Some of the sharpest kitchen knives in existence are meat cutting knives.
That said, you can’t expect them to give their best cutting performance throughout the course of their service.
If you’ve ever owned a kitchen knife for cutting meat before (and you likely have), you know they’re not built to last.
Make sure to invest in the best knife to cut meat to save yourself the hassle of replacing them mere days or weeks into their service.
These knives are made up of quality materials and designed more ergonomically than their cheaper counterparts to help improve knife handling and safety in the kitchen.
Ready to get some effortless meat slicing and cutting done and choose the best knife to cut meat?
Let’s go over our list of tried-and-tested meat cutting knives to help you handle those various cuts of meat like some of the best professional chefs out there.
Best Knife to Cut Meat Reviews
1. Dalstrong Eight-Inch Butcher’s Knife
Cutting huge slabs of meat can be a constant battle when you don’t have the right knife.
Fortunately, the Dalstrong Butcher’s Knife should ensure that this never happens to you again.
Its sharp blade and state-of-the-art design let you finish large cuts as if they were nothing.
Product Highlights
All eight sharp inches of the Dalstrong Butcher’s Knife let you cut through large portions of meat like you were a professional butcher.
This is one of those types of knife that has a long history among traditional expert bladesmiths.
The earliest versions of this knife were assembled in a state-of-the-art facility renowned for its knife crafting abilities.
They’ve kept with that tradition today, more than a thousand years from when the very first knives of their kind were manufactured.
This stellar butcher knife is NSF-certified and possesses a high-quality blade curved at the end to allow for more leverage with its dual-air-pocket design.
These elements combined allow you to produce clean slices of all kinds of meat, including portions with tougher materials like cartilage, fat, or flesh.
You can cut through all these areas effortlessly to the end (no sawing necessary) thanks to the innovative curved-up structure.
This knife’s blade is forged from the highest quality high-carbon German steel (ThyssenKrupp).
It is hand-sharpened 16 to 18 degrees on each side and has triple-rooted fastenings that extend the knife’s full length from blade tip to handle or grip.
The Good
What we especially love about the Dalstrong eight-incher is its black pakkawood grip designed for easy maneuvering.
It is the cherry on top out of all its other strengths, resulting in a superb tandem with the ThyssenKrupp German steel.
As a result, this knife allows you to cut through meat of varying types and thicknesses.
The Bad
Even when it comes to knives, being too sharp can be a bad thing on occasion.
While a trained bladesmith should know how to handle this blade without cutting or nicking himself, the same cannot be said of an amateur or everyday user.
It goes without saying that we should handle any bladed object with care, but that is especially true when it comes to this knife.
Pros:
- Black pakkawood handle for easy gripping and maneuvering
- Curved metal for better stability
- Go-to for professional chefs
- Comes with a money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Extremely sharp, handle with extra caution
2. Victorinox Fibrox Pro Carving and Boning Knife
What’s sure to be a fantastic addition to your collection of chef knives is the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Carving and Boning Knife.
Yes, that means exactly what you think, it’s an excellent boning knife and carving knife and is one of the more flexible items on our list.
Plus, it’s Victorinox. We all know what that means in the world of kitchen knives.
Product Highlights
This NSF-certified blade is as great at boning as it is at slicing, especially the kind of careful carving involved when removing meat from the bone.
It’s a dual-purpose knife that would come in handy in both a professional chef’s workspace and an everyday user’s kitchen.
The knife has a particularly robust stainless steel blade.
Even better, it has a Fibrox grip to ensure your grip stays in place when performing those complicated boning and carving movements.
It’s a fantastic cutting tool, despite it leaning towards the more intricate types of cutting.
The knife’s curved edge provides great leverage for cutting in different ways and slicing from different angles.
You won’t have to worry about getting stuck, as the blade tip’s design is perfect for trimming and slicing through large chunks of meat.
This is also what allows it to debone these bigger slabs effortlessly.
What’s more, the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Boning and Carving Knife comes with a lifetime warranty against all types of defects.
This add-on gives you all the more reason to add this piece to your knife set.
The Good
Our favorite part about this knife is its flexibility. It’s literally a two-in-one knife for boning and craving and does both jobs equally well.
It lets you create accurate cuts from large slabs of meat without worrying about the handle slipping or sliding as you slice in different ways and from different angles.
The Bad
This is one sharp knife, which means the exclusion of a knife guard or sheath upon purchase is not something we’re too happy about. We still love it, though.
Pros:
- Meets NSF or National Sanitation Foundation standards
- Sharp, flexible knife that produces accurate cuts
- Even weight distribution for precise and balanced handling
Con:
- Cover or knife guard not included
3. Jerky Professional Meat Cutting Knife
Get a quality meat cutting knife on a budget with the Jerky Professional Meat Cutting Knife.
This long-bladed knife made from premium knife steel can cut through larger pieces of meat like lamb legs, pork, and brisket with relatively little effort.
Product Highlights
If you’re looking for an affordable knife that cuts through all kinds and different sizes of meat, this could be the knife for you.
Granted, it specializes more in cutting thicker and heavier slabs than delicately slicing meat off the bone. It does the former quite well, considering its price.
Not to mention, Jerky is known for its durable knives, and this one is no exception.
All of the blade’s 12 inches are sharp, solid, and perfectly balanced.
The knife is dishwasher-safe for more straightforward maintenance, and it has a decent grip for handling tougher slicing subjects.
