Fish Jerky, Salmon Jerky, Tuna Jerky

June 30, 2020

How to Make Fish Jerky

Fish jerky, such as salmon jerky, tuna jerky, or even trout jerky, is an excellent way to preserve fish for easy and healthy snacking. Drying and salting meat so that it stores well long-term without growing bacteria is a traditional method of preserving meat that has grown in popularity in recent years. Alaska salmon jerky is high in protein and low in carbs, making it a preferred snack for many health-conscious people. Ahi tuna jerky is another popular gourmet snack that is easy to make right at home. 

Jerky is a popular and healthy snack, but it's also expensive. The best salmon jerky is easy to make at home, and it doesn't take fancy equipment or harmful ingredients to preserve our very best salmon. Here at Global Seafoods, we want to share with you all of the delicious ways you can use our high-quality wild-caught seafood. Follow along while we show you how to make salmon jerky and how to make tuna jerky. Our salmon jerky recipe and tuna jerky recipe uses basic ingredients and no expensive equipment. All you need is our high-quality seafood and an oven. 

Alaskan Salmon Jerky

Making salmon jerky sounds complicated and intimidating, but it's not, we promise. When you start with high-quality seafood, the result is delicious and flavorful dried wild salmon jerky that will be shelf-stable for many months. Alaska salmon jerky is made by marinating thin slices of salmon for about 4 hours and then slowly dehydrating the salty pieces of fish in a low-temperature oven with the oven door cracked. The amount of time it takes to dehydrate salmon or tuna varies depending on how thick you slice your salmon and how low you can get your oven temps. 

Many people love to use a specialized piece of equipment called a dehydrator, but if you don't have one, it's still possible to make delicious king salmon jerky using your kitchen oven.  

Alaska's Best Salmon Jerky:

To marinate fish for jerky, you can use any of our recommended seafood marinades by merely leaving out the acidic component. You won't be needing citrus or vinegar for this marinade as you will be marinating your salmon for more extended periods. Once you have the basics of making salmon jerky down, you can experiment with different flavors and create custom salmon jerky that your whole family will enjoy. 

Salmon Jerky Marinade Flavors: 

• Black pepper 
• Molasses 
• Brown sugar 
• Soy Sauce
• Garlic
• Hot Sauce
• Cayenne
• Cajun seasoning
• Worcestershire sauce
• Liquid Smoke
• Ginger
• Maple Syrup
• Sesame oil
• Olive Oil
• Curry

Our recipe uses a combination of several of these flavors. Feel free to substitute any flavors that you prefer. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 11/4lbs of salmon. If your salmon is frozen, you can easily slice the frozen salmon into thin strips for making salmon jerky. 
• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• One tablespoon of molasses
• One tablespoon of brown sugar
• Two teaspoons of ground black pepper
• One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Three cloves of minced garlic
• One teaspoon of sea salt

Optional Ingredients:

• One teaspoon of liquid smoke for a smoked salmon jerky recipe
• 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce
• 1/2-1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for a spicy salmon jerky. 

Directions:

1. Slice your salmon into 1/4in thick slices. Slicing is easier while your salmon is still frozen. 
2. Combine all of the above ingredients, leaving out the salmon, in a large glass bowl. Make sure to taste your marinade and adjust the flavors as you see fit. 
3. Toss your salmon slices in the marinade, cover, and refrigerator for 4-8 hours. You can marinate your salmon the night before for more straightforward timing purposes. 
4. After the marinating time, remove your salmon from the marinade and allow them to drip off and pat them dry with a paper towel. For more flavorful salmon, you can leave them wet, but they will take longer to dehydrate and could stick to your oven rack. 
5. Pre-heat your oven to its lowest temperature setting. This is usually around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. 
6. Wet a paper towel with olive oil and brush your oven rack with olive oil to prevent your salmon from sticking. 
7. Place the salmon fillets directly on the oven rack. If the salmon slips through, you can use a pizza screen or a pizza pan with holes to dehydrate your salmon. 
8. Leave your oven door slightly open to allow moisture to escape and keep the oven temps between 110- and 145-degrees Fahrenheit. 
9. Check your salmon once an hour. If your oven temps are low enough, your salmon could take several hours to dehydrate. Flip your salmon over about 2-3 hours into the process.

 Low and slow is better for jerky to make sure all of the moisture evaporates from the meat. Your salmon should look dry and slightly cracked when you try to bend a piece. 

How to Store Fish Jerky: 

Cool your fish jerky to room temperature before placing it in storage. Any residual heat could cause condensation in the storage container, which could lead to mold and bacteria growth.  

