Homemade Sugar-Free Salmon Jerky

Calling all jerky lovers.

You’ve probably tried Classic Beef Jerky, Soft and Tender Beef Jerky made with ground beef, and maybe even Turkey Jerky but have you tried salmon jerky? It’s amazing!

I made this oven baked keto salmon jerky using a homemade ginger and sesame based marinade, curing the salmon with apple cider vinegar and coconut aminos. It’s naturally quite sweet thanks to the coconut aminos that you don’t need any sweetener, but I added it as an option if you like things a little sweeter. You can also add some paprika, cayenne pepper or even chili flakes if you want a bit of spice!

I wanted to use wild salmon as it's leaner but you can use organic farmed if you prefer. As with any jerky, it's better if you use leaner cuts as excess fat would slow down the dehydration process and is wasted anyway.

If you use a large fillet, cut against the grain to prevent it breaking into smaller slices. The salmon does shrink a lot but it’s absolutely worth it!

Step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to 60 °C/ 140 °F (fan assisted), or 80 °C/ 175 °F (conventional). If using a large fillet, remove any pin bones using tweezers. There shouldn’t be any in fillets. Preferably use wild salmon as it's leaner and better for making jerky.

2. Remove the salmon skin using a sharp knife. (Reserve the skins and make salmon crisps in the oven!)

3. If using a large fillet: Using a sharp knife, slice long strips lengthwise (not across the width), about 1 cm (¹/₂ inch) thick and 8 - 10 cm (3 - 4 inch) long.
   If using fillets: You’ll need to slice across the width but they may be a bit more fragile.

   

4. Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. (For extra heat add a good pinch of paprika, cayenne pepper or chili flakes. For extra sweetness add 1-2 tsp powdered low-carb sweetener.)

5. Add the salmon and marinade to a ziplock bag, carefully massage and place in the fridge for 8 - 10 hours or overnight. Option to place in a bowl and carefully mix well. Cover with foil and place in the fridge.

   

6. Grease a wire rack with a little oil to prevent sticking. Place the salmon jerky strips on the wire rack over a baking tray (the baking tray is to catch any drips and stop your oven from getting messy). Discard the excess marinade.

   

7. Dehydrate the jerky in the oven for 6 to 8 hours, or until crisp to your liking. All depends on how thick you made your salmon strips. Option to place in a dehydrator at the same temperature if you prefer.

8. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight glass Tupperware for up to 2 months, though mine didn’t make it past 4 days before I’d demolished the lot!

   

Recipe

Homemade Sugar-Free Salmon Jerky

★★★★☆4.2 (54 ratings)

Making low-carb jerky at home has never been easier! No sugar and no dehydrator needed. A healthy ...

Hands on

20m

Overall

10h

Servings

14

0.6 g

Net carbs

12.8 g

Protein

5.1 g

Fat

103

kcal

1 serving2 servings3 servings4 servings5 servings6 servings7 servings8 servings9 servings10 servings11 servings12 servings14 servings28 servings42 servings56 servings

US + metricMetricUS

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Ingredients makes about 42 slices

• 900 g raw salmon, ideally wild as it's leaner (2 lb)
• ¹/₃ cup coconut aminos (80 ml/ 2.7 fl oz)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (15 ml)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground ginger or 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¹/₂ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• Optional: 1-2 tsp powdered Erythritol or Swerve
• Optional: for extra heat add a good pinch of paprika, cayenne pepper or chili flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 60 °C/ 140 °F (fan assisted), or 80 °C/ 175 °F (conventional). If using a large fillet, remove any pin bones using tweezers. There shouldn’t be any in fillets. Preferably use wild salmon as it's leaner and better for making jerky.

2. Remove the salmon skin using a sharp knife. (Reserve the skins and make salmon crisps in the oven!)

3. If using a large fillet: Using a sharp knife, slice long strips lengthwise (not across the width), about 1 cm (¹/₂ inch) thick and 8 - 10 cm (3 - 4 inch) long.
   If using fillets: You’ll need to slice across the width but they may be a bit more fragile.

4. Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. (For extra heat add a good pinch of paprika, cayenne pepper or chili flakes. For extra sweetness add 1-2 tsp powdered low-carb sweetener.)

5. Add the salmon and marinade to a ziplock bag, carefully massage and place in the fridge for 8 - 10 hours or overnight. Option to place in a bowl and carefully mix well. Cover with foil and place in the fridge.

6. Grease a wire rack with a little oil to prevent sticking. Place the salmon jerky strips on the wire rack over a baking tray (the baking tray is to catch any drips and stop your oven from getting messy). Discard the excess marinade.

7. Dehydrate the jerky in the oven for 6 to 8 hours, or until crisp to your liking. All depends on how thick you made your salmon strips. Option to place in a dehydrator at the same temperature if you prefer.

8. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight glass Tupperware for up to 2 months, though mine didn’t make it past 4 days before I’d demolished the lot!

Nutrition per serving, 3 slices

Carbs 2%Protein 52%Fat 46% of calories

Net carbs

0.6 g

Total carbs

0.7 g

Fiber

0.1 g

Sugars

0 g

Protein

12.8 g

Fat

5.1 g

Saturated fat

0.8 g

Calories

103 kcal

Sodium

144 mg · 6.26% RDA

Magnesium

19 mg · 4.86% RDA

Potassium

322 mg · 16.1% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per 3 slices	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Salmon, wild, raw	0 g	12.8 g	4.1 g	91
Coconut aminos (substitute to soy sauce)	0.3 g	0 g	0 g	1
Sesame oil, toasted	0 g	0 g	1 g	9
Apple cider vinegar	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Ginger (ground, dried), spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0
Garlic powder, spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	1
Salt, sea salt	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Pepper, black, spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0
Total	0.6 g	12.8 g	5.1 g	103

Serving size 3 slices

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Nut free
• Nightshade free
• Pork free
• Avocado free
• Shellfish free
• Beef free
• Pescatarian