Biltong vs Beef Jerky: What’s the Difference?

By Sam Kowalski, Food Scientist

Walk into any specialty food store or browse the dried-meat aisle long enough and you will eventually encounter both biltong and beef jerky sitting side by side on the shelf. To the casual shopper they look similar — strips of dried, preserved meat. But as a food scientist who has spent years studying curing and drying techniques, I can tell you that these two products are fundamentally different in their origins, production methods, flavor profiles, textures, and nutritional characteristics. Understanding those differences will help you choose the right product for your needs and, more importantly, help you appreciate two genuinely distinct food traditions.

Origins: Two Very Different Food Cultures

Beef jerky is deeply rooted in North American food history. The word “jerky” comes from the Quechua word ch’arki, meaning dried, salted meat. Indigenous peoples of North and South America had been drying and preserving meat for centuries before European settlers arrived. The technique was practical: drying removed moisture, which inhibited bacterial growth and made meat portable for long journeys or lean winters. European settlers adopted and adapted these methods, and over the following centuries jerky became embedded in American food culture — a staple of cowboys, hunters, and road-trippers alike.

Biltong has its origins in Southern Africa, specifically among the Dutch-speaking settlers known as Boers who arrived in what is now South Africa in the 17th century. The word “biltong” comes from the Dutch words bil (rump) and tong (strip or tongue). The Voortrekkers — Dutch pioneers who made long overland journeys across southern Africa in the 1800s — relied on biltong as a critical source of portable, shelf-stable protein. Today biltong remains a cultural cornerstone in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and the South African diaspora communities found across the United Kingdom, Australia, and North America.

Both foods solved the same fundamental problem — how to preserve meat without refrigeration — but the solutions they arrived at were remarkably different.

Production Methods: Air-Dry vs. Heat-Dry

This is where the two products diverge most dramatically, and it is the single biggest factor that determines their final flavor and texture.

How Biltong Is Made

Biltong is made through a process of salt-curing followed by air-drying at room temperature — no heat involved. Here is the traditional process:

Meat selection: Biltong is typically made from thicker cuts of beef — top round, silverside, or eye of round are common choices. The meat is cut with the grain into thick strips, often one to two inches thick, which is notably different from jerky.
Vinegar cure: The meat is first soaked or rubbed with vinegar, typically brown malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar. The vinegar serves as an antimicrobial agent and contributes to flavor development.
Dry cure: The vinegar-treated meat is then coated with a dry spice mix. The core ingredients are coarse salt and ground coriander seed. Additional spices such as black pepper, brown sugar, and chili may be added, but coriander is the defining flavor of traditional biltong.
Air-drying: The cured meat is hung on hooks or a rack in a well-ventilated space. Traditional biltong boxes use a small fan and sometimes a low-watt bulb for gentle warmth, but there is no cooking or dehydration at elevated temperatures. Drying takes anywhere from three to seven days depending on humidity and how dry you want the final product.

The result is meat that has been preserved entirely through moisture removal and salt curing without heat application. This has significant consequences for texture and nutrition, as we will discuss.

How Beef Jerky Is Made

Jerky production, whether commercial or homemade, involves marinating thin-sliced meat and then applying heat to dry it out while simultaneously cooking it. The process:

Meat selection: Jerky typically uses lean cuts sliced thin — one-quarter inch or less — either with the grain (chewy) or against it (more tender). Top round, flank steak, and eye of round are popular choices, and ground-meat jerky is also common commercially.
Marinade: Thin-sliced meat is soaked in a marinade that typically includes soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce as the salt base, plus sweeteners (brown sugar, honey, molasses), acidic components (vinegar, citrus), and flavorings (garlic, onion, liquid smoke, black pepper, red pepper flakes).
Heat drying: Marinated strips are dried in a food dehydrator at 155-165°F, a conventional oven at its lowest setting, or a smoker. Commercial jerky is typically dried at even higher temperatures to meet USDA food safety guidelines. Drying time ranges from four to eight hours depending on thickness and equipment.

The heat application in jerky making effectively cooks the protein while removing moisture. This is a fundamental difference from biltong’s cold air-dry process.

Flavor Profile: Coriander and Vinegar vs. Smoke and Soy

The flavor differences between biltong and jerky are immediately apparent to anyone who has tried both side by side.

Biltong has a savory, slightly tangy flavor driven primarily by coriander and salt. The vinegar cure leaves a subtle acidity that brightens the overall taste. The beef flavor itself is more prominent and “clean” tasting because no sweeteners are used in traditional recipes and there is no smoke or soy sauce masking the meat. High-quality biltong tastes like very well-seasoned, concentrated beef.

Beef jerky is typically much sweeter, smokier, and more intensely seasoned. The soy sauce or Worcestershire base creates a deep umami flavor, the sugar creates caramelization during drying, and liquid smoke or actual smoking adds another flavor dimension entirely. American jerky flavors can range from teriyaki-sweet to fiery-hot, and the variety of marinades is enormous. Jerky tends to have a more complex, layered flavor — though some argue that all that seasoning masks the quality of the underlying beef.

Texture: The Most Noticeable Difference

Texture is where the average consumer most clearly notices the difference between these two products.

Biltong can be made to two different texture standards: wet (slightly soft and yielding in the center) or dry (fully dried through). Wet biltong has a texture similar to a firm, dense steak — it has genuine chew and substance. Dry biltong can be quite hard and is sometimes crumbled and eaten as “biltong dust” or shaved thinly. Because it is cut thick and dried without heat, biltong does not have the leathery, tough texture that characterizes much commercial jerky. Many people describe eating biltong as being closer to eating actual meat than eating jerky.

