Smoked Venison Jerky

October 22, 2026Countryside ContributorRecipes

Reading Time: 3 minutes

By Jenny Underwood

In our house, one of our favorite meats is venison, and one of our kids’ favorite ways to eat it is as smoked venison jerky. It’s healthy, full of protein, and cheap if you make it yourself. And though making jerky takes several steps, it’s not overly difficult. You can dry it in a dehydrator or even an oven, but a smoker makes the best-tasting jerky.

First off, our children prefer whole-muscle jerky, but you can also make ground jerky, which is more tender. If you choose this method, grind the meat, mix in your chosen seasonings, and either form the strips by hand or use a jerky shooter.

Processing your deer is the first step involved. If you’re making smoked venison jerky from the muscle, cut the hams into larger roasts that are easy to handle but still yield good-sized slices. For whole-muscle jerky, choose lean venison cuts, because fat will go rancid more quickly after smoking. Remove any sinew or damaged parts. Remember that processing a deer into jerky doesn’t improve poor-quality meat. Slice into very thin strips. We prefer slices about 1/4 inch thick, approximately 4 to 5 inches long, and 2 inches wide. In our experience, the hams work wonderfully for this. You can also jerk the loins for very tender jerky. Slice the hams against the grain for more tender jerky or with the grain for chewier jerky. Partially freeze the meat for easier slicing, then use either a very sharp knife or an electric meat slicer (my preferred method).

You can either use a prepared jerky mix or make your own. I like to purchase a Cajun or pepper jerky mix. These are often sold in bags that make up to 25 pounds of jerky at once. If you’re picky about your ingredients (I am), check the ingredients carefully before you buy the mix. Many mixes add artificial colors or MSG.

Weigh out your sliced meat in a bowl. Then weigh out the required amount of seasoning mix. To get this, divide your ounces of mix by the pounds it’ll season. For example, if your package is 14 ounces and it will season 25 pounds of meat, take 14/25=.56 ounces per pound. Then take the amount of meat you have in pounds and multiply it by .56 to find how many ounces of the mix you need. Mix about 1/4 cup of water into the mix and pour it over the sliced meat. Mix well and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. You can let it sit longer; the flavor will be more pronounced.

Preheat your smoker to 165 degrees F. Either place your jerky strips directly on the grill or place silicone sheets on the grates first. I prefer the silicone sheets because the jerky doesn’t stick to the grates or fall through, and they make cleanup so much easier. The smoke setting is up to you, but we prefer the low smoke setting. I usually smoke about 10 to 12 pounds at one time, and it takes approximately 4 hours to get done. When the strips are crisp and break rather than bend, take them off the smoker. I then place them in a 275-degree F oven for 10 minutes to ensure they’re completely done. Let them cool, then store them in the freezer long-term or in the refrigerator short-term. Store in freezer bags or freezer-safe bowls.

Equipment
To make smoked venison jerky, I use an electric pellet smoker that automatically feeds pellets. It’ll run for several hours before the hopper needs refilling. Don’t smoke the jerky overnight because it’ll likely overcook and lose quality. Set a timer to check the jerky and hopper after two hours of smoking, then check every 20 minutes to see if the jerky is done.

Basic Homemade Smoked Jerky

10 pounds of meat, sliced thin
10 teaspoons black pepper
10 teaspoons garlic
5 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Mix everything together and use for a spicy seasoning. For a milder seasoning, cut the pepper in half or leave it out. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the meat for more tender jerky, or 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. You can also add 1/4 cup of your desired barbecue sauce for a sweeter jerky.

Originally published in the September/October 2026 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.