Making your own Biltong

There’s nothing quite like the rich aroma of freshly made biltong — that blend of coriander, vinegar, and nostalgia. Whether you’re in Berlin, Munich, or a tiny German village, you can craft your own slice of South Africa right here in Germany. Discover what you need, how to dry it, and a few tricks that make it just like back in South Africa

How to go about it

There are many recipes and tips on the internet on how to make your biltong.
We want to share some basics here as well as some tips from our FB members

Step 1 Gather Your Biltong Essentials

Before the first slice is seasoned, it all begins with a few simple things — the right meat, the right mix, and a good place to let time do its work.

You’ll need:

Good-quality meat – traditionally beef (silverside or topside), but game or venison also works beautifully.
Spices and vinegar – coriander, salt, pepper, and brown vinegar form the soul of biltong.
A container for marinating – glass, stainless steel, or plastic, just large enough for your meat to rest in overnight.
A place to hang and dry – a biltong box, dehydrator, or a well-ventilated spot away from moisture and curious pets.

Step 2 – The Heart of the Matter: The Meat

Biltong begins with the meat — the heart of the craft.
Choose a lean, firm cut with a little character (not too fatty) so it dries evenly and tastes magnificent. The best cuts are sirloin or fillet.
In Germany, you can ask for Silverside (Unterschale) or Topside (Oberschale). The term Tafelspitz in German (and Austrian) butcher parlance refers to the triangular hip/rump-tip region — it can also be used, but is normally more expensive than Unterschale. One of our community members also sucessfully made very lekker Bilton with “Jungbullenbraten” that is much cheaper

Want a quick guide to German meat cuts and what they pair well with back home? Find more information here.

Meat

🇿🇦 Meat the Difference: A South African’s Guide to Buying Meat in Germany 🇩🇪 Looking for proper boerewors? Wondering why German Rindfleisch doesn’t taste quite like home? Or scratching your head at all the unfamiliar beef cuts? Get to know the difference between German and South African beef cuts, learn

Step 3 – Prepare Your Meat

Before the magic of seasoning begins, take a few minutes to prep your meat properly — it makes all the difference in the final texture and taste.

Trim the excess fat, but don’t overdo it. A thin layer of fat gives richness and that beautiful old-school flavour.
Slice it smart: about 20 cm long and 1 cm thick is ideal. Thick enough to stay juicy, thin enough to dry evenly.
Remove gristle and sinew — those tough bits will only make your biltong chewy for the wrong reasons.
Cut with the grain for traditional chew or across the grain for a softer bite.

Take your time here — good preparation turns good meat into great biltong.

Step 4 – Baste and Season

Now comes the heart of the process — where your kitchen begins to smell like home.
Every South African has their own “secret” spice mix, but here’s a simple, traditional base to get you started:

⅓ Salt
⅓ Pepper
⅓ Coriander
Brown Vinegar – Use approximately 30 ml of vinegar per 1 kg of meat, or follow a recipe’s specific ratio, such as a 50/50 mix of vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. The exact amount can vary depending on the recipe, but 30 ml per kg is a good starting point. Ensure the meat is fully coated to help prevent bacterial growth, but avoid over-marinating, which can make the meat mushy.

Some people like to add Worcestershire sauce to the vinegar or a touch of brown sugar to the spice mix for depth — feel free to experiment until it tastes like your version of home.

How to do it:

Place the sliced meat in a sealable container.
Pour over the vinegar (and Worcestershire sauce if using).
Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Pat the meat dry, then rub the spice mix evenly on all sides.
Let it rest for about an hour before hanging to dry — this helps the flavours settle in beautifully.

If you’d like to explore other recipes and variations, check out a few linked below (for example, ones with chilli, garlic, or red wine marinades).

Step 5 – Drying

Here’s where patience becomes your best ingredient.
Germany’s weather — bless it — isn’t quite suited for natural biltong drying.
So, you’ll need to build or buy a dryer to keep your meat safe from moisture and mould.
A simple biltong box works wonders — and if you’re handy, check out Ben Kruger’s YouTube channel for an easy DIY guide. Another excellent video showing you how to build your own Biltong Box is from Xman & Co

Drying tips:

Make sure the meat pieces are well spaced — they should never touch.
Keep the air circulating and dry, ideally around 20–25°C.
Drying can take 3–7 days, depending on your preferred texture.
Softer? Shorter drying time.
Tougher, classic style? Let it hang longer.

And then — that moment. When you slice into your first piece, and the aroma hits you — it’s South Africa, right there in your German kitchen.

Share your recipe with us

Add your Recipe

Add your Recipe. You can easily add your favourite recipe to our extensive collection, which will be proudly published on our website. Check out the mouth-watering recipes already featured on our page. For each recipe, you can include up to two tantalising pictures that will make everyone’s taste buds tingle. – If you only have the recipe as a photo and do not want to type it out, share the photo in the Upload files section, and we will type it out

Resources on the Internet:

Resepte vir oud en jonk
Pick and Pay
Biltong for beginners – excellent YouTube video
This page allows you to add the weight of your meat and get an adjusted recipe

Biltong spices

The following shops sells Biltong spices

Die Spens Eindhoven

Die Spens is the largest South African shop in the EU. With more than 1500 products available from South Africa as well as products from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Namibia & Australia. With 2 shops located in the Netherlands: Read more…

Lemon Pepper Kompanie

As long-time South Africa fans, we started with the passion to import original South African spices in high quality directly from Durban.We now have a large fan base in Germany, Switzerland and Austria – including many South Africans.In addition, we Read more…

Saffa Shop

Saffa Shop Saffa Shop is an online store based in Germany that offers a wide range of authentic South African products to customers across Europe, making it easier to enjoy a true taste of home wherever you are. From everyday Read more…

Die Spens Amersfoort

Biltong

The following shops sell Biltong. Most are online shops that deliver to your home.

Die Spens Eindhoven

SA.TISFY

Sa.tisfy brings the comforting, homegrown flavours of South Africa to Luxembourg, with a strong focus on handcrafted favourites made the traditional way. Built on a passion for authentic recipes, they specialise in biltong, droëwors

Gunii Products

At Gunii Biltong, our unique flavour is rooted in the experience of making Biltong from a young age, growing up on a farm in South Africa. We wanted to bring the authentic, traditional taste

Christys Küche

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Kiefer Cuisine

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Runder Biltong

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Mopani Braai

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Saffa Shop

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INDLU design store

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Trockenfleischmanufaktur-Allgäu GmbH & Co. KG

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