Chicken jerky is a great snack that you can consume during any time of the day. It has lots of flavor and nutrition, and that is the reason lots of people love to eat it.
There are so many methods for making chicken jerky, but preparing chicken jerky is very easy in a food dehydrator. Moreover, it does not need oil for cooking or any other preservatives for storage. But you have to keep in mind that drying the chicken jerky should be done at the right temperature to avoid the growth of the foodborne bacteria or salmonella. So, using the food dehydrator with the temperature setting will be a great idea.
In the below article, we will guide you step by step on how to make chicken jerky in a dehydrator. Moreover, we will provide you tips to make chicken jerky perfectly in the dehydrator machine along with its benefits.
So, let’s begin!
List of essential things required for making chicken jerky in a food dehydrator
Below are the vital elements that needed for making chicken jerky in a food dehydrator:
- One whole chicken breast
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ Tbsp. of lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tbsp. red pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- Sharp knife
You can also include a certain amount of liquid smoke to the mixture and a splash of ginger for an experiment. Some of you who do not like the soy sauce much can add something that has the salt content in it. The salt inhibits the growth of bacteria, so it is essential for the chicken jerky recipe. Due to the high sodium content and low moisture, you can store the chicken jerky for a long time.
Step By step instructions for making chicken jerky in a dehydrator
You can make the chicken jerky in a dehydrator by following the below steps:
Step 1: Do the trimming of the Chicken
Take the breast part of the chicken and trim out the maximum amount of fat from it. If there is an excess amount of fat in it, then, there are high chances of the chicken getting spoiled. The chicken jerky with less fat has more shelf life. After trimming up the fat, cut the strips of the chicken into the size of ¼ or smaller. You can place the chicken inside the freezer for around 30 minutes so that it gets firm for smooth and uniform size cutting.
You should use a sharp knife or the ceramic knife for the smooth cutting. But keep in mind that the ceramic knife might cut the meat quickly, but it is more delicate to use. Su uses it wisely and with caution.
Step 2: Marinate and Mix
As soon as you cut the chicken, place it inside a freezer bag along with all the ingredients. Using freezer bags is a good option as you can press out the air and moreover, the entire chicken gets covered and mixed with the mixture perfectly. But if you don’t own a freezer bags then, a bowl can also be used for mixing. You can leave the chicken for marinating for around 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
Step 3: Turn ON Your Dehydrator
You should use the food dehydrator with variable settings of the temperature. Place the strips of the chicken on the dehydrator trays but with the ample space for the correct air flow. If you overlap its strips then, the chicken will not dehydrate properly and moreover, it will increase the drying time too.
Step 4: Set the temperature of the dehydrator
Now, it’s time to set the temperature of the dehydrator at 160 degrees F. The chicken jerky will take around 5 hours to 8 hours for drying but the time varies with the thickness of the meat.
Step 4: Storing the chicken jerky
Some of you might like the chicken jerky with the crispy texture. It will crack after bending. But if you want flexible and firm chicken jerky after bending it then, dry the meatless. After the completion of the drying process of the chicken jerky, cool it down at the room temperature before packing it in the jars and bags. If there is some amount of hotness or moisture then, it can get spoil quickly with the shorten shelf life. The chicken jerky can be stored at the room temperature for around two weeks without adding any preservatives or additives.
Useful tips for making chicken jerky in a dehydrator
The below are few valuable tips for making chicken jerky in a food dehydrator:
- The thin slices of the chicken will dehydrate in less time.
- If you put the chicken in the freezer for around 15 minutes before drying in the food dehydrator then, it will be easy for you to slice out the meat thinly.
- Before putting the drippy strips of the chicken on the dehydrator trays, place a plastic bag on the kitchen countertop for the stress-free cleaning.
- You can cut the thinnest slices of the chicken with the help of the ceramic knife
- Storing the chicken jerky in the Ziploc bags or the canning jars is a good idea to avoid the problem of spoilage and also for extending the food shelf life.
Final word
The store-bought chicken jerky is not only unhealthy but also deprived of nutrition. The manufacturing company includes the preservatives or additives in their chicken jerky for increasing their shelf life. Making a chicken jerky in the food dehydrator at home is always a fruitful and beneficial choice for consuming healthy food.
In the above article, we have provided you step by step instructions for drying chicken jerky in the dehydrator. You can follow them easily at your home for cooking this delicious and healthy treat. Moreover, you can experiment with the above steps by adding some more ingredients or excluding any component.
Is there any suggestion you want to give regarding the above information about dehydrating chicken jerky in a dehydrator? If yes then, share it with us in the below comment box. We will surely appreciate your thoughts and advice.
Don’t forget to share your drying results of the chicken jerky with us too.
Image Source 1