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One of the most important decisions when making beef jerky is the cut of meat you are going to use. Using the best meat for beef jerky makes all the difference, and here I'll show you what meats are the best!
I also have a video that will explain these cuts in more detail, show you what they look like, and let you know which ones are my favorite! So make sure you check it out.
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🎥 Video - Best meat for jerky
🥩 What is The Best Cut of Meat?
Beef eye of round, bottom round, and top round are the best meat for beef jerky. Choosing a cut that has very little fat is important, fat will spoil faster and shorten the shelf life of your jerky.
Below is a list of cuts of meat that work very well for making beef jerky. You can also make beef jerky out of lean ground meat. Try several different cuts and decide for yourself which one is your favorite! Once you do, check out my Beef Jerky Recipes Page to find your favorite jerky marinade!!!
Eye of Round -
Hands down, this is the best meat for beef jerky. The most tender of the Rounds. This is a single oval muscle in the rear leg. This is my go to cut of meat when making beef jerky.
- Lean
- Little interior fat
- Need to trim the fat cap
- Grain runs the length of the cut for easy slicing with or against the grain
- Economical (relatively inexpensive)
Bottom Round -
Another great choice of meat for making beef jerky. It is the outer muscle of the upper rear leg. This is the least tender of the rounds. Even though it is the least tender, it makes great jerky!
- Lean
- Possible interior marbling
- Flavorful
- Economical (relatively inexpensive)
Top Round -
Very similar to bottom round. The top round is cut from the inside leg muscle, opposite of the bottom round. This cut is more tender than the bottom round and less tender than the eye of round.
- Lean
- Flavorful
- Economical (relatively inexpensive)
Sirloin Tip -
Second Most tender of the rounds. Not as popular, but still a very good piece of meat for making beef jerky.
- Very Lean
- Most tender
- A little more expensive
Flank Steak -
More expensive than the rest but still a great meat for beef jerky. If sliced with the grain, your jerky will be extremely tough. Better to slice against the grain when using this piece of meat when making beef jerky.
- Lean (need to trim some fat)
- More interior marbling
- Flavorful
- Can be a tougher jerky
Ground Meat -
If making beef jerky with ground meat, make sure to choose a lean package. Many people like ground meat jerky because it is easier to chew and less harsh on your teeth. The texture is VERY different from whole meat jerky though, so keep that in mind.
- Makes easier to chew jerky
- Choose the leanest ground meat available (at least 90% lean)
- Requires a jerky gun or flattened and cut into strips
- Visit my page on How to Make Ground Beef Jerky for more information
Deer Meat -
Deer meat is GREAT for making jerky! Venison jerky is some of my favorite. It tends to be very lean meat and very tender. If you harvest your venison yourself during hunting season, it is also about as organic as you can get!
- Very Lean
- Very little interior marbling
- Organic
- Great Game Flavor
- Tender
Elk Meat -
Just like Venison, Elk Roasts are very lean cuts of meat that are great for making jerky. Elk has a mild game flavor making it a fantastic option for even the pickiest of eaters in your family.
- Very Lean
- Very little interior marbling
- Organic
- No game flavor
- Tender
Pork Loin & Tenderloin -
A little fattier of a cut, but my favorite when using pork. Great for making pork jerky. Goes really well with sweet recipes, but also turns out great with spicier recipes.
- Flavorful
- Tender Jerky
- Economical (relatively inexpensive)
- Great with sweet recipes
💭 Tips When Buying Meat
There are some ground rules that will apply across the board. When shopping for your choice of meat, make sure to follow these tips:
- Join big box stores such as Sam's Club and Costco for great prices on the best meat for beef jerky, sometimes half price.
- Never purchase old or expired meats
- Purchase the correct amount of meat. After drying, jerky will lose about â…” of its weight. If you buy 3lbs, you will end up with a little over 1lb of dried jerky
- Inspect each specific cut to find the one with the least amount of fat
- Ask the butcher to slice the meat for you - Many butchers will slice the meat to your specified thickness at no cost. This saves a lot of time!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask your local butcher. I am sure they will be more than helpful in getting you what you need.
🧾 Free Sam's Club Membership
Right now there is a promotion for Sam's Club where you can buy their membership for $45 and then receive a gift card for $45 to use at the store. So basically, the membership is free. We tested the offer and it worked as advertised!
Why get this deal?
Great prices! I found that locally the price of USDA Choice Beef Eye of Round Roast (one of the best cuts for jerky) at Sam's was $4.68. This is compared to $6.99 a pound at the local grocery store, that's a 33% savings!
Don't even get me started on the great price of USDA Prime Beef Brisket!!!
How to get this deal?
Click here for the $45 gift card with sign up. (Jerkyholic is in no way associated with this deal. We do not get anything from Sam's or you for you signing up. Just passing along a great deal!)
It will give you a coupon code when filling out information. Make sure to copy that code down and give it to the person at the membership table at Sam's. The lady we dealt with already had it, but make sure to write it down just to be sure.
