This Honey Garlic Chicken Jerky recipe is based on one of our favourite chicken wing sauces. A ground chicken jerky with fantastic flavour!
Like my Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky Recipe and my Spicy Garlic Chicken Jerky Recipe, this homemade chicken jerky is based on a favourite chicken wing sauce.
Well, sort of an all-purpose cooking sauce, really. While I have always liked honey garlic wings, this recipe is very specifically inspired by my Honey Garlic Sauce Recipe - a VERY accurate replica of VH Honey Garlic Cooking Sauce.
You know, when I put it that way, it kinda sounds like playing a game of recipe telephone or something. Oh well!
The best part of being able to make your own chicken jerky in small batches - IMHO - is really being able to play with different flavour ideas.
While my backlog of jerky recipes is empty now, don’t be surprised if we do more soon - and probably more “wing jerky” types!
You know what’s in it, and you can control the QUALITY of what’s in it. It’s WAY cheaper than commercial jerky, and there’s definitely a convenience factor.
Having several batches of jerky treats on hand prevents us from going into gas stations on our road trips. This is good, because aside from being expensive, we tend to make poor dietary decisions when we do that!
We go through TONS of jerky though. It’s a convenient and healthy snack on our drive days, and it’s a nice, portable, high-protein snack to bring along on our hiking trips.
This recipe ends up being a quite a bit higher carb than some of my other jerky recipes, because it’s pretty faithful to the source material. When it comes down to it, really good honey garlic chicken wings are just a step or two away from being soaked in caramel, right?
Porter says:
“This jerky almost feels like it’s glazed - and it’s a really soft jerky, I’m assuming because of all of the honey. It’s another one where I could have a stack of this jerky in front of me, and just plow through it without thinking twice”.
Anyway, this jerky is a great way to scratch the honey garlic wings itch, especially when you’re way out in the middle of nowhere on a camping trip!
Let’s get to it...
Equipment
There are two specialized pieces of equipment that I use for making my homemade jerky, beyond the basics like spoons, bowls, and measuring cups:
A Food Dehydrator
While you can apparently make ground chicken jerky in a regular home oven, I’m not a fan of running one for hours on end.
I’ve had food dehydrators before - the basic kinds with no time or temperature controls, - and I’d always been too nervous to try making jerky in them. I need more control over - and knowledge of - the drying process, when meat is concerned.
I’ve since upgraded to a Cosori 6 Tray Food Dehydrator, and LOVE it.
It was only like $200 Canadian, and it’s paid for itself MANY times over, between all the Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips and jerkies I’ve been making!
Think of it this way - The same size of jerky that I tend to make goes for about $4 in a gas station (well, a bit more for chicken jerky). I get about 10-15 strips out of a batch (varying by recipe) - let’s average that out to 12.
That’s $48 worth of jerky, for $8 or less. Make 5 batches, that’s your $200 in savings!
Anyway, we’re using a dehydrator a LOT more, now that we have a nice one. Having the control over the temperature really opens up the possibilities.
A Jerky Gun
Also known as a “jerky cannon”, this is basically a food grade caulking gun (NOT an actual one - you need it food safe!) that you use to pipe out strips of jerky onto your parchment paper.
Mine is the XINQIAO Jerky Gun Food Grade Plastic Beef Jerky Gun Kit . Regular $35 (Canadian) on Amazon, but it had a coupon for something like 25% off, when I purchased it.
Worth every penny, even if I’d paid full price!
I’ve heard of people making jerky by spreading the mixture out, flattening it with a rolling pin, then cutting it with a pizza cutter, but to be honest, that sounds fussy.
The very first time I used my jerk gun, I was HOOKED. I had no idea that the jerky making process could be so quick and easy!
I’ve never been one for single-function, special equipment in the kitchen... but I LOVE it.
Ingredients
With only 2 exceptions, the ingredients in this honey garlic chicken jerky recipe are super simple - you probably even have them on hand!
As for the last two, they may be specialty, but I use them in pretty much all of my jerky recipes. If you’re a fan of jerky, they’ll definitely get used!
Some ingredient notes for you:
Lean Ground Chicken
Use the highest quality ground chicken you can when making chicken jerky. While fresh or frozen will usually work in my jerky recipes, I recommend using fresh in this one, just due to the amount of liquid ingredients we’re adding.
As a note, though: Once you mix your ingredients together, 10 minutes in the fridge will thicken it up a fair amount, reducing the spread when you pipe it out!
If you want to make your own ground chicken, trim some boneless skinless chicken breasts - plain chicken - and run them through a food processor or meat grinder until well broken down.
Lean chicken breast meat will have a better shelf life than higher fat dark meat will - fat can go rancid.
Finally, if you want to make turkey jerky, feel free to use the same amount of lean ground turkey.
For that matter, you can swap the meat our for whatever kind of ground meat you prefer!
After all, Honey Garlic sauce is fantastic on meatballs - why shouldn’t it be used in a ground beef jerky?
Liquid Smoke
As with all of my jerkies, you’ll need some Liquid Smoke - a little goes a lot way!
I only use a small amount in this recipe, to give it a bit of that traditional “jerky” flavour - it’s not at all overpowering, just an accent.
