Biltong for Breakfast: Eggs, Avocado and Other Quick Ideas

Biltong works at breakfast because it is already cured, already sliced and high in protein, so it goes into eggs, onto avocado toast or into a lunchbox with no cooking at all. Ours is certified Glatt Kosher, and every idea below keeps breakfast meat-only, with no dairy anywhere near it.

We make certified Glatt Kosher biltong and Meat Candy in Florida, and a surprising number of customers tell us they eat it before nine in the morning. That makes sense. Breakfast is the meal where people are rushed, hungry and short on patience, and most "grab and go" options are sugar with a thin layer of protein. A few slices of salty, savory dried beef solve a real problem. Below are the ways we actually use it, with quantities, plus the cases where biltong is the wrong call. If you want to know how our certification works, read about our kosher biltong.

First, the ground rules for biltong at breakfast

Three things make every idea below work better.

• Biltong is already ready to eat. It is air-dried and cured. You are never cooking it through. When we put it in a hot pan, we are only warming it, so it goes in at the very end.
• It is salty. That is the point of it. When biltong is in the dish, cut the added salt to almost nothing, and taste before you season.
• It is meat. That matters at a kosher table. Meat and dairy are not served together, so skip the cheese in the omelet and the butter on the toast. Use oil, or leave the fat out. Everything here is built to stay on the meat side. How long you wait between a meat breakfast and anything dairy is a matter of family custom, so ask your rabbi if you are unsure.

Our Sliced Biltong comes in three flavors: Original, Peri Peri and Loaded Garlic. For breakfast, Original is the safe default. It tastes of beef first, then the warm citrus note of coriander, and it does not fight with eggs. Loaded Garlic is excellent in anything scrambled. Peri Peri has real heat, so use it where you want a kick, not for a table of mixed tastes.

The fast ones: five minutes or less

Biltong and hard-boiled eggs

The simplest plate in this guide. Boil six eggs for about ten minutes, cool them in cold water, and peel. Keep them in the fridge. In the morning, eat two eggs with a small handful of sliced biltong and a piece of fruit. The eggs are soft and mild, the biltong is dense and savory, and the two together are a better breakfast than either alone. Make a batch of eggs on Sunday and you have the whole week covered.

Avocado toast with biltong shavings

Toast a slice of good bread. Mash half a ripe avocado with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper, and skip the salt. Spread it on, then lay four or five thin slices of Original biltong across the top. Finish with a few drops of olive oil. That is it. The avocado is creamy and cool, the biltong is chewy and seasoned, and the lemon cuts through both. Many kosher families keep bread pareve, so this stays on the meat side without effort. Check the bread label if that matters in your home.

Biltong in a to-go cup

On a morning when nothing is going to happen at a table, take a one-ounce bag. Our Sliced Biltong Mini's are sealed single portions in Original, Peri Peri and Loaded Garlic. Put one in a coat pocket with a banana. It needs no utensils and no refrigeration, which is usually the real constraint at 7:30 on a school-run or commuter morning.

The cooked ones: eggs and biltong in a pan

Scrambled eggs with biltong

This is the one we make most. For two people:

• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• About 1 ounce of sliced biltong, cut into thin strips or small pieces
• A grind of black pepper. No added salt until you taste it.

Beat the eggs with a fork. Heat the oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Pour in the eggs and stir slowly with a spatula. When they are almost set but still glossy, take the pan off the heat and fold in the biltong. The residual heat warms it through. Do not cook it in the pan with the eggs from the start. Biltong that sits in hot oil gets hard and its edges go bitter. Folding it in at the end keeps it tender and keeps its flavor.

A biltong omelet, with no cheese

Cheese is the usual omelet filling, and cheese is dairy, so it is out here. Replace it with texture. Soften half a sliced onion and a handful of chopped spinach in a little oil, add 3 beaten eggs, and cook gently until the edges set. Scatter chopped Loaded Garlic biltong over one half, fold, and slide it onto a plate. The garlic already in the biltong means you need almost nothing else.

