How to Make Venison Jerky in Canada (the 74 °C Rule)

A Canadian hunter who shot a deer in November has 30 to 40 kg of usable meat to process. Most of it gets ground for chili or steaked for the grill, but jerky is the high-density storage solution — 1 kg of fresh venison becomes 350 g of shelf-portable protein that lasts months. This guide covers the safe Canadian method, with strict attention to the internal-temperature step that most US recipes skip — and to the fact that game takes a higher figure than beef.

If you don’t hunt, the same method works for beef — substitute lean beef bottom round for the venison.

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The 74 °C rule for wild game

The single most-important safety detail. Skip everything else in this post if you must, but do not skip this.

Dehydrator temperatures (65 to 70 °C) are too low to kill E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and other pathogens that can contaminate raw meat. The dehydrator only removes water — it does not pasteurize. The meat has to reach a safe internal temperature, held for at least 15 seconds, as a separate step.

For wild game that figure is 74 °C, not 71. Québec’s cooking-temperature table gives 71 °C for beef, veal, lamb, pork and goat, and 74 °C for wild or farmed game meats. Deer, elk and moose are game. Earlier versions of this page carried the beef figure; corrected 3 September 2026.

Do it before you dry, not after. Bake the marinated strips at 110 °C (225 °F) on a wire rack until they read 74 °C internal — about 10 to 15 minutes — then dehydrate to the texture you want. The reason is physical rather than procedural: heat moves readily through moist meat and stalls in meat that has already dried. A strip dried to leather is the worst possible object to bring to temperature evenly, because the surface reaches the target long before the centre does.

Use an instant-read thermometer to verify. Don’t guess. Colour is not a reliable indicator for meat safety, and “looks done” is not “safely done”.

A note on wild game and chronic wasting disease

If you’re processing wild deer or elk harvested in chronic-wasting-disease (CWD) endemic areas — currently parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba — get the carcass tested per your provincial hunting guidelines before consuming any product. Cooking, dehydrating, and freezing do not destroy CWD prions. The risk is small but cumulative, and the standard advice is “if it tests positive, don’t eat it.” Check the most recent provincial advisories before each hunting season.

Pick your cut

Best for whole-muscle jerky:

• Hindquarter — top round, bottom round, sirloin tip — lean, dense, even grain. The standard.
• Loin (backstrap) — extremely lean and tender. A premium option, sometimes considered too good for jerky.
• Eye of round — small but excellent for jerky.

Avoid:

• Front shoulder, neck, brisket — too much connective tissue. Use for ground meat or stew.
• Any visible fat — trim it all out. Fat goes rancid in storage within weeks and ruins the batch.
• Bloodshot meat — discard. Off-flavour and possible bacteria concentration.

What you need

For about 350 g finished jerky:

• 1 kg trimmed venison (deer, elk, or moose) — see cuts above
• Marinade ingredients (recipe block above)
• Non-reactive container for marinating — glass, ceramic, or stainless. NOT aluminum.
• Sharp knife for slicing
• Cutting board dedicated to raw meat (sanitize after)
• Instant-read thermometer — critical for the 74 °C verification
• Oven with a wire rack for the safety step
• Dehydrator — most efficient way to get the actual drying done
• Airtight containers for storage

The method

Step 1: Trim and slice

1. Trim every visible bit of fat, silver skin, and sinew. Fat is the enemy of jerky storage.
2. Partially freeze the trimmed cut for 30 to 45 minutes. Firm meat slices cleanly; soft meat tears.
3. Slice against the grain into 5 mm thick strips. With-the-grain strips are tough to chew. Strips should be 8 to 12 cm long.

Step 2: Marinate

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a non-reactive container.
2. Whisk until sugar dissolves.
3. Add venison strips and toss to coat every piece.
4. Cover and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours. Flip or stir once at the midpoint.

Step 3: Heat to 74 °C — before drying (safety step)

1. Pat strips dry with paper towel.
2. Arrange in a single layer on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Bake at 110 °C (225 °F) until internal temperature reaches 74 °C (165 °F) — about 10 to 15 minutes. That is Québec’s figure for wild or farmed game meats; beef would be 71 °C.
4. Verify with a thermometer. Stick the probe into the centre of a thick strip.

Step 4: Dehydrate

1. Transfer hot strips to dehydrator trays. Space at least 1 cm apart for airflow.
2. Dry at 65 to 70 °C (150 to 160 °F) for 5 to 8 hours.
3. Test for done: strips should bend and crack slightly but not break in half. No visible moisture when squeezed.

Step 5: Cool and store

1. Cool completely on trays — at least 1 hour.
2. Pack into airtight containers or vacuum-seal bags.
3. Refrigerate up to 2 months or freeze up to 6 months.
4. Room temperature storage is NOT recommended for home jerky. Commercial jerky is shelf-stable because of precise moisture control and preservatives; home jerky moisture content is variable.

Marinade variations

Sweet-and-spicy

Add 2 tbsp honey + 1 tsp cayenne to the base marinade.

Maple-pepper (Canadian)

Replace brown sugar with 2 tbsp pure maple syrup. Double the black pepper.

Teriyaki

Replace Worcestershire with 1/4 cup pineapple juice. Add 1 tbsp grated ginger.

Black-and-blue

Add 2 tbsp crushed juniper berries + 1 tsp blue cheese powder + double the pepper.

Smoky

Add 2 tbsp liquid smoke + 1 tsp smoked paprika to the base.

Hunter-style (no soy)

Replace soy with 1/4 cup red wine + 1 tbsp salt. Add 1 tsp dried thyme and 2 crushed bay leaves.

Storage truth

Method	Shelf life	Notes
Refrigerator, airtight container	1 to 2 months	Default; everyday usable
Refrigerator, vacuum-sealed	2 to 3 months	Adds a month
Freezer	6 months	Best for long storage
Freezer, vacuum-sealed	12 months	Extends to a year
Room temperature	Not recommended	Variable home moisture content

The room-temperature shelf life printed on commercial jerky packaging is achievable with industrial moisture control that home dehydrators don’t provide. Don’t risk it.

The figures in that table are this site’s convention, not published ones. No Canadian authority we could find publishes a refrigerated or frozen keeping time for home-made jerky. Past them, Québec’s rule applies: “When in doubt, throw it out!”

Common problems

• Jerky is too tough to chew. Sliced with the grain instead of against. Re-cut next batch.
• Jerky is too soft / not dry. Stop dehydrating too early. Should bend and crack, not stretch.
• Jerky tastes greasy or off after a week. Fat wasn’t fully trimmed. Trim more aggressively next batch.
• Mould on jerky. Not dried enough, or stored at room temperature. Discard; refrigerate next batch.
• White spots that look fuzzy. Could be salt crystallization (harmless) or mould (discard). When in doubt, throw it out.
• Jerky tastes too salty. Marinade time too long, or too much soy/salt in the marinade. Shorten to 12 hours next batch.

How to use venison jerky

• Trail food — hiking, hunting, fishing
• Lunchbox protein — kid-friendly with the sweeter marinades
• Charcuterie board addition
• Soup garnish — crumble into ramen or stew
• Chili boost — chopped and added to slow-simmered chili
• Hunting camp gift — wrapped jars to other hunters

When to make this

November through January for fresh-hunted Canadian venison. Most provincial hunting seasons run October to early December. A processed deer yields meat for 2 to 4 batches of jerky.

Next steps

• How to make beef jerky in Canada — same method, beef substitute
• Common dehydrating mistakes — the safety roundup
• Best dehydrator in Canada — equipment guide
• How to dehydrate fruit, vegetables, and herbs — the method guide