Jerky Recipes and Information
Debra says
Excellent info...I'm ready now to make the jerky!
Freya says
These are really helpful tips to ensure you get the best jerky! Thank you!
Lilly says
Thank you for the great tips and information! I am excited to make some jerky!
Faith Still says
This was so informative. I have never made jerky, but we raise our own pork for the boys for 4-H and usually put a pig in our freezer every year. I will have to try making some jerky. Plus my Dad (an avid hunter) gives us venison. I loved learning more about all of the different cuts of meat.
Will says
Venison jerky is amazing! Looks like you have some great meat for jerky, might as well start making it!
Anna says
London broil works well too
Ryan E Schneider says
I have an arm roast that I got from a quarter of beef and was thinking of making jerky out of it. Is it good enough? Thanks
Will says
Yeah, that should work great. Normally a lean cut with not a lot of fat makes it ideal for jerky.
Faith says
Do you have any tips or tricks that you can share for making moose jerky? We have a couple of freezers full of moose and I'd love to make some jerky to snack on when we go hiking.
Will says
I have never made moose jerky, but I would imagine that the beef and deer jerky recipes would work well with it. I wish I had a little more expertise with moose, I just have never had the opportunity to hunt moose. Let me know how it turns out!
Larry says
Hi, Will I’m a Jerky lover who’s sick of over paying for store jerky. It’s been a really frustrating week researching homemade jerky because I recently got a pellet smoker and was hoping to add homemade jerky to my prepping food supply but it seems as though I can duplicate everything the manufacturers are doing but the Jerky still won’t the last as long. So far I know I can get the leanest meats, use a food preservative, smoke the meat, put it in a Mylar bag w/ a oxygen absorber, and vacuum seal it, still only get 2 months of storage. freezing it doesn’t seem to benefit. Is there something I’m missing? Thank you for spending time writing great informative articles, responding to questions & comments
Will says
That's just about all you can do. The big manufacturers flush all of the oxygen out of their bags with nitrogen to really make it last long. I don't have any nitrogen so I just make small batches at a time. You just have to eat it faster! Haha. Thanks for the kind words... Good luck Larry!
Theo says
Hi
I could suggest adding some soft brown sugar if you use venison vs Beef.
Do not quote me, but when it gets to the deer that can have a gayme taste.? I splash some Worcestershire sauce in it when
nobody's looking.
Jim Bartlett says
Am old trick that works wonders is, after slicing, liberally coat the meat with celery salt. You will not taste the celery after cooking, drying, but it neutralizes the gamey taste. During years of a lean acron supply and no cornfields to raid, the deer in our area mostly lived in laurel leaves and left the meat strong. This method made that venison quite good.
Tim says
Hey Will...
Thanks for all the tips and instructions. I have your book, read what you write online, have purchased the dehydrator and jerkey slicer you use and am having a blast makiing really tasty beef jerkey. I have made most of the recipes in your book. My favorite is "Rig Hand"...
I live in the higher elevations in Western Colorado and will probably spend the colder days inside making more jerkey.
Will says
Wow, thanks for all the support in trying all my recipes and having the book! Rig hand is a really good jerky, everyone loves that one. Keep up the jerky making Tim, and stay warm this winter!
Jay R says
The web reminds me of my drinking days. I would often wind up in a spot without a clue as to how I got there. This is fascinating. Perhaps I'll try to make some in the future. (Note to self- bookmark this site.) To me, it looks like lucky left out at least one definition of jerk. I really liked Lucky's post. I have had in interest in etymology ever since I was young and got attacked by hornets. (I consider myself fortunate that it was hornets and not ambulatory trees.)
Troy says
Thanks for the great information!
meat eater says
Just when I thought there wasn't much t add t the conversation, I come across a cut called top blade roast on sale at the market. Supposedly, it is the 2nd most tender cut of beef and comes from the chuck. I guess it is cheap because it has a thick tendon running through the middle of it. The tendon is easily sliced out, whats left is then called flatiron steak, and that is expensive.
Deb says
Wait - we can use an air fryer for this? We have one, but haven't taken it out of the box yet, LOL. Is it a good substitute for the oven? This would be incentive for me to get going with that thing, instead of letting it lie about doing nothing!
Will says
I have never used an air fryer, but Vale say's that theirs mentions that you can. If you have a unit, I would give it a shot!
Deb says
Going to make a plan, and I'll let you know how it turns out.
I'm a simple girl - nothing fancy, though 🙂
Deb
Vale Hanzel says
Hello, I just started making jerky. I did a rib eye but cutnit to thin. My Air Fryer says 160° for 6hrs. Next time ill reduce the cooking time to 4hrs. What is the thickest i can slice the meat? Also I would like to try chicken or turkey jerkey. What is a good marinade? Is there any difference in temp or cooking time?
