I can’t get enough of jerky—especially homemade venison jerky. There’s something about that sweet, chewy, flavor-packed bite that keeps me coming back for more.

One of my all-time favorite homemade venison jerky recipes is simple but bold: a blend of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire, a splash of rice vinegar, honey, granulated garlic, and a generous amount of crushed red pepper flakes. It’s sweet, sticky, and packs a little heat. If you prefer a milder jerky, you can omit the pepper flakes entirely.

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until blended. Remove from heat and let cool before pouring over your sliced game meat. Marinate for at least 24 hours if you can resist sampling early!

Transform those marinated slices into jerky using a dehydrator set to 140°F for about five hours, checking periodically for the perfect firm texture with a little chew in every bite. The aroma alone makes it impossible not to taste-test every hour.

This marinade works perfectly on venison, but I’ve also had amazing results with elk and pronghorn antelope. Every batch of homemade venison jerky has been a hit and disappears almost as fast as it took to make!

A quick note: all dehydrators vary, so times may need adjusting. You can also make jerky in the oven, just watch the temperature and keep an eye on the texture. I have more details below: Oven vs. Dehydrator: Jerky Tips for Homemade Venison Jerky.

Best Cuts of Wild Game for Making Homemade Jerky

When it comes to making the best wild game jerky, I always reach for the lean cuts from the hindquarters. These cuts, like top round, bottom round, and sirloin, have minimal fat and a consistent grain, which makes slicing a breeze and gives you that perfect chewy texture. You can certainly use cuts from the front shoulders, and they’ll still make great jerky, but there’s something about the flavor and tenderness from the hindquarters that really takes it to the next level. Choosing the right cut makes all the difference, and it’s worth spending a little extra time trimming and slicing to get those bite-sized strips just right.

One of the best tricks for making perfect homemade venison jerky is to slice the meat while it’s still slightly frozen. Chilling the meat firms it up, making it much easier to cut consistent, even strips without tearing. This is especially helpful for lean cuts like top round or sirloin from the hindquarters, giving you uniform pieces that dry evenly and cook consistently.

Tips for slicing semi-frozen meat:

1. Remove the meat from the freezer and let it sit for 15–20 minutes until it’s firm but not rock solid.
2. Use a sharp knife and cut against the grain for a more tender bite, or with the grain if you prefer chewier jerky.
3. Keep the slices roughly the same thickness—around 1/8 to 1/4 inch works well for consistent drying.
4. Work in small batches so the meat stays cold while slicing, which helps maintain texture and prevents sticking.

Store your cooled jerky in airtight containers; it keeps for several weeks, or freeze for longer storage. Experiment with thickness, seasoning, and spice levels until you find your perfect batch.

Slice the wild game meat into thin, even strips. Slice against the grain for a more tender jerky or with the grain for a chewier texture.

Add all marinade ingredients to a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring until well combined. Remove from heat and allow the marinade to cool completely.

Pour the cooled marinade over the sliced meat, making sure all pieces are well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 24 hours, if you can wait that long.

Before dehydrating, drain the meat thoroughly from the marinade. Arrange slices in a single layer and proceed with dehydrating or oven-drying according to your preferred method.

Oven vs. Dehydrator: Jerky Tips for Homemade Venison Jerky

Using a Dehydrator:

• Dehydrators are ideal for consistent low-temperature drying, usually around 140°F.
• Spread slices evenly on the trays so air can circulate and cook the jerky evenly.
• Check the jerky periodically to reach a firm texture with a slight chew—typically 4–6 hours depending on thickness and moisture content.
• Marinating the meat ahead of time helps lock in flavor and tenderness.

Using an Oven:

• Set your oven to its lowest temperature, ideally 160–170°F, and prop the door slightly open to allow moisture to escape.
• Use a wire rack over a baking sheet to let air circulate around the meat for even drying.
• Thinner slices dry faster; thicker slices may need more time. Rotate the racks occasionally for uniform results.
• Keep a close eye on the jerky, as ovens vary in heat, and remove when it’s firm but still pliable.

A Homemade Venison Jerky Marinade You Can Make Your Own

This venison jerky marinade is just one of many ways to flavor wild game, and it’s incredibly adaptable. I love how easy it is to tweak the ingredients to match your taste—add more honey for sweetness, swap herbs, or adjust the spice level to your liking. I don’t usually add extra salt because, personally, I get plenty of saltiness from the wet ingredients like soy sauce, hoisin, and teriyaki sauce. That makes it simple to keep the flavors balanced while still packing a punch of sweet, smoky, and spicy goodness into every bite.

