Smoked Venison Jerky

Nothing beats the flavor of a good, old-fashioned smoked piece of jerky! Check out this post for smoked venison jerky made two ways!

In this household, Saturdays are smoker days!

For Father’s Day last year, I gave my husband a PitBoss smoker. Since doing so, we have designated Saturdays as Smoker Days. We have yet to miss a week! I am thoroughly convinced that everything tastes better smoked.

Over the weekend, we made two different kinds of venison jerky! A Sweet and Spicy Smoked Jerky and the other was a Maple Bourbon Smoked Jerky. They were delicious.

You can read all about the benefits of eating venison here. Despite the claim from some that it can have a “gamey” taste, we find it delicious and have no idea what this gamey taste actually is.

Two Marinades for Your Smoked Venison Jerky

You will want to plan ahead if you will be making these because the marinating takes the longest But the longer you let your steaks marinate, the more delicous it will be!

Sweet and Spicy Marinade

• 1 ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup dijon mustard
• ¼ cup hot sauce of your preference 
• 4 tbsp black pepper 
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Maple Bourbon Marinade

• 1 cup bourbon
• 4 tsp molasses
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 cup soy sauce
• ½ cup worcestershire sauce
• 4 tsp pepper

Thinly slice your venison steaks and then place them in the marinade of your choice. You can place the steak in a ziploc bag or in a covered bowl. Allow them to sit in the marinade for up to 48 hours in the fridge. 

How To Smoke Venison Jerky

Bring your smoker up to a temperature of 180°F.

Remove the venison from the marinade and lay the strips of venison across your smoker. If your smoker has the option to open or close the baffle plate, close it now to avoid exposing your jerky to direct heat.

The jerky tastes 4 to 5 hours to smoke fully depending on how thick the cuts of steak are.

After 3 hours, check the jerky doneness every 30 to 60 minutes. Remove any pieces that are at the desired texture. Jerky should be leathery and chewy. You don’t want your jerky to get too tough!

How to Store Venison Jerky

You can store your venison jerky in an air tight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

We like to vacuum seal our jerky, which extends the shelf life by up to two months!

To make your jerky last for a longer period of time, you can refridgerate or freeze it. This will help your jerky last for months or even up to a year!

Always inspect your food before decided to consume it. Once you open the jerky, it should be consumed within a week.

More Venison Recipes You Will Love

• Venison Steak and Onion Sandwiches
• Venison Meat Pockets
• Venison Barebcue Meatballs