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    Home / Appetizer / Homemade Biltong

    Homemade Biltong

    South Africa’s famous air-dried beef strips, spiced with toasted coriander and vinegar — chewy, salty, and utterly addictive.

    ⏱ 20 minPrep time
    🔥 4 daysCook time
    🍽 8Servings
    🏷 AppetizerCategory
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    Biltong is South Africa’s national snack, strips of beef cured with salt, vinegar, and toasted coriander, then air-dried until chewy and intense. Unlike jerky, it is never cooked or smoked, just slowly dried, so the meat keeps a deep, beefy flavor and a satisfying give. Making it at home takes a little patience and almost no equipment, and the results beat anything from a store.

    Chewy, beefy, and spiced just right

    Good biltong is dark, glossy, and slightly soft in the center, with a tang of vinegar and the warm, citrusy note of crushed coriander on every slice. Cut it thin across the grain for snacking, or thick for a proper biltong hunger. It keeps for weeks at room temperature, if it lasts that long.

    Craving more? Explore all South African Kitchen recipes.

    South African recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 1 minute, then crush them coarsely.
    2. Mix the crushed coriander with the salt, sugar, and black pepper.
    3. Rub the beef strips with the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, then press the spice mixture into all sides.
    4. Place the strips in a covered container and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning once.
    5. Remove the strips, pat them dry, and thread a hook or skewer through one end of each strip.
    6. Hang the strips in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, allowing air to circulate around each piece.
    7. Dry for 3 to 5 days, depending on thickness and humidity, until firm outside with a slight give in the center.
    8. Slice thinly across the grain and store in a paper bag in a cool place.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Hang the strips in a cool, dry, airy spot; a cardboard box with holes works well. Thicker strips need more time — start checking after 3 days and aim for a slight give in the middle.

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    Recipe details

    Prep20 min
    Cook4 days
    Servings8
    CategoryAppetizer
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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