Egg muffins for the whole week

If your mornings are the problem, bake once and eat for days. Heat the oven to 350°F and oil a 12-cup muffin tin. Beat 8 eggs with a handful of diced peppers and a small handful of chopped scallions. Pour into the cups, filling each about two-thirds. Drop a few pieces of chopped biltong into each, then bake about 18 to 20 minutes, until set in the center. Cool, store in the fridge in a sealed container, and reheat one or two in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Eat them within a few days and make a fresh batch rather than stretching one.

Breakfast hash

Cube two medium potatoes and fry them in oil in a wide pan over medium heat, stirring now and then, until crisp and brown, about 15 minutes. Add half a diced onion for the last five minutes. Crack two eggs into wells in the hash, cover, and cook until the whites are set. Scatter chopped biltong over the top after you take the pan off the heat. It is a full meal in one pan, and biltong replaces the sausage that most hash recipes call for.

Biltong beyond eggs

You do not need eggs to make this work.

• Biltong and fruit. Salty and sweet is a combination that works at any hour. Apple slices, grapes or sliced pear next to a few pieces of biltong is a plate you can eat with your hands.
• Savory oatmeal. Cook plain oats in water, stir in a spoonful of oil, and top with a soft egg and a few thin strips of biltong. It sounds odd, and it works. Treat it like a congee or a grain bowl.
• Breakfast wrap. Warm a tortilla, spread mashed avocado, add a scrambled egg and strips of biltong, and roll it up. It wraps in foil and travels well.
• Sweet-leaning option. If you like a sweeter jerky with breakfast, our Meat Candy comes in Hickory Kickory Dock and Baa-Baa BBQ Sheep. It is cooked and glazed, so it is sweeter than biltong, and it has a glaze, so check the label for anything you need to avoid.

When biltong is the wrong breakfast

We make this, so you can trust us when we say where it falls short.

• It is not a hot breakfast. If you want something warm and soft, biltong on its own will not do that. Use it as an ingredient or a side.
• It is not a full breakfast by itself. A few slices gives you protein, but you will want fruit, bread, eggs or oats beside it.
• It is salty. If you are watching your salt, plan around that and talk to your doctor about what is right for you.
• It needs chewing. Young children and anyone with trouble chewing should get very thin slices or a different breakfast.

If you are curious about other protein snacks that travel well, easy protein snacks with no prep at all covers more, and kosher snacks with real protein is an honest short list.

Buying for breakfast

If you have never had biltong, start small. A pound of one flavor you have not tasted is the most common first-order mistake. Taste Original first, then decide. When you know what you like, our biltong collection has every size, and if you also want a sweeter jerky for the pantry, browse our kosher beef jerky. US orders over $50 ship free.

Bottom line

Biltong is a quick, salty, protein-rich way to improve a rushed breakfast. Fold it into eggs at the end, lay it over avocado toast, or eat it beside fruit. Keep the salt low, keep dairy off the plate, and use it as a partner for other foods rather than the whole meal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat biltong for breakfast?

Yes. It is air-dried, cured and ready to eat, so it needs no cooking. It pairs well with eggs, avocado, fruit and oats.

Do I need to cook biltong before putting it in eggs?

No. It is already cured. Fold chopped biltong into eggs at the end of cooking so the heat only warms it. Cooking it from the start can make it hard.

What is the best biltong flavor for breakfast?

Original is the most flexible, because the beef and coriander go well with eggs. Loaded Garlic is excellent in scrambles and hash. Peri Peri has real heat, so use it when you want it.

Is biltong a high-protein breakfast?

Biltong is high in protein, and pairing it with eggs, fruit or oats makes a more complete breakfast. If you have specific dietary needs, ask your doctor.

Can I put cheese with biltong in an omelet?

Not at a kosher table. Biltong is meat, and meat and dairy are not served together. Use vegetables, avocado or herbs for flavor instead.

Does biltong need to be refrigerated at breakfast?

No. It is shelf-stable and travels without a cooler. Keep opened bags sealed and away from heat.

Is Grub's biltong Glatt Kosher?

Yes. Our biltong and Meat Candy are certified Glatt Kosher. For Passover, check the label, because we do not claim a Pesach certification.