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Homemade Venison Jerky Marinade

Here’s one of my favorite homemade game jerky marinade recipes. It’s asimple blend of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoison sauce, Worcestershire sauce,a splash or two of rice vinegar, honey, granulated garlic powder and red pepper flakes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword deer jerky, elk jerky, venison jerky

Prep Time 1 day day 25 minutes minutes

Marinade Time 1 day day

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs wild game meat, thinly sliced
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Mr. Yoshida's teriyaki marinade, (or other teriyaki sauce)
• 1/4 cup hoison sauce
• 4 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional; adjust to taste)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp granulated garlic powder

Instructions

• Slice the wild game meat into thin, even strips. Slice against the grain for a more tender jerky or with the grain for a chewier texture.
• Add all marinade ingredients to a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring until well combined. Remove from heat and allow the marinade to cool completely.
• Pour the cooled marinade over the sliced meat, making sure all pieces are well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 24 hours, if you can wait that long.
• Before dehydrating, drain the meat thoroughly from the marinade. Arrange slices in a single layer and proceed with dehydrating or oven-drying according to your preferred method.
• Dehydrator Instructions: Arrange the marinated and drained meat strips in a single layer on dehydrator trays, making sure they do not overlap. Set the dehydrator to 140°F and dry for 4–6 hours, rotating trays if needed.
• The jerky is done when it is dry, firm, and bends without breaking, with a slight chew in the center. Allow the jerky to cool completely before storing.

Oven Instructions

• Preheat the oven to its lowest setting, ideally 160–170°F. Place the marinated and drained meat strips on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to allow air circulation.
• Prop the oven door open slightly to let moisture escape and dry the jerky for 4–6 hours, flipping the strips halfway through. Jerky should be firm but still pliable when finished.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing.

Notes

• Remove the meat from the freezer and let it sit for 15–20 minutes until it’s firm but not rock solid.
• Use a sharp knife and cut against the grain for a more tender bite, or with the grain if you prefer chewier jerky.
• Keep the slices roughly the same thickness—around 1/8 to 1/4 inch works well for consistent drying.
• Work in small batches so the meat stays cold while slicing, which helps maintain texture and prevents sticking.

A Sweet & Sticky Marinade for Any Wild Game

This sweet and sticky jerky marinade isn’t just for venison—it works beautifully with a wide variety of wild game meats. I’ve used it on elk, pronghorn antelope, and other lean game cuts with consistently great results. The balance of sweet, savory, and smoky heat complements the natural flavor of wild game without overpowering it, making this an easy go-to marinade no matter what’s in your freezer. It’s the kind of recipe you can rely on season after season, adapting it slightly while still delivering bold, crave-worthy jerky every time.

If you love cooking wild game as much as I do, be sure to check out more venison, elk, antelope, and wild game recipes for inspiration from field to table.

A Caffeinated Dry Rub Seasoning Blend

• 1/2 cup finely ground coffee beans
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• olive oil

Mix the coffee, brown sugar, paprika, ancho chile powder, salt and dried oregano in a small bowl. Rub your roast or steaks with a light coating of olive oil and then cover with some of the seasoning blend, letting the meat chill in the refrigerator afterward for a few hours. Remove the meat and let sit for 30 minutes before cooking.

Save any leftover rub in an airtight container for the next wild game steak dinner.

Coffee Seasoning Rub

In a bowl, combine all ingredients together forming a thick seasoning paste. Rub all over elk or venison steaks and let marinate in a refrigerator overnight. Heat an outdoor grill and cook until your preferred doneness. Remove from heat and cover loosely with a piece of foil letting the meat rest for 10 minutes. Slice thin strips and finish with a pinch of kosher salt. ~Enjoy!

• 2 tablespoons dark roasted coffee grounds
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon Ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

So if you are looking for a really flavorful marinade for your game steaks, you need to try this one. You can use elk, venison or antelope meat. I simply took an elk roast from last years harvest and let it defrost for 2 days in the fridge. Then I sliced it into 1/2 inch thick steaks while it was still just slightly frozen. I tenderized each individual steak with a meat mallet before I mixed up the marinade ingredients below.

Combine the olive oil, chopped shallot, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt in a bowl. Place the steaks in a storage bag and pour the marinade into the bag. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. Set the steaks in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours. Remove and let sit on your counter for 30 minutes before grilling or searing in a cast iron skillet.

How you serve them is up to you. You can simply eat the steaks with your favorite side dish or you can see how I prepared them below. I grilled the elk steaks on medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side. I removed the steaks and loosely covered with foil letting them rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips. Then I served them on mini corn tortillas with charred Anaheim Chilis, sliced avocado, cilantro rice, black beans, chopped green onions and cotija cheese. – Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 8-10 boneless elk steaks, 1/2 inch thick
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

If you’ve made any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email or leave me a comment below the recipe you have prepared. You can also comment on my Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram pages.

