In that location are a diversity of cuts of beef that you tin can apply to make tender, delicious beefiness jerky. While top round, bottom circular, pectoral, and lifter are typically the best cuts, others similar flank and brim steak can also make great jerky. These cuts of beef are all lean, economical, and total of season. Permit'due south look at a few different cuts of meat and learn how to choose the all-time ones to make beef hasty!

Related: Drying Jerky From First To Finish

Hither Are the Best Meats for Tender, Delicious Beef Jerk


  • Top Round —Also chosen "Inside Round Steak" or "London Broil," this cut comes from the round key region. It's an fantabulous source of lean, economical large-cut meat for beefiness jerky. It's also the most popular cut used by commercial jerky companies. It's extremely lean and affordable, but information technology's not the most flavorful or tender.
  • Bottom Circular—As well called "Bottom Round Oven Roast" or "Round Roast," this cutting comes from the same expanse equally the meridian round. It's a little tougher but withal makes great beef jerky. Overall, it'southward pretty similar to the summit round merely a little less tender.
  • Eye of Round—Likewise constitute in the round primal area, eye of circular comes from the elongated muscles located in the heart. Information technology's more expensive, but it'due south also more tender and a little more flavorful than top and bottom round.
  • Sirloin Tip—Also called "Knuckle" or "Round Tip," this is a less popular cut from the circular primal but is still a great choice. Information technology'southward in the middle as far every bit cost goes, and it has more than flavor than the other cuts listed above but is besides less tender.
  • Lifter Meat—Also called "Blade Meat" or "Cap and Wedge Meat," lifter meat comes from the rib primal and is meat from the outside of the ribs. This cut is a little less lean and has medium marbling, making for more than tender, flavorful beefiness jerky at a slightly higher cost.
  • Flank Steak—Likewise chosen "Beef Flank" or "Plank Steak," flank steak comes from the flank cardinal. Information technology'south a lean cut with long grains. It has little fatty and marbling. This cut is less tender than lifter meat only has much more than flavor. It'due south also one of the near expensive cuts for beef hasty.
  • Pectoral Meat—Also called "Special Trim," pectoral meat comes from the chuck primal. Information technology's slightly fatty and has decent marbling. This cut is extremely tender just less flavorful. Pectoral meat is a corking affordable option, peculiarly for first-fourth dimension jerky makers.
  • Deer Meat—You can also make great jerky with deer meat . It'due south unremarkably very tender, lean, and flavorful. Information technology'southward a great pick for those that love the game flavor.
  • Elk Meat—This meat is too very lean and bang-up for making jerky. It's extremely tender and has very niggling game season, different deer meat
  • Pork Loin & Tenderloin —This meat is slightly fattier but works well, especially for sweeter jerkies. Information technology'southward full of flavor, relatively inexpensive, and super tender.

    • Related: Cutting & Slicing Meat for Beef Jerky

    How To Choose the Best Cut of Meat for Beef Jerky

    You accept so many options bachelor, and while there aren't whatever hard-and-fast rules for choosing a cut of meat for your beef jerky, we'll give y'all some general guidelines to help you make the best choice.

  • Fat Content—This is one of the nigh important criteria for choosing a cut of beef to brand jerky with, and information technology's the first one to look at. When making jerky, yous can't fully dehydrate the fatty, meaning that leaner cuts are typically better. Besides much fat can cause your jerky to spoil faster. However, if you lot plan to consume all of your jerky within a few days, you tin cull a cut with slightly more than fat without whatever issues.
  • Intermuscular vs. Intramuscular Fat —Intermuscular fat is fatty around the protein, and you should remove it before starting the hasty-making process. Choosing meat with the least intermuscular fatty makes making hasty easier.  Intramuscular fat is the marbling, which runs betwixt muscle fibers. More marbling is better for making jerky; information technology contributes to the tenderness, juiciness, and rich season.
  • Choose Economical Cuts —Fresh, high-quality beef is ameliorate than buying the fanciest cut you lot can find. Even relatively tough cuts of meat can be used to brand tender jerky. It's usually meliorate to save the fancy cuts like ribeye and filet mignon for other uses.


    • Tin can Y'all Use Footing Beef To Make Jerky?     —Aye! Nevertheless, it's more difficult, and the cease result is usually not as tasty as using whole muscle beefiness. Ground beefiness jerky volition have a much dissimilar texture than traditional hasty. If you get this road, choose the leanest meat yous tin observe and consider looking into a "jerky gun" to brand the procedure easier.

    Related: How To Make Ground Jerky

    Tips for Ownership Beef Jerky Meat

  • Purchase Fresh Meat—The fresher, the better. Avoid buying meat with dark spots, ligaments, tendons, or cartilage. Take your fourth dimension and audit the beef earlier taking it home.
  • Buy the Right Amount—During the dehydration procedure, you'll lose a significant portion of the original weight. A good rule to follow is three pounds of meat for one pound of jerky.
  • Find a Butcher—A reputable butcher can be an amazing resources for your hasty-making adventures. They can slice the beef for y'all, saving you fourth dimension and ensuring that the jerky cooks evenly, which is extremely of import when making jerky at home.
  • Know Your Cuts—One time you know what cuts you lot adopt, you tin can spotter out for weekly sales and specials, allowing you to buy large quantities for great prices.

    • Best Meats for Beef Jerky: Terminal Thoughts

    Making jerky yourself is challenging, just it can be very rewarding. One of the most of import parts of the process is selecting the right cuts of beefiness. The best part of making your own beefiness jerky is that you get full control over everything, and you tin experiment on a small scale to effigy out which cuts yous adopt.

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