What Cut of Beef Makes the Best Jerky & Biltong?

Here's a truth that catches a lot of first-time jerky fans off guard: the snack in your hand started life as one very specific part of the cow. You can't just dry any old steak and call it jerky. The cut matters — a lot. It's the difference between a clean, satisfying chew and a greasy, chalky mess that turns the moment you open the bag.

So which cuts actually make the best beef jerky and biltong? Let's break it down the way a butcher would.

Rule number one: lean beats fatty, every time

Fat is a beautiful thing in a ribeye. In dried meat, it's the enemy. Fat doesn't dry out the way muscle does — it stays soft, turns rancid, and quietly wrecks the shelf life of everything around it. That's why proper jerky and biltong start with the leanest cuts on the animal, with every visible scrap of fat and silverskin trimmed away before drying ever begins.

There's a bonus, too: less fat means more room for muscle, and muscle is protein. Start with a lean cut and you end up with a snack that's mostly pure, chewy, savoury protein — exactly what you want when you reach for a bag at the gym, on the trail, or halfway through a long drive.

The best cuts for beef jerky

Jerky is sliced thin and dried hard, so you want a cut that's large, lean, and easy to cut into clean, even strips. The classics earn their reputation:

• Topside & silverside (top and bottom round). The gold standard. Big, lean muscles from the hindquarter with barely any marbling — perfect for uniform slices that dry evenly.
• Eye of round. Almost no fat and a tidy, predictable grain. This is your friend if you love that snappy, old-school jerky texture.
• Flank. Leaner with a bold grain. Slice across it for tenderness, with it for that satisfying classic pull.

This is why we lean on brands that take their sourcing seriously. Indiana Beef Jerky Original is made from premium EU beef and dried the traditional way for a soft, hearty bite, while BeJerky's Wagyu Jerky proves that starting with an exceptional cut pays off in pure tenderness. And the all-time crowd favourite, Jack Link's Original, is built on the same lean-cut principle that's kept it a road-trip legend.

Biltong likes it a little different

Biltong, South Africa's air-dried answer to jerky, plays by slightly different rules. Instead of thin slices dried fast with heat, biltong is cut into thicker strips, marinated in vinegar and spices, then slowly air-dried over days. That patience means it can handle a chunkier cut.

Silverside is the traditional biltong-maker's go-to — thick enough to dry down into those dense, meaty slabs, lean enough to keep beautifully. Some makers leave a thin cap of fat on the edge for extra flavour, but the muscle underneath is still as lean as it gets.

Want to taste the difference for yourself? Indiana Biltong Original uses the classic vinegar cure and slow air-dry, and Cruga Biltong lands at around 50% protein — a direct result of starting with a properly lean cut and drying it right.

How to taste a good cut

Once you know what to look for, your taste buds do the rest. Quality jerky and biltong should be deeply meaty and savoury, never greasy on the fingers, with a clean chew that doesn't leave a waxy film in your mouth. If it's tough in a stringy, unpleasant way, the cut or the slicing was off. If it's rich and beefy with an honest, hearty pull, somebody started with the right piece of meat.

Ready to put it to the test? Browse our full beef jerky and biltong ranges and taste exactly what the right cut can do.