 5 minutes.

Once it's cool, perform the bend or rip test to see if it's ready to eat!

The bend test

Bend the jerky in half from end to end in a U shape. The jerky should bend and crack, but not break in half. If it bends into a U shape without cracking, it is not finished and needs to be dried further. Continue drying for another hour or so and check again.

The rip test

Take a piece of chicken jerky and rip it in half by grabbing one end of the jerky and tearing like you would a piece of paper. The jerky should rip in half and white fibers will be easily seen. The white fibers are an indication it is finished drying. If you don't see the fibers and only raw looking meat, it needs to dry longer.

FAQ

Old pro tips

• Using hickory or applewood liquid smoke gives a great flavor to the jerky when not dehydrating with a smoker
• Support local bee keepers and bee colonies by buying local honey
• Store jerky in airtight containers in a cool area out of sunlight. Keep in the refrigerator for best results. Here I have more information on how to store your recently made chicken jerky.

Other jerky recipes you might like