Buffalo Wing Chicken Jerky

Earlier this year, we upgraded our food dehydrator and bought a jerky gun. With a lot of camping trips planned, we saw making our own jerky as being a good way to save a bunch of money.

Well, that dehydrator definitely paid for itself in a very short amount of time - we’ve been churning out all KINDS of homemade jerky ever since!

We’ll barely have one batch out of the dehydrator, before one of us says “Oh, you know what would be good...?”... and then we’re off, again!

It’s gotten to the point where I’m a bit worried that I may be turning our camping blog - 2 Nerds in a Truck into a jerky recipe blog.

So, in an effort to keep that one more specifically about camping, you’re probably going to see more jerky recipes HERE!

This Buffalo Wing Chicken Jerky is exactly what it sounds like - a homemade chicken jerky that’s based on the flavour of classic buffalo wings!

Rather than simply flavouring the jerky mix with hot sauce, though, I went more “big picture” with it!

So, this buffalo chicken jerky does include the requisite hot sauce, but also some cayenne powder (to increase the heat, without even more liquid), as well as the flavours of ranch dressing.

Can’t have wings without dip, right?

While I didn’t include any dairy ingredients, adding the set of traditional ranch dressing herbs brought a lovely complexity to this jerky.

The best part? It only takes about 15 minutes of actual work!

Let’s get right to it...

Equipment

Beyond basics like spoons, bowls, and measuring cups, there are two specialized pieces of equipment that I use for making jerky,

A Food Dehydrator

I’ve had food dehydrators before - the basic kind with no controls for time or temperature, 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 know that some people make homemade chicken jerky in a regular home oven, but I’m not a fan of running one for hours on end.

Anyway, I’ve since upgraded my dehydrator to a Cosori 6 Tray Food Dehydrator, and LOVE it.

It was only about $200 Canadian, and between all the Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips and jerkies I’ve been making, it’s paid for itself MANY times over!

I math it out like this: the same size of jerky that I tend to make goes for about $4 in a gas station. (In reality, even more for chicken jerky!)

I get about 10 strips out of a batch. That’s $40 worth of jerky, for $8 or less. Make 6 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 expands the possibilities!

A Jerky Gun

Also known as a “jerky cannon”, this is basically a food safe caulking gun that is used to pipe out strips of jerky.

I have the XINQIAO Jerky Gun Food Grade Plastic Beef Jerky Gun Kit . It’s regular ~$35 (Canadian) on Amazon, was something like 25% off, when I purchased it.

It’s been worth every penny, and still would be even if I’d paid full price!

I know some people make jerky by spreading the mixture out, flattening it with a rolling pin, then cutting it with a pizza cutter. To be honest, that sounds WAY too fussy to me.

Anyway, the very first time I used my jerky gun, I was HOOKED. I had no idea that the jerky making process could be so quick and easy!

I’ve said before that I’m generally not a fan of single-function, special equipment in the kitchen... but I LOVE it.

Ingredients

With only 2 exceptions, the ingredients in this buffalo chicken jerky recipe are super simple - you might even have them on hand!

As for those last two, they may be specialty, but I use them in pretty much all of my jerky recipes. They’ll definitely get used, if you’re a jerky fan!

Some 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.

Thawed, previously-frozen ground chicken can end up a bit more “watery”, and dry down to a thinner jerky than fresh ground chicken does, in my experience... and that’s before adding all of the hot sauce!

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!

Liquid Smoke

As with all of my jerkies, you’ll need some Liquid Smoke.

It’s an easy way to contribute to that traditional “jerky” flavour - it’s not at all overpowering, just an accent. Just know - a little goes a lot way!

Prague Powder

Prague Powder is one of a few different curing salts out on the market. It’s not something you’ll normally cook with, but it’ll last a long time. As with the liquid smoke, a little goes a long way!

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 buffal wing chicken jerky, add some regular salt, rather than increasing the curing salt.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Frank's Red Hot Sauce
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Dried Parsley
Dill Weed
Ground Black Pepper
Mustard Powder

... as always, I don’t really have anything to add, when it comes to these last few ingredients!

How to Make Buffalo Wing 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.

In a medium mixing bowl - using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine ingredients well. REALLY well - for best results, it’s better to overhandle 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.

Return to the dehydrator and continue dehydrating at 165 F for another 2 - 3 hours. (Actual time will depend on the thickness of the chicken strips.)

To test for doneness, remove a piece of Buffalo 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!)

Buffalo Wing Chicken Jerky Storage

Allow jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.

Buffalo 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 a fan of jerky, whether for road tripping, camping, or just as a high protein snack? I have SO much fun making it - here are some of my go-to recipes for homemade jerkies!

Basic Ground Beef Jerky
Blueberry Bison Jerky
Chipotle Chicken Jerky
Ginger Beef Jerky
Ground Venison Jerky
Homemade Salmon Jerky
Honey Garlic Chicken Jerky
Jalapeno Chicken Jerky
Jerk Chicken Jerky
Lingonberry Elk Jerky
Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky
Maple Bacon 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

... But wait, there's more! We've been having so much fun designing gourmet jerky recipes, we started a whole new blog for them! Check out Dried & Tasty for all kinds of fun recipes to make in your food dehydrator!