For salmon jerky, I de-skinned a salmon filet and soaked it overnight in a marinade of mainly soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper. The leaner the filet, the better, as fat doesn’t dry well. Soy sauce is the main seasoning, and lemon juice brightens the marinade since fish is more delicate than beef.
dehydrate I put it on there to dry for 4 to 6 hours, depending on how thick the fish is.
Err on the side of cutting salmon thicker?
Salmon Jerky
Adapted from Alton Brown
- 1 1/4 pound side of salmon, skin and pin bones removed
- 1/2c soy sauce
- 1T molasses
- 1T freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2t freshly ground black pepper
- 1t liquid smoke
Place salmon filets in freezer for 30 minutes (this makes them easier to slice).
Meanwhile, mix soy, molasses, lemon, pepper, and liquid smoke together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Remove salmon from the freezer and slice the salmon in 1/4 inch thick slices length-wise. Then, slice the lengths in 3-4 inch long pieces, depending on the size of your filet.
Place the salmon in a one-gallon zipper bag and pour marinade over salmon. Seal bag and refrigerate 3-4 hours.
Strain salmon well in colander. Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Lay salmon slices on dehydrator trays in rows, making sure pieces are not touching.
Place trays in dehydrator at 145 degrees for 3-4 hours (time will vary depending on your dehydrator; see manufacturers instructions). Salmon jerky is done when salmon is dry and chewy, but not crunchy.
Deskin a salmon: