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PLEASE read the entire post before making biltong if it’s your first time. It contains a lot of helpful and useful information.
What is biltong?
Biltong is a South African air-dried, cured meat snack. It is traditionally made from beef or game, that is marinated in vinegar and spices like coriander, salt and pepper before being hung to dry slowly.
Unlike jerky, which is sliced thin and dehydrated with heat, biltong is air-dried as a whole slab or smaller cut strips, resulting in a more tender, steak-like texture and distinct tangy flavor.
It’s a high-protein, low-carb snack that is popular on keto and paleo diets.
Key Characteristics:
- Origin: South Africa
- Process: Cured in vinegar and spices, then air-dried in a cool, dry place for several days, rather than cooked with heat.
- Texture: Varies from soft and moist “wet”, to hard and brittle “dry”. But it is generally more tender than jerky.
- Flavor: Tangy and savory, with a deep beef flavor.
Beef vs. Jerky
- Biltong: Air-dried, vinegar-cured, thicker cut, tender, less sugar.
- Jerky: Heat-dehydrated, often sweeter, thinner cut, chewier.
Is biltong healthy?
Because it is air-dried rather than cooked with high heat, biltong retains more nutrients, contains virtually no sugar, and typically avoids the artificial preservatives often found in commercial jerky. Biltong’s cold-curing process preserves higher levels of key nutrients like iron, zinc and Vitamin B12.
Biltong is naturally gluten-free and it fits seamlessly into Paleo, Keto and Carnivore diets.
What to watch out for:
- Sodium: It is cured with salt and can be high in sodium.
- Fat content: It can occasionally contain more fat than jerky, depending on the cut of meat used.
- It is air-dried and not dried using heat: If you are pregnant or nursing, I would recommend not consuming biltong until you are done nursing.
- Not stored properly: It can grow mold.
How to properly store biltong:
Store your biltong in a breathable, dry environment such as in a brown paper bag in a cool, dark place to prevent mold.
For short-medium term storage, keep the paper bag in the fridge and give the bag a gentle shake daily to allow air to circulate between the pieces and prevent moisture buildup. For long-term storage, use an airtight or vacuum sealed bag and place it in the freezer, but make sure your biltong is completely dry.
How long will it last:
- Pantry/ Countertop: 3-4 days (if stored properly with good airflow, though this depends on how moist the biltong is).
- Fridge: Up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: Up to 12 months.
What spices do I need for biltong?
The classic spice mix usually includes:
- Toasted Coriander: The signature biltong flavor
- Coarse Sea Salt: Acts as the curing agent to draw out moisture and inhibit bacterial growth.
- Black Pepper: Adds a subtle kick and helps deter flies during the drying process.
Other common additions:
- Brown Sugar: Helps caramelize the crust and balances the saltiness.
- Garlic or Onion Powder: Adds a savory depth.
- Chili flakes/ Peri Peri: Provides heat for spicy variations.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Often splashed on the meat to provide a rich depth of flavor and unami.
I’ve got the perfect spice mix for you! You can just buy the whole bag, which includes all the spices you need for your biltong, without worrying about gathering all of your ingredients. Just add this to your meat and you’re good to go!
The drying process
The biltong drying process is a traditional South African method that cures meat through air-drying, resulting in a firm exterior and a tender, flavorful interior. The process takes between 3-7 days, depending on your moisture level.
Here is a guideline:
- Wet / Medium: 2-4 days. The meat has a soft, red center with lots of give when pinched.
- Traditional / Medium-Dry: 5-6 days. The center is slightly dry but retains a tiny bit of moisture.
- Very Dry: 7+ days. The meat has a firm, leathery feel throughout.
The experts suggest maintaining a temperature between 68 degrees and 86 degrees with a relative humidity of 50% – 60%.
Airflow is critical to safely draw out moisture and prevent mold. You can use a traditional wooden or stainless-steel Biltong Box (fitted with a low-wattage lightbulb and a computer fan for ventilation) or a dedicated food dehydrator with a “no heat” or “air dry” setting.
We hung the biltong strips on a clothing drying rack and put two fans on them in a closed of room. It works just as great! Just make sure to put some paper towel or any paper underneath the meat on the floor to catch up the blood and vinegar mix dripping off of them.
If you want to be super safe with no worries. This stainless-steel biltong box will work great for you!
