How to Make Biltong at Home — Traditional South African Dried Meat Recipe

 Deep red, fragrant with coriander and pepper, tender in the centre and firm at the edges — homemade biltong is one of the great achievements of the South African kitchen.

By K.B. Shivuri · The Seasoned HearthPrep: 30 minCure: 2 hrsDry: 4–7 days

Biltong is not jerky. Every South African will tell you this, and they are right. Jerky is heat-dried, thin, and intensely chewy. Biltong is vinegar-cured and air-dried over several days — the result is something with a completely different character. The outside is firm and slightly salty. The inside — especially wet biltong — is tender, almost silky, and carries a flavour complexity that no commercial product can match.

The word biltong comes from the Dutch words bil (buttock) and tong (strip or tongue), describing both the cut and the shape of the meat. It originated with the indigenous people of southern Africa and was later adopted by Voortrekker settlers who needed a way to preserve meat without refrigeration during long journeys across the country. Today biltong is made in home kitchens, butcheries, and biltong boxes across South Africa — and increasingly, by South Africans all over the world who are homesick for the taste.

Making biltong at home is simpler than most people assume. You need the right cut of meat, the right spice cure, and patience. That is all. Let me show you exactly how.

Prep Time

30 min

Cure Time

2 hrs

Drying Time

4–7 days

Makes

~600g

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Choosing the Right Cut of Meat

The cut is the most important decision you make for biltong. You want a lean cut with a clear grain — this gives you the texture that biltong is famous for, where you can pull apart the fibres with your fingers.

The best cuts for home biltong are silverside (the most traditional and most widely used), topside, or rump. These are all relatively lean, have a clear grain, and are widely available at South African butcheries and supermarkets. Avoid fatty cuts — the fat does not dry evenly and can go rancid.

Ask your butcher to slice the meat into strips about 2.5–3cm thick, slicing with the grain — not against it. Against the grain gives you a short, crumbly texture like jerky. With the grain gives you the long, fibrous biltong texture that you can pull apart.

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What You Will Need

For 1kg of Meat

• Beef silverside or topside, cut into strips 2.5cm thick1kg
• Brown or white spirit vinegar½ cup (125ml)
• Worcestershire sauce2 tbsp
• Coarse sea salt3 tbsp
• Whole coriander seeds, toasted and coarsely crushed3 tbsp
• Coarsely ground black pepper1 tbsp
• Brown sugar1 tsp
• Bicarbonate of soda (optional — tenderises)¼ tsp
• Dried chilli flakes for chilli biltong (optional)1 tsp

The Seasoned Hearth tip — toast your coriander seeds freshCoriander is the defining spice of biltong — get it right and the rest follows. Dry-toast whole coriander seeds in a hot, dry pan for 60–90 seconds until they become fragrant and just begin to colour. Remove from the heat immediately and crush roughly in a pestle and mortar — you want uneven pieces, not a fine powder. The fragrance of freshly toasted coriander compared to pre-ground powder is extraordinary. This single step makes the biggest difference to your finished biltong.

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How to Make Biltong at Home — Step by Step

Step 1 — Prepare the meat

1. 1
   Remove any sinew or excess fat from the meat strips — a thin layer of fat on the outside is fine, but thick internal fat pockets should be removed. Pat the meat dry with paper towels.
2. 2
   Combine the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce in a shallow dish. Add the meat strips and turn to coat all sides. Leave to soak in the fridge for 1–2 hours, turning once. Do not exceed 3 hours — the vinegar will begin to cook the surface of the meat and change its texture.

Step 2 — Apply the spice cure

1. 3
   Combine the salt, toasted crushed coriander, black pepper, brown sugar, bicarbonate of soda, and chilli flakes (if using) in a bowl. Mix well.
2. 4
   Remove the meat from the vinegar and shake off the excess — do not rinse. Working one strip at a time, press the spice mixture firmly onto all sides of each strip, coating generously. The spice layer should be thick and even.

Step 3 — Hang and dry

1. 5
   Using S-hooks, paper clips bent into hooks, or wooden skewers, hang the biltong strips in a well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight. The ideal environment is warm (22–28°C), dry, and with good airflow. A biltong box with a small computer fan is the most reliable method. Alternatively, hang in front of a standing fan in a dry room.
2. 6
   Leave to dry for 4–7 days depending on thickness and your preference for wet or dry biltong. Check daily — the outside will firm up first while the inside remains slightly soft.

Airflow is everything — avoid direct sunlightGood airflow is what dries biltong properly and prevents mould. Still, humid air is the enemy. If you live in a humid area, a small fan blowing over the hanging biltong is essential. Direct sunlight will case-harden the outside before the inside can dry, trapping moisture and potentially causing spoilage inside.

Step 4 — Test for doneness and slice

1. 7
   After 4 days, squeeze a strip firmly between your fingers. Wet biltong should feel firm on the outside but give in the centre with slight resistance. Dry biltong should feel uniformly hard and unyielding. Taste a small piece — it should be intensely flavoured, slightly salty, and fragrant with coriander.
2. 8
   Once at your desired dryness, slice with a very sharp knife cutting against the grain for serving — this is the opposite of how you cut the raw strips. Against-the-grain slices are easier to chew and show the beautiful red interior of the biltong to best advantage.

Good biltong should be deep red-pink on the inside — not grey, not brown all the way through. The colour tells you it has been properly cured and dried.

The Seasoned Hearth tip — make chilli biltongAdd 1 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to your spice mix for biltong with a warming heat that builds slowly. Chilli biltong is one of the most popular variations and pairs beautifully with a cold beer. Start mild and increase the heat with each batch until you find your perfect level.

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How to Store Homemade Biltong

Store fully dried biltong in a paper bag or a container with a loose lid at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Do not seal in an airtight container while still slightly moist — it will develop mould. Once completely dry, airtight storage is fine and extends shelf life to a month.

For longer storage, freeze portions in zip-lock bags for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for 1–2 hours. The texture and flavour remain excellent after freezing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my biltong mouldy?

White powdery mould on the surface of biltong is usually a harmless surface mould that can be wiped off with a cloth dampened in vinegar. Green or black mould indicates deeper spoilage and the meat should be discarded. Mould is almost always caused by insufficient airflow, high humidity, or meat that was too thick to dry properly. Increase the fan, reduce strip thickness, or add more salt to your cure next time.

Can I make biltong without a biltong box?

Absolutely. A small fan blowing over the hanging strips in a dry room works very well — this is how most home biltong makers start. You can also hang biltong in front of an open window on a dry, breezy day, or create a simple box from a cardboard carton with holes cut for ventilation and a small computer fan attached. The key is consistent airflow, not the box itself.

How is biltong different from jerky?

Jerky is heat-dried — smoked or cooked at a low temperature until the moisture evaporates. Biltong is air-dried after a vinegar cure — no heat is involved in the drying process. This gives biltong a completely different texture (softer and more tender in the centre), colour (deep red rather than dark brown), and flavour profile (the vinegar and coriander cure gives a complex flavour that heat-drying cannot replicate).

Can I use lamb or game meat?

Yes — game biltong (kudu, springbok, ostrich) is a South African delicacy. The method is identical, though game meat is leaner and dries faster. Lamb biltong is less common but works well from the leg. Adjust salt levels carefully with leaner meats as they can become overly salty if the cure is not reduced slightly.

Make Your Own and Never Go Back

Once you have made your own biltong — knowing exactly what went into it, smelling it as it dries, slicing the first strip and tasting it — you will never be completely satisfied with shop-bought again. Start this weekend. Your patience will be rewarded.

— K.B. Shivuri, The Seasoned Hearth