How to Make Spicky Chicken Jerky

This instructable walks you through the process of making spicy chicken jerky. This recipe uses the most common spices found in the household, so it is very convenient and cheap to make. This is my grandmother’s recipe and her method used sun heat to dry the meat, but this process takes approximately 10 to 12 hours in an extremely hot climate of 100 degrees and above, which is only viable in select areas of the country and on specific days. This instructable uses dehydrators which are available in the kitchen equipment section of most stores. It is extremely important to follow the temperature guidelines for drying the chicken to avoid and risk of food poisoning from consumption of raw chicken.

Ingredients and required supplies

The ingredients and supplies required to make chicken jerky for 2 lbs. of chicken are listed below:

1. Lean chicken 2 lbs.

2. Salt 2 tablespoon

3. Black pepper 1 teaspoon

4. Cumin powder 1 teaspoon

5. Soy-sauce 10 ml

6. Vinegar 10 ml

7. Ginger-garlic paste 2 teaspoons

8. Crushed red pepper 2 teaspoons

9. Red cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon

10. Dried onion power/flakes 1 teaspoon

11. Dry mustard powder 1 teaspoon

12. A dehydrator machine to dehydrate the meat

13. Liquid smoke 1 teaspoon

14. A mixing bowl to mix the ingredients

15. A kitchen knife to slice the chicken

16. A chopping board to slice the chicken

17. Ziploc bags or airtight containers to store the jerky

Selection of good quality chicken is very important for the jerky to turn out great. A lean portion of the chicken must be used, preferably chicken breast since it contains less fat. It is important for the chicken to be lean because, fat in the chicken meat will make the jerky’s shelf life shorter. There is also the risk of the jerky acquiring a rancid taste due to the excessive fat content.

Wash and dry your hands and then take a clean bowl or a beaker/container and put the salt, black pepper, red chili flakes, red cayenne pepper, cumin powder, onion powder, ginger-garlic paste, soy sauce, vinegar, dry mustard powder and liquid smoke. Mix these ingredients well using a spatula or a spoon. Make sure that the mixture is not too dry and clumpy. Use water if mixture is too dry.

Pay extra attention while mixing the spices as it is very spicy and can cause irritation to eyes and skin. It is advised to wear disposable gloves and glasses to avoid any irritation to eyes or skin

Wash your hands after this step.

It is extremely important to wash the chicken before using it. Make sure you wear gloves when you wash the chicken, so you don't contaminate the chicken or get bacteria over on your hands. You should thoroughly wash your hands before and after cleaning the chicken.

After the chicken has been washed, remove the skin from the chicken(if any). Then using a kitchen knife and a chopping board, cut the chicken into long strips. It is extremely important for the slices to be equal in width as they all need to dry together. Remove any extra fat from chicken by slicing with a knife.Wash your hands again after this step to avoid any contamination.

Put the sliced chicken pieces in the marinade and mix them well using a spatula. Make sure that each of the ckicken slices are evenly coated with the marinade. Let the chicken sit on the marinade for at least 4 hours. For best result, leave the chicken in the marinade overnight in a refrigerator.

Take your dehydrator and put the slices of chicken in it. Make sure that the chicken slices do not touch or overlap each other. Set the dehydrator temperature to 155F(68 C) and let the meat dehydrate for at least 12 hours. If your dehydrator has a maximum temperature lower than this please refer to the manual and see approximate time for chicken to dry in the dehydrator.

It is essential for the meat to dehydrate at 155F for at least 12 hours to avoid any contamination or food poisoning.

Carefully remove the chicken from the dehydrator. It is normal for some pieces of the chicken to get stuck on the dehydrator. Use a clean plate or a container to put the chicken jerky.

The jerky is ready and is now safe to consume. Make sure you store the jerky in an air tight jar or a ziploc bag. Consume the jerky within a month from the date of preparation.

Enjoy!