Didn’t want to overpower the honey and garlic flavours, after all!
Prague Powder
Prague Powder is one of a few different curing salts out on the market.
I use Prague Powder #1 Cure, same as I use for my Montreal Smoked Meat Recipe, Back Bacon Recipe, Homemade Corned Beef Recipe, and Peameal Bacon Recipe.
This is a bright pink curing salt that’s a mixture of salt and sodium nitrite. It’s commonly used in cured meats - like pepperoni or summer sausages - and is what gives the jerky its characteristic red colour.
Beyond aesthetics, it also contributes to giving dehydrated meat that iconic jerky flavor, AND helps ensure that your homemade meat snack will be good to eat for a long time. It does this by preventing the growth of bacteria, during and after the drying process.
A couple of things to note:
1. Prague Powder is pink, but it is NOT the same thing as Himalayan pink salt!
2. Prague cure is only to be used in small amounts for curing meats, and should never be consumed as-is. The measurements are important - if you want a saltier honey garlic chicken jerky, add some regular salt, rather than increasing the curing salt.
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Honey
Molasses
Garlic Cloves
Garlic Powder
Vinegar (Can use Apple Cider Vinegar)
Salt
... I just don’t have anything to add, for these last few ingredients. Pretty basic stuff!
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How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Jerky
The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:
Cut 2 or 3 squares of parchment paper slightly smaller than your dehydrator trays, set aside.
Measure the honey and molasses into a microwave safe bowl or larger measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds or so, until quite runny.
Add the crushed garlic, use a stick blender to puree until smooth and well combined. (Alternately, do this in a mini food processor after heating the liquids).
In a medium mixing bowl - using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine all of the ingredients with the honey mixture. REALLY well - for best results, it’s better to overhandle it, than to under-mix it.
Line your dehydrator racks with the cut parchment paper, then pipe your jerky strips out onto them, leaving some space in between each.
Dehydrate in a food dehydrator at 165 F for 2 hours.
Once two hours has passed, remove the jerky strips from the parchment, flip them over, and place them directly onto the wire rack.
To test for doneness, remove a piece of honey garlic chicken jerky from the dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature. It should feel dry to the touch and be able to bend to 90 degrees without breaking. (A bit of cracking or crackling is ok!)
Honey Garlic Chicken Jerky Storage
Allow jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.
Honey Garlic Chicken jerky will keep at room temperature (in a cool dark place) for a week so, or a few weeks in the fridge.
If sealed into an airtight container WITHOUT OXYGEN, it should be good for a month or so in a cool dark place, a couple months in the fridge, and 6 months or so in the freezer.
Once you open your vacuum sealed bag of chicken jerky, it should be eaten within a couple days - or a week, if put in the fridge after opening.
More Homemade Jerky Recipes
Are you someone who loves to bring jerky on road trips, hiking trails, and when camping? Me too! Here are some of my go-to recipes for homemade jerkies!
Basic Ground Beef Jerky
Blueberry Bison Jerky
Buffalo Wing Chicken Jerky
Chipotle Chicken Jerky
Ginger Beef Jerky
Ground Venison Jerky
Homemade Salmon Jerky
Jalapeno Chicken Jerky
Jerk Chicken Jerky
Lingonberry Elk Jerky
Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky
Mushroom Jerky, 2 Ways
Pumpkin Spice Chicken Jerky
Rosemary & Blueberry Beef Jerky
Shawarma Chicken Jerky
Spicy Garlic Chicken Jerky
Spicy Orange Chicken Jerky
Sriracha Chicken Jerky
Tofu Jerky, 2 Ways
Pepperoni Jerky
Honey Garlic Chicken Jerky [Ground Chicken Jerky]
Equipment
- 1 Jerky Gun
- Food Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Chicken
- ¼ cup Honey
- 1 ½ tablespoon Molasses
- 3 Garlic Cloves pressed or finely minced
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Prague Powder #1 Cure
Instructions
- Cut 2 or 3 squares of parchment paper slightly smaller than your dehydrator racks, set aside.
- Measure the honey and molasses into a microwave safe bowl or larger measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds or so, until quite runny.Add the crushed garlic, use a stick blender to puree until smooth and well combined. (Alternately, do this in a mini food processor after heating the liquids).
- In a medium mixing bowl - using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine all of the ingredients with the honey mixture. REALLY well - it’s better to over handle it, than to under-mix it.
- Use a spoon to load the mixture into a jerky gun, taking care to avoid creating air bubbles.
- Line your dehydrator racks with the cut parchment paper, then pipe your jerky strips out onto them, leaving some space in between each.
- Dehydrate in a food dehydrator at 165 F for 2 hours.
- Once two hours has passed, remove the jerky strips from the parchment, flip them over, and place them directly onto the dehydrator racks.
- Return to the dehydrator and continue dehydrating at 165 F for another 2 - 3 hours.
- To test for doneness, remove a piece of jerky from the dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature. It should feel dry to the touch and be able to bend to 90 degrees without breaking. (A bit of cracking or crackling is ok!)
- Allow jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.
Notes
Nutrition
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Marie & Michael Porter
This jerky is a good approximation of what it would be like to make jerky from one of my favourite chicken wings.. and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!