Chilli Bites Recipe: Spicy Biltong Sticks at Home (No MSG, No Sugar)
PublishedTo make biltong chilli bites, cut lean beef into thin strips along the grain, dip them in vinegar, coat them in salt, toasted coriander, black pepper and chilli, cure for a few hours, then hang them in moving air for one to three days until they snap. No MSG, no sugar, and no oven.
Shop-bought chilli bites often come with MSG in the spice mix, because the two big South African seasoning brands both put it in. Making your own is the easiest way around that, and it is quicker than biltong because the strips are thin. You will need a biltong box or another spot with steady moving air.
Ingredients for 1 kg of beef
Adapted from a well-tested home method by Chilli Workshop, with the sugar taken out.
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) lean beef: silverside (bottom round), topside (top round) or eye of round. Trimmed of fat and silver skin.
- 75 ml (5 tbsp) apple cider vinegar, or brown malt vinegar for the traditional taste.
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional). Note it usually contains anchovies.
- 2 tbsp coarse salt.
- 1/4 cup whole coriander seed, toasted and roughly crushed.
- 2 tsp black peppercorns, crushed.
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes, or 2 tsp peri-peri or cayenne powder for more kick.
Many recipes add a tablespoon of brown sugar. You do not need it, and leaving it out keeps the bites at zero sugar. Some also add bicarbonate of soda to tenderise tough cuts. Thin strips do not need it.
Step-by-step method
- Cut. Slice the beef with the grain into long strips about 3/8 inch (1 cm) square, roughly pencil thickness. Partly freezing the meat for an hour makes this much easier.
- Toast. Dry-toast the coriander in a pan until fragrant, then crush it with the peppercorns. Mix with the salt and chilli.
- Wet. Toss the strips in the vinegar and Worcestershire for about an hour, turning once.
- Coat. Drain, then roll each strip in the spice mix until it is coated on every side.
- Cure. Lay them in a dish, cover and refrigerate for two to four hours. Longer is saltier.
- Hang. Hook or hang each strip so no two touch, in a biltong box or a cool spot with a fan on low.
- Dry. One to three days, depending on thickness, humidity and airflow. They are done when they snap instead of bending. A good target is 40 to 50% weight loss.
How long do chilli bites take to dry?
Home recipes range from overnight in a heated biltong maker to around three days hanging in a box. Thin strips dry about twice as fast as slab biltong. Weigh a few strips before you hang them and again each day; when they have lost around half their weight and snap cleanly, they are ready.
What is the best chilli for chilli bites?
| Chilli | Heat | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed red chilli flakes | Medium | The classic look: visible flecks |
| Cayenne powder | Medium-hot | Even heat that coats every bite |
| Peri-peri (African bird's eye) | Hot | The authentic Southern African burn |
| Smoked paprika | Mild | Colour and smoke, if you are cooking for children or Englishmen |
The full Scoville comparison is in how hot is peri-peri biltong.
Troubleshooting
- Hard outside, damp inside. Case hardening. The air was too warm or too dry, so the surface sealed before the middle dried. Lower the heat or airflow and cut thinner next time.
- Fuzzy spots. Mould, usually from too little airflow or strips touching. Throw the affected pieces away and space the rest out.
- Too salty. Shorten the cure, or rinse the strips briefly in vinegar before hanging.
- Not hot enough. Dust the dried strips with extra chilli powder. It sticks to the slightly tacky surface on day one.
- Tough and stringy. Cut across fewer fibres by slicing with the grain, and trim every bit of silver skin.
Is homemade chilli bites safe?
Traditional biltong and chilli bites are never cooked. They rely on vinegar, salt and drying. That is how South Africans have made them for generations. US food-safety guidance for home-dried meat, including the USDA jerky guidance, recommends heating meat to 160°F as part of the process. If you want to follow that, Kansas State Extension suggests a 10-minute spell in an oven preheated to 275°F once the strips are dry. Either way, use fresh, cold, properly handled beef and a clean kitchen.
How to store homemade chilli bites
Paper bag, cool and dry, eat within a couple of weeks. For longer, vacuum-seal and refrigerate or freeze. More in how to store biltong.
Frequently asked questions
What cut of beef is best for chilli bites?
Silverside (bottom round), topside (top round) or eye of round. They are lean, have a long, even grain and slice cleanly into strips.
How long do you dry chilli bites?
One to three days in a biltong box or a cool place with moving air, until the strips have lost around half their weight and snap when bent.
Can you make chilli bites without sugar?
Yes. Sugar is optional in chilli bites. A cure of vinegar, salt, coriander, black pepper and chilli gives full flavour with no sugar.
Can you make chilli bites in a dehydrator?
You can, on the lowest setting with the door cracked for airflow, but a dehydrator adds heat, so the texture is closer to jerky than to traditional air-dried chilli bites.
Why are my chilli bites hard outside and soft inside?
That is case hardening. The surface dried too fast and sealed in moisture. Use gentler airflow, lower heat and thinner strips.
Do not feel like hanging meat in your kitchen? Billi Tong's chilli bites are on our list, on the condition that we can make them with no MSG. We are not open yet, so the only way in early is a Founding 50 spot: $100 for a first-batch founder box of biltong. Questions go to cal@btbiltong.com.
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