Let’s get to the steps of making Biltong
- Step 1 – Grab the piece of meat you will be using and put it on your cutting board. Your best choice pf meat will be the beef loin. We used venison meat.
- Step 2 – Cut your meat into strips. The thickness should be about 1 inch. The width about 2 inches (3-5cm). And the length 6-12 inches (15-30cm). This is for when you want bigger pieces of biltong. We cut them meat in various sizes. Some bigger and some smaller.
- Step 3 – After you’re done cutting, put them in a bowl to add your vinegar and spice mix. Add the vinegar first before adding your spices. Make sure every piece is covered in the vinegar mix and has spice on them.
- Step 4 – Cover your bowl and put it in the fridge for the next 2 days to cure. You can take them out and hang them up to air-dry after 24 hours of being in the fridge too.
- Step 5 – When they are done curing, take them out of the fridge and hang them up piece by piece to start with the drying process. This should take about 3-7 days, depending on the size of your biltong strips and the moisture level. You can pinch them to feel if they are firm or not. They should not be too soft on the inside. And if you’re struggling to know if they are ready or not, cut a piece open and see what they look like on the inside. They should not be too red or wet (bloody).
- Step 6 – After they are done air-drying, either store them in brown paper bags so they don’t sweat and get moldy. Ziploc bags will NOT work. Or vacuum seal them and put them in the freezer. The correct storing information is provided above.
- Step 7 – Enjoy your high-protein, delicious snack!
Cutting your strips
Spicing your biltong
Give it a good mix
Cover it and put in fridge
Hang them up
Enjoy your biltong!
The recipe includes easy to follow steps and pictures so you can make the best biltong recipe right at home.
Let’s get into it! And don’t forget to leave us a review!
Traditional South African Biltong Recipe – High Protein Snack
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp Knife
- 1 Clothing Drying Rack if you do not have anything else to hang the biltong on
- 1 Roll of stainless steel or Aluminum wire to hang to biltong with
- 1 0r 2 Fans To help them dry faster and to keep flies away
Ingredients
- 5 Pounds of Beef or Venison Loin
- 1 Cup of Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Cups of Malt Vinegar add more if needed
- 1/2 Cups of Biltong Spice link in post above (or alternative in notes)
Instructions
Preparing the meat
- First, cut of the silver skin from the meat. That will prevent the biltong from being chewy when done air-drying.
- Cut the loin into thick strips so it is easier to work with.
- From there you can cut it thinner and shorter just as you would like it. We cut it into different sizes. As a guide, cut the strips about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick.
- Add your cut meat to a mixing bowl to add your spices and vinegar.
- Add your Worcestershire sauce and malt vinegar to the bowl. Add the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce first before adding the spices. Then add your biltong spice mix. There should be enough liquid to cover most of your meat for them to soak in the vinegar mixture. If you want to add more malt vinegar, you can.
- Mix it in good using your hands. This will ensure that every piece of meat has spice on it.
- When done mixing, cover your bowl and put it in the fridge. It should be in the fridge for at least 24 hours – 2 days. If you're keeping it in the fridge for 2 days, give it a good mix after 24 hours to ensure all the strips get a good soaking in the vinegar.
After it's done soaking
- Take them out after 24 hours to 2 days and cut off small pieces of your stainless steel or aluminum wire. Push it through the meat and then shape it into a "hook", to hang them up.
- Hang them on your drying rack or whatever you want to use. Just make sure to put some paper towel or any paper underneath the meat on the floor to catch up the blood and vinegar mix dripping off of them.
- Put the fans close to them at their highest speed to help them dry faster and to keep flies from sitting on the meat.
- Leave them to dry for about 3-7 days. Depending on the thickness of them. They should be very dry on the outside. If you press them between your fingers, they should not be too soft. Think of a steak as guidance. It should not be too red in the middle. It should be completely dry when you cut through it.
- You can either leave them as sticks to enjoy or cut them into smaller bite-sized pieces.
- Enjoy your biltong!
Notes
- Coarse Sea Salt – approx. 45g – 60g (3 to 4 Tbsp)
- Coriander Seeds -approx. 30g – 45g (3 to 4 Tbsp) Lightly toast and crush until coarse for the best flavor.
- Ground Black Pepper – approx. 8g – 15g (1 to 2 Tbsp)
- Optional – Brown Sugar – 5g – 10g (1 to 2 tsp)
One response to “Traditional South African Biltong Recipe to make at home”
Love the recipe