Biltong vs jerky is not a close contest. The definitive comparison. Both made from beef, both dried, but everything else is different. The process, the ingredients, the taste, and the nutrition.
Biltong is air-dried whole beef, cured with vinegar and traditional spices over 7–10 days. Beef jerky is thinly sliced meat that is cooked or dehydrated at high heat in a few hours. Biltong has no sugar, fewer preservatives, more protein, and a softer, more natural texture. They look similar. They are not the same thing.
| 🇮🇦 Biltong | 🇺🇸 Beef Jerky | |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | 4 to 5 simple ingredients Clean Label | Often 12 to 20+ ingredients with additives |
| Protein | 50 to 55g per 100g Higher | 33 to 40g per 100g |
| Sugar | Zero in traditional recipe None Added | Often 5 to 10g per serving from sauces and marinades |
| Carbs | Near zero, keto and carnivore friendly Winner | Often 5 to 15g per serving |
| Preservatives | None, vinegar and salt preserve naturally Clean | Often added to extend commercial shelf life |
| Sodium | Low, roughly half that of commercial jerky Lower | High, significant sodium from sauces and curing |
| Satiety | Keeps you fuller longer, high protein and natural fat Better | Less filling, leaner cut with sugar spike and crash |
| Processing | Minimally processed, air-dried with no heat treatment Natural | Ultra-processed, high heat with additives and artificial flavours |
| Shelf Life | 4 to 6 weeks once opened, no refrigeration needed | 1 to 2 weeks once opened, varies by brand |
| Flavour | Deep and beefy, the meat is the flavour | Sweet, smoky or heavily seasoned, sauce-forward |
Values are approximate and vary by brand and preparation. Traditional biltong contains no added sugar, preservatives, or artificial flavours.
Jerky is made fast. The meat is sliced thin, soaked in sauce, then cooked in a dehydrator or oven at temperatures above 70°C. The whole process takes a few hours. The high heat essentially cooks the meat rather than drying it.
Biltong is made slow. We start with whole thick cuts of beef, cure them overnight in a vinegar and spice bath, then hang them to air-dry at room temperature for 7 to 10 days. No heat applied. The meat dries naturally. This is why biltong has a completely different texture and flavour, it's dried beef, not cooked beef.
Yes, significantly less. Bokkie's biltong contains no added sugar at all. The only ingredients are beef, vinegar, salt, and spice. Most commercial beef jerky uses a marinade that includes brown sugar, honey, or corn syrup as a primary ingredient, a standard 30g serving of jerky can contain 5–9g of sugar.
Biltong's curing process uses vinegar rather than sugar to tenderise and preserve the meat, which is why the flavour is savoury and slightly tangy rather than sweet. If you are watching your sugar intake, whether for keto, carnivore, diabetic, or general health reasons, biltong is the clear choice over jerky.
For most people, yes. Biltong has more protein per gram, less sodium, zero sugar in its traditional form, no preservatives, and healthy fats from the natural cut of beef. It's particularly well-suited to keto, paleo, and carnivore diets.
That said, not all jerky is the same. You can find high-quality jerky with minimal additives, but what you're essentially left with after removing the sugar and preservatives is something very close to biltong anyway.
Because the process is completely different. Jerky is cooked, which changes the protein structure of the meat and creates a tougher, chewier texture. The flavour comes mainly from the sauce or marinade, not the beef itself.
Biltong is air-dried. The beef loses moisture slowly over days, concentrating its natural flavour without being cooked. The coriander and vinegar complement the beef rather than mask it. The result tastes like beef, not like sauce applied to beef.
In most comparisons, biltong has the nutritional advantage, and the difference comes down to what gets added during production.
Traditional biltong contains no added sugar, no artificial preservatives, and no smoke-related compounds. The curing process uses vinegar rather than sweeteners, so the carbohydrate content stays near zero. A typical 30g serving delivers 15–18g of protein with less than 1g of carbohydrates.
Most commercial beef jerky uses a marinade that includes sugar, honey, or corn syrup as a primary ingredient. A standard 30g serving can contain 5–8g of sugar alongside significantly less protein than biltong of the same weight. Many brands also use artificial flavour enhancers, preservatives, and smoke flavouring.
The honest caveat: not all jerky is the same, and not all biltong is the same. Always check the label. But if you are comparing traditional air-dried biltong made with whole beef cuts against a mass-produced commercial jerky, biltong wins on almost every nutritional metric
The main difference is how they are dried. Biltong is air-dried at room temperature for 7–12 days without any heat. The process relies on vinegar, salt, and spice to cure the meat, then airflow to remove moisture. Beef jerky is dehydrated using heat, typically baked in an oven, smoked, or run through a food dehydrator at 60–80°C, which takes 6–12 hours. This difference in process produces a fundamentally different product: biltong is thicker, more tender, and less sweet, while jerky tends to be thinner, drier, chewier, and often coated in a sweetened marinade.
In most nutritional comparisons, biltong has the advantage. Biltong typically contains no added sugar, no artificial preservatives, and no smoke-related compounds, while many commercial jerkies add significant sugar and sodium in their marinades and use artificial flavour enhancers. Biltong is also air-dried without heat, which preserves the natural enzymes and nutrient profile of the beef. That said, the healthiness of either product depends heavily on the specific brand and recipe; always check the label. Bokkie's biltong is made with no nitrates, no preservatives, and no artificial flavourings.
The flavour difference comes from three things: ingredients, process, and texture. Biltong uses vinegar as its primary curing agent, typically brown spirit vinegar, which gives it a subtle tang you do not find in jerky. The spice profile (coriander, black pepper, salt) is also very different from the sweet, smoky, soy-heavy profiles most jerky uses. Because biltong is never heated, the beef retains a richer, more meaty flavour that is closer to a premium air-dried charcuterie product than a snack food. The thicker cut means you get more texture and substance with each piece.
Bokkie's Biltong ships handcrafted South African biltong across Canada from our Barrie, Ontario butcher shop. Our biltong is made in small batches and ships within 1–3 days of being made. We offer a flat shipping rate of $15 within Ontario, and $20–$30 for destinations outside Ontario. If you are in Barrie or the surrounding area, visit our store for fresh biltong the same day.