Beef jerky is typically thin and chewy — sometimes to the point of being quite tough, particularly in lower-quality commercial products. The thin slicing and high-heat drying creates a product with less moisture and a more fibrous, stringy texture. Premium jerky can be quite tender, but as a category it is generally tougher and drier than biltong.

Nutritional Comparison

From a nutritional standpoint, both products are high-protein, low-carbohydrate snacks, but there are meaningful differences worth noting.

Biltong tends to be higher in protein per ounce because it is not marinated in sugar-heavy sauces. A typical one-ounce serving of biltong provides approximately 16-18 grams of protein, 7-9 grams of fat (depending on the cut), less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, and around 80-100 calories. The absence of added sugars makes biltong a natural fit for low-carbohydrate, ketogenic, and carnivore diets.

Beef jerky typically provides 9-13 grams of protein per ounce (commercial jerky often uses thinner meat and more filler marinade), 1-3 grams of fat, and anywhere from 3-10 grams of carbohydrates depending on the marinade’s sugar content. Sodium content tends to be high in both products — typically 400-600mg per ounce — though jerky’s soy-sauce-based marinades often push sodium higher.

One important note: biltong’s cold-air-dry process does not apply heat to the protein, which means the protein structure is preserved differently than in heat-dried jerky. Some researchers suggest this may affect digestibility and amino acid bioavailability, though the practical nutritional difference for most consumers is minor.

Best Uses and Pairings

Both products work well as snacks, but their flavor profiles make them suited to different applications.

Biltong pairs naturally with South African lagers and ales, dry red wines, and aged cheeses. Its clean, savory flavor makes it a sophisticated charcuterie board addition. It works well as a high-protein topping crumbled over salads or eggs. For athletes and people tracking macros closely, biltong’s low-sugar, high-protein profile makes it an excellent post-workout snack.

Beef jerky is the quintessential road-trip, hiking, and camping snack. Its bold, sweet-savory flavor profile pairs well with beer, particularly IPAs and stouts. Jerky works well in trail mix, and its widespread availability at gas stations and convenience stores makes it the more accessible option for most American consumers.

Which One Should You Buy?

If you are accustomed to American beef jerky and want to broaden your dried-meat horizons, biltong is worth trying. The learning curve is mostly in adjusting your flavor expectations — less sweet, less smoky, more pure beef flavor. If texture has been your complaint with jerky (too tough, too leathery), biltong’s thicker cut and air-dry process will likely convert you.

If you want a bold, complex flavor with sweetness and smoke and the familiarity of an American snack tradition, quality beef jerky remains an excellent choice. The best domestic jerky producers have improved their products significantly over the past decade, and premium jerky bears little resemblance to the mass-market gas station variety.

The honest answer is that these are not competing products. They are different foods from different traditions that happen to share a category. Keeping both on hand — biltong for clean, high-protein snacking and jerky for road trips and pairing with cold beer — is the position of a true dried-meat enthusiast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is biltong healthier than beef jerky?

Biltong generally has a better nutritional profile for low-carb and high-protein diets because it contains no added sugars and typically has fewer ingredients overall. Traditional biltong is made from just meat, vinegar, salt, and coriander. However, “healthier” depends on your dietary goals. Both are minimally processed whole-meat products compared to many snack options, and both are high in protein and relatively low in fat when made from lean cuts.

Does biltong taste like beef jerky?

Not really. While both are dried beef, the flavor profiles are quite distinct. Biltong has a savory, tangy, coriander-forward flavor that tastes much closer to plain seasoned beef. Jerky is typically sweeter, smokier, and more complex in seasoning. Most people who try biltong for the first time are surprised by how different it tastes from jerky.

Is biltong safe to eat? How is it preserved without heat?

Yes, biltong is safe when made properly. The vinegar soak creates an acidic environment that inhibits bacterial growth, and the salt cure draws out moisture and creates an inhospitable environment for pathogens. The air-drying process further reduces water activity to levels where bacterial growth cannot occur. Biltong has been made and consumed safely for hundreds of years using this method. Commercial biltong producers also follow food safety regulations in their respective countries.

Can I make biltong at home?

Yes. Home biltong production is very popular among South African expatriates and dried-meat enthusiasts worldwide. You need a biltong box (a ventilated wooden or plastic box with a small fan and hooks) or a purpose-built biltong maker, quality beef, brown vinegar, coarse salt, and ground coriander. The process is straightforward and rewarding, and home-made biltong is generally considered superior in freshness and flavor to most commercially produced options.

How long does biltong last compared to beef jerky?

Both products have a relatively long shelf life due to their low moisture content. Commercially packaged jerky in a sealed bag typically lasts 12 months or longer. Commercially packaged biltong in a sealed bag lasts 4-6 months. Once opened, both should be consumed within a few weeks and kept in a cool, dry place. Homemade biltong without preservatives should be consumed within 1-2 weeks at room temperature or stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Which has more protein, biltong or beef jerky?

Biltong generally provides more protein per ounce (16-18g) compared to commercial beef jerky (9-13g per ounce). The difference is partly due to biltong’s thicker cut retaining more structural protein and partly because jerky marinades add weight (water, sugar, soy sauce) that dilutes the protein percentage. If maximizing protein intake is your goal, biltong is typically the better choice.

Is biltong available in the United States?

Yes. Biltong availability in the US has grown significantly over the past decade. Brands like Stryve, Brooklyn Biltong, and Acme Provisions are produced domestically and available at retailers including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and online via Amazon. Specialty South African food shops in major metropolitan areas also carry imported biltong products.

Biltong vs Beef Jerky: What’s the Difference?