There are a diverseness of cuts of beef that you can use to make tender, delicious beef jerky. While acme round, lesser round, pectoral, and lifter are typically the best cuts, others like flank and skirt steak tin also make smashing jerky. These cuts of beefiness are all lean, economic, and full of flavour. Let'south look at a few different cuts of meat and learn how to choose the best ones to brand beef hasty!

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Here Are the Best Meats for Tender, Succulent Beef Jerk


  • Top Circular —As well called "Inside Round Steak" or "London Broil," this cutting comes from the round primal region. It's an excellent source of lean, economical big-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'southward not the most flavorful or tender.
  • Lesser Round—Also called "Lesser Round Oven Roast" or "Round Roast," this cut comes from the same area as the meridian circular. Information technology's a little tougher simply still makes groovy beefiness jerky. Overall, it's pretty like to the top circular simply a little less tender.
  • Heart of Round—Also found in the round fundamental expanse, eye of round comes from the elongated muscles located in the middle. It's more expensive, but information technology's besides more tender and a little more flavorful than elevation and bottom round.
  • Sirloin Tip—Also called "Knuckle" or "Circular Tip," this is a less pop cut from the round primal but is still a great option. It's in the heart as far every bit cost goes, and it has more flavor than the other cuts listed in a higher place but is too less tender.
  • Lifter Meat—Also chosen "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 tender, flavorful beef jerky at a slightly higher cost.
  • Flank Steak—Also called "Beefiness Flank" or "Plank Steak," flank steak comes from the flank primal. Information technology's a lean cutting with long grains. It has fiddling fat and marbling. This cut is less tender than lifter meat but has much more than season. It'due south also 1 of the virtually expensive cuts for beef jerky.
  • Pectoral Meat—As well called "Special Trim," pectoral meat comes from the chuck primal. Information technology's slightly fatty and has decent marbling. This cut is extremely tender merely less flavorful. Pectoral meat is a great affordable choice, especially for first-fourth dimension hasty makers.
  • Deer Meat—You tin also make great jerky with deer meat . It'southward normally very tender, lean, and flavorful. Information technology's a swell selection for those that beloved the game flavor.
  • Elk Meat—This meat is besides very lean and neat for making jerky. It's extremely tender and has very little game flavor, dissimilar 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 Beefiness Jerky

    How To Choose the Best Cut of Meat for Beef Hasty

    Y'all have so many options bachelor, and while there aren't any difficult-and-fast rules for choosing a cutting of meat for your beef jerky, we'll give y'all some full general guidelines to help yous make the all-time selection.

  • Fat Content—This is one of the most important criteria for choosing a cutting of beefiness to make jerky with, and it's the first 1 to wait at. When making jerky, yous can't fully dehydrate the fatty, meaning that bacteria cuts are typically better. Also much fat can cause your jerky to spoil faster. Withal, if yous plan to swallow all of your jerky within a few days, you can choose a cut with slightly more than fatty without any bug.
  • Intermuscular vs. Intramuscular Fat —Intermuscular fatty is fat around the protein, and you should remove it before starting the hasty-making process. Choosing meat with the to the lowest degree intermuscular fat makes making jerky easier.  Intramuscular fat is the marbling, which runs between musculus fibers. More marbling is amend for making jerky; it contributes to the tenderness, juiciness, and rich flavor.
  • Choose Economical Cuts —Fresh, high-quality beef is meliorate than buying the fanciest cutting you lot can find. Even relatively tough cuts of meat can be used to brand tender jerky. It'southward unremarkably better to save the fancy cuts like ribeye and filet mignon for other uses.


    • Tin Yous Use Ground Beef To Make Jerky?     —Aye! However, it's more hard, and the end result is ordinarily not as tasty as using whole muscle beef. Ground beef jerky will have a much different texture than traditional jerky. If yous go this road, choose the leanest meat you lot tin find and consider looking into a "jerky gun" to make the process easier.

    Related: How To Make Footing Jerky

    Tips for Buying Beef Jerky Meat

  • Buy Fresh Meat—The fresher, the better. Avoid ownership meat with dark spots, ligaments, tendons, or cartilage. Take your time and inspect the beef before taking it dwelling house.
  • Buy the Right Amount—During the aridity process, y'all'll lose a pregnant portion of the original weight. A practiced rule to follow is three pounds of meat for ane pound of jerky.
  • Observe a Butcher—A reputable butcher can be an astonishing resource for your jerky-making adventures. They can slice the beef for you lot, saving you time and ensuring that the hasty cooks evenly, which is extremely of import when making hasty at abode.
  • Know Your Cuts—Once y'all know what cuts you prefer, y'all can lookout out for weekly sales and specials, assuasive y'all to buy large quantities for great prices.

    • All-time Meats for Beef Jerky: Final Thoughts

    Making jerky yourself is challenging, only information technology can exist very rewarding. I of the nigh important parts of the process is selecting the right cuts of beefiness. The best function of making your own beef hasty is that yous become full control over everything, and you tin experiment on a small calibration to figure out which cuts you lot prefer.

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