Dry Rub Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon ground coffee
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
• pinch of pink sea salt (to finish)

Directions

Mix the seasonings in a bowl and then rub all over the meat. Let the meat marinate for 30 minutes and come to room temperature. Heat a well seasoned cast iron skillet with a tablespoon of butter and sear all sides of the roast to create a dark outer crust. Finish in the oven at 400 degrees until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 140/145 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Using a sharp knife, slice thin and finish with a pinch of pink sea salt.

Just a quick tip… slice your game roasts into steaks, tenderize and then season both sides before cooking. This will remove the extra step of finishing a large piece of meat in the oven. ~ enjoy!

Substitute Mallard Duck for the Specklebelly Geese

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 whole Specklebelly geese, plucked and cleaned
• Cabbage slaw, shredded
• Green apples, thinly sliced
• Flour or corn tortillas

Brine

• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 8 cups water

Dry Rub Seasonings

• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Cilantro Sauce

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides.

• 2 cups cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Wash and clean geese and place in a large non-reactive glass or plastic dish. Mix water and kosher salt and pour over the geese making sure they are submerged in the brine. Cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Remove geese from brine and wash under cold water. Set on a rack over a baking sheet and air dry for 2 hours.

Mix dry rub seasonings together in a small bowl. Using clean hands, rub the seasonings all over the exterior and interior of the birds.

Heat an outdoor smoker to 250 degrees. Place geese on grill grate and smoke for 2 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check temperature on the thickest part of the birds. Continue smoking until meat registers 150-155 degrees. Remove and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

Serve the sliced meat in warm tortillas with shredded cabbage slaw, sliced green apples and cilantro sauce.

As always, you can make this with venison or antelope. It will taste just as great as the elk.

Ingredients

• 1lb elk sliced thin (I used a bottom round cut)
• 2-3 zucchinis sliced thin
• 1 large onion sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano

Garnish with avocado slices, jalapenos and cheese.

Directions

Mix all dry seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl. Divide seasoning rub in half saving half for later. Rub sliced elk meat with seasoning and let rest for 30 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add onions and cook until caramelized and translucent. Add zucchini and continue to cook until softened. Move vegetables to half of the skillet and turn up heat to medium-high. Add elk meat and continue to cook. Add the remaining seasoning rub to vegetables and elk meat. Stir together and remove from heat when cooked. Serve in a warm flour tortilla and garnish with fresh avocado slices, jalapenos and cheese.

Coffee and Brown Sugar Rub for Wild Game Roasts and Steaks

• 1/4 cup ground dark roast or espresso coffee
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all above ingredients together and rub all over roast. Cover and marinade for 1 hour to 24 hours.

Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. Add meat to the skillet and sear on all sides. The amount of time depends on the thickness of your cut of meat. Remember, you want a dark caramelized outer crust to develop. If you like medium-rare, remove your roast when the temperature range is about 130/135 degrees.

Let your roast rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Finish with a pinch of kosher salt. ~Enjoy!

Yum

This rainbow trout brine and smoking recipe adds a mild sweet flavor and flakey-firm texture to your fish.

Up to 5 Rainbow Trout.
Note: If you have more trout double the brine recipe so that there is enough to cover the fish.

BRINE INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups water
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup peach brandy

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

• Mr. Yoshidas Original Gourmet Sweet and Savory Marinade (or other Teriyaki Sauce)
• Ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fillet trout and cut into 4-6 inch wide steaks. Brine skin side up in a plastic or glass dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.
2. Wash trout under cold water, pat dry with a paper towel and set on wire rack in a cool place. Let sit for 2 hours.
3. Brush trout with Mr. Yoshidas Original Gourmet Sweet and Savory Marinade. Add fresh ground black pepper.
4. I used a Bradley Digital Smoker with Alder Wood and began smoking the fish at 150 degrees for 2 hours.  Basting every hour with Mr. Yoshidas Marinade.  Increase temperature to 160 for 2 hours. Finish trout at 170 for 1 to 2 hours until the internal temperature reaches 130/140 degrees.
5. Remove trout from smoker and let sit for 1 hour before vacuum-sealing.

Ingredients

• 12-14 – 1/4 inch Elk Steaks

Chimichurri Marinade

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1 shallot chopped
• 1 green or red jalapeño chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)

Directions

Add all marinade ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. Cut elk into 1/4 inch thick steaks and rub 1/2 of chimichurri marinade on steaks. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Let steaks become room temperature before grilling about 30 minutes. Heat barbeque to high heat. Grill elk steaks quickly for about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove and cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes. Slice each steak diagonally against the grain and serve with additional chimichurri sauce and toasted sourdough baguette rounds.