Store your fish jerky in an airtight container or plastic bag. Jerky is shelf-stable for 1-2 months and can be refrigerated for up to 6 months. Your salmon jerky is so delicious that we doubt it will last even a month, your family will be gobbling it up. 

How to Make Smoked Salmon Jerky

You can easily use your smoker to make salmon jerky. Smoked salmon jerky recipes call for lower smoker temps, this is achievable on all smokers, but lower temps are more stable on electric smokers. 

Follow your favorite smoked salmon jerky recipe that includes a brine. For smoked salmon jerky, slice your salmon into small 1/4-inch slices and smoke on the lowest temperature setting you can achieve on your smoker, 110 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for jerky. 

Smoke your salmon for 8-12 hours, depending on how thick you slice your salmon. As with oven dehydrated jerky, you're looking for leathery, slightly brittle pieces of salmon. 

Smoked salmon jerky will have an earthy, smoky flavor similar to smoked salmon and will be a delicious and healthy snack for on the go. 

What is Tuna Jerky?

An increasingly popular snack, tuna jerky uses sushi-grade ahi tuna to make low-fat, high-protein snacks. Beef isn't the only jerky in town anymore. Tuna is a versatile fish that takes on many flavors, making it an excellent choice for flavored tuna jerky. 

Is Tuna Jerky Good?  

Tuna jerky is low in fat, making it a perfect candidate for dehydrating. Lower fat fish dehydrate better than oily fishes, which can go rancid if not dried sufficiently. 

Create custom tuna marinade using your favorite flavor combinations such as miso, soy, or even ginger. Tuna jerky can be sweet or spicy or even both. 

The process for making fish jerky is similar no matter the fish you're drying. Be sure to marinate your fish for optimal flavor and try and cut your tuna as uniformly as possible, so they dehydrate evenly.  

How to Make Tuna Jerky: 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/4 lbs. of Ahi Tuna sliced into 1/4 in slices. Slicing is easier while your tuna is still partially frozen. 
• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• 1/3 cup of teriyaki sauce. 
• Two tablespoons of brown sugar
• One tablespoon of sesame oil
• Three teaspoons of grated ginger or one teaspoon of ground ginger
• Three cloves of minced garlic
• One teaspoon of sea salt. 
• One tablespoon of chili sauce (optional for spicy tuna jerky)  

Directions: 

1. Combine all of your marinade ingredients in a glass mixing bowl. 
2. Toss your tuna slices in with the marinade and marinate covered or 4-8 hours. Marinate your tuna the night before for easier food timing. 
3. When the marinade time is over, remove the tuna slices from the marinade and discard the marinade. 
4. Pat the tuna slices dry on a paper towel. 
5. Pre-heat your oven to its lowest temperature settings. The ideal temperature range is between 110- and 145-degrees Fahrenheit. 
6. Dehydrate your tuna slices in the oven with the oven door slightly open over several hours, checking on your tuna once an hour. Be sure to flip your tuna slices at least once or twice during the drying period. 
7. Tuna Jerky is done when your slices of tuna are dried and leathery and crack slightly when bent. 

Once done, cool your tuna jerky to room temperature and then store in an airtight container. If you don't eat all of your fish jerky within 1-2 months, it can be placed in the fridge for up to 6 months and frozen for up to a year.

 You can create customized marinades for your fish jerky by combining your favorite flavors. When creating a marinade, be sure to use adequate salt to ensure proper dehydration and preservation of your fish. You don't need an acid in a fish jerky marinade, but you can use dried lemon pepper seasoning for a lemon pepper jerky. 

Ways to Use Fish Jerky:

Fish jerky can be a quick snack on the go or packed for an overnight camping trip when you won't have refrigeration. Fish jerky is salty and savory and probably won't stick around your panty for very long because your whole family will be snacking on your salmon and tuna jerky.  

Tuna or Salmon Ramen: 

One of our favorite ways to use fish jerky is to add to homemade pho bowls. The hot water used to make Pho will hydrate the fish, and you will have a protein-packed and delicious bowl of Pho or ramen that even your kids will love! Ramen or pho bowls are quick and easy, and as long as you can wait long enough for your tea kettle to bowl, you will have a nutritious and protein-packed meal quickly. 

When you order from Global Seafoods, we provide only the highest quality seafood the world's oceans have to offer. We ship directly to your door over dry ice. Gather your ingredients and place an order today so you can enjoy delicious and healthy fish jerky too! 

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