Will says
I wouldn't go any thicker than about 1/4" when making jerky. If you are making chicken or turkey jerky, make sure you pre-heat to 165F internal temperature before drying. I do have a couple recipes towards the bottom on my Recipe Page. Cooking time depends on so many things. If you pre-heat the meat, start checking it at about 3 hours of drying.
Diane says
Hi Will,
My name is Diane. My grandmother made deer jerky during hunting season and gave some to all the grandkids. She was simple. From what I’ve heard, only had salt and pepper in her kitchen. I’ve tried to recreate what she made by just using salt and pepper. I am only able to purchase venison from one local butcher shop and they buy it from farm raised. Not as gamey but still good. I don’t really like the flavor of soy sauce or Worcestershire or sugars in my jerky. I’m looking for amount of salt to use per pound. I will be making beef jerky as well. Suggestion for salt amount and also does it require marinating with salt and pepper or sprinkle on and dehydrate right away? Also, can curing salt be used for a dry rub like this or only in a liquid marinade? Thank you for your input.
Will says
Hey Diane! If I was only using salt and pepper, I would use about 2tsp of salt per 1 pound. Start with that and adjust as necessary. Curing salt really needs to be dissolved in a little bit of water. I would put the 1/4 tsp of curing salt in 1tbsp or so of water for it to dissolve, and then rub it on the jerky slices. There is no marinating required if just using salt and pepper, even curing salt.
Diane says
Hi Will
Thank you so much for your reply, love your sight! Well I didn’t see my post there so I thought it didn’t go through and I looked up info from the curing salt company and saw it needed cold water dissolve. I just did it last night. Yikes!?! Before your reply :(. This is what I did. 1 cup water, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp curing salt, 1 Tbsp soy, 1/2 Tbsp pepper. Marinated meat in bag ~20 hours in fridge, drained (not much to drain) blotted a little with paper towel then sprinkled pepper on one side and put in dehydrator. I hope I didn’t mess it up. I just started dehydration.
Diane says
Hey Will!
Jerky came out good but if I don’t have to marinate then I’d rather not. It might be difficult to evenly massage in the curing salt if only diluted into one Tbsp, maybe I’ll try two Tbsp, massage it in, sprinkle salt and pepper and then dry. Thanks for your suggestions, your expertise is a so awesome!
Jesica says
How would a sirloin roast work? I’ve never made jerky before so I’m new to the whole process! Excited to start though 🙂
Will says
Should work just fine!
Robbie Miller says
Will, have you ever used a vacuum marinater? (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0115CGX4I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I use them for fajitas and they work great.
Will says
I actually have this exact one Robbie. It works great for jerky as well. If I don't have a lot of time, I'll break out this bad boy that way I don't have to marinate over night.
ALAN H MARBLE says
Hey there- new at making jerky, my bride bought me the Masterbuilt Pro Series smoker for Christmas, and have had great success so far with commercially made cure/seasonings (Hi-Mountain) and flank steak. Looking to expand my horizons, would love to know if you have a home-made cure/seasoning recipe...also looking forward to trying pork tenderloin, a favorite cut of meat of mine. Am a lifelong hunter/angler, retired in 2007 after 29 years as a Michigan conservation officer, worked from 2009 through 2017 seasonally (late July through early October) in a fly-in bush camp in western Alaska as camp cook and host (FIshing Bear Lodge). Raise and train Labradors for upland, waterfowl hunting....my own,, not for other folks...and am breaking in a new pup as I write this. Have the good fortune of having our son, my go-to huntin' and fishin' partner , living 5 miles away, who also is a master gardener and we get to reap the benefits of that in the fall after I return from AK. We live in the woods near Frankfort, MI, in the NW lower peninsula. Keep up the good work.
Will says
I have a lot of recipes Alan! Check out my Recipe page to find one you like. These recipes also come in handy during hunting season! Can't beat venison jerky....
Megan says
I'm making jerky on my own for the first time. My ex always made it and now I'm out of luck. I'd prefer venison but will settle for beef. However, I'm surprised by the method of using the oven or a dehydrator. I've only ever seen jerky hung out to dry by a string on a porch or clothes line..... is that just a thing we do here in the TX Hill Country?
Will says
I definitely wouldn't recommend doing it that way. Ha. Some people make little boxes that act like an oven when set outside in the sun, but straight on a clothes line with no heating element (or box to keep insects off and magnify the temperature from the sun) except the direct sun is probably not the best idea. Especially with flies and other insects that will be all over it. Glad you have never gotten sick by eating it though! I would stick with an oven or dehydrator...
Michael Bosisto says
I also make duck and goose jerky. Probably my least favorite to eat otherwise. I also make it without union powder so that my hunting dog has a very good for him treat that he loves.
My favorites are :
Deer , Elk, Pronghorn, bear and pheasant.
Yumm
Will says
I'm a fan of duck, but wild duck tastes A LOT different from farm raised duck. I would assume goose would be the same. I love making jerky out of deer and have yet to harvest an Elk or Pronghorn. Bear and pheasant sounds interesting!