The Professional Meat Cutting Knife is exceptionally easy to clean, even in comparison to the pricier knives on this list.
That’s definitely saying something because cleaning quality chef’s knives can be more complicated than it looks.
Again, for a relatively cheap knife, the Jerky Professional has a lot of noteworthy qualities about it.
Another one of these is its ergonomic grip, which lets you hold the handle securely and comfortably.
Lastly, the edges of the knife are built with air pockets, lending further to this knife handling stability.
The Good
Surely, a knife so great at cutting meat wouldn’t be priced so low, but this one is, and it’s definitely one of the best things about it.
The way it cuts meat without friction is reminiscent of how top-tier chef knives work.
Choosing not to add this knife to your collection could end up becoming a big loss on your end.
The Bad
Warning: an extremely sharp knife.
The fact that this doesn’t include a cover yet is priced to appeal to the everyday user may increase the risk of accidental cuts and nicks in the kitchen.
Pros:
- Ergonomic grip design
- Affordable quality slicing knife
- Blade created with air pockets for frictionless slicing
- Thick and sharp 12-inch blade
Con:
- Does not come with a sheath or knife guard
4. Victorinox Fibrox Pro Breaking Knife
Another entry on this list comes in the form of the Victorinox Fibrox Pro Breaking Knife.
It features a Swiss-manufactured blade perfect for cutting meat, particularly hams and roasts.
Product Highlights
This impeccable Swiss-made blade meets the National Sanitation Foundation Standards, which shows just how much of a quality knife it is.
It’s constructed using high-carbon stainless steel and designed with top-notch knife features.
For these reasons, it is a great addition to both a professional chef’s and daily user’s kitchen knife set.
Not only is the Fibrox Pro Breaking Knife a sharp blade, but it’s also ice-tempered to deliver sharpness long-term.
That means not having to worry about it giving out or dulling prematurely.
This knife has a multipurpose blade that cuts effortlessly in a variety of ways and from several different angles.
Its top-notch ergonomic design makes for a safe, balanced, and comfortable grip.
What’s more, it lets you handle different slicing subjects, including large slabs of meat, relatively easily.
Given how sharp this knife is, the lack of a sheath may disappoint you. However, the lifetime warranty against all types of defects may make up for it.
The Good
One of the best things about this knife is that it will keep you from worrying about what may befall it.
It has a lifetime guarantee against different kinds of defects. However, it is not likely that you will need to take advantage of this offering.
It is a quality knife made of high carbon metal and designed with numerous excellent knife features. It will take a whole lot for it to give out or dull.
The Bad
Again, this is a crazy-sharp knife and would be a lot safer to use when it comes with a knife cover. Sadly, it doesn’t.
Pros:
- Made up of high carbon content
- Great for professional and everyday kitchen settings
- Lifetime warranty against all kinds of defects
- Has an anti-slip handle
Con:
- Does not come with a knife sheath
5. Wusthof Classic Slicing Knife
As far as chef knives designed for meat cutting go, the Wusthof Classic Slicing knife is a winner in every way.
It’s flexible, versatile, and durable to a fault.
It’s specially constructed for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing steaks but does a great job of handling other kinds of meat, too.
Product Highlights
It’s one thing to have a good knife for slicing meat, but it’s another to have a good chef’s knife to do the same.
The latter takes the experience to another level. It keeps you safer, makes handling thicker, heavier meat easier, and lets you work on meat in different ways.
These are things you might be able to do with an ordinary knife or would be able to but to a limited extent.
The answer to your dreams of slicing like a professional in an everyday setting is the Wusthof Classic Slicing Knife.
It’s a truly fantastic knife that takes away the hassle of having to switch from one blade to another during a cutting session.
This is as close to an all-in-one knife as you can get from this compilation.
It is another NSF-certified blade, which bumps it closer to the top even in this compilation of exceptional knives.
The blade is made of high carbon metal and holds numerous excellent features like a durable bolster, multipurpose edge, and an eight-inch blade.
Another notable feature is the grip, designed using premier synthetic to prevent slipping, sliding, discoloration, and fading.
The Good
One thing’s for sure; it does not get more precise than this blade. The technology it uses should be enough to explain this: Precision Edge Technology.
We love a knife that’s precise, and that’s why we would love for this one to be part of our collection.
The Bad
While this knife’s grip is not bad by any means, it probably has the least slip-resistant grip among the blades on this list.
These items have definitely set the bar high in their respective strengths, even against one another.
Pros:
- Uses Precision Edge Technology
- Full tang blade
- Designed with a metal finger guard
- Great for everyday use
Con:
- The handle is slippery at times
Buyer’s Guide
So, you’re looking for a quality kitchen knife choice for meat cutting and slicing.
Apart from specific features tied to your unique needs, here are the general considerations to go over before making your choice.
1. Knife Handle
One of the most important parts to look at is the knife handle.
That’s what keeps that sharp blade from cutting what it isn’t supposed to. Yes, we mean your skin.
All the best knives, including the top meat-cutting knives on our list, possess a secure and ergonomically designed handle.
Their handles are either made of pakkawood, stainless steel, bone, or wood.
Renowned knife manufacturers often use these handles for their top-of-the-line knives because of their compactness, durability, lightweight quality, and easy, comfortable grip.
Not to mention, these materials are also ergonomic and slip resistant, so handling them is safe and easy.
For meat knives for chopping, slicing, and carving, one must consider the handle’s weight.
The former tends to call for a knife with a heavier handle, while the last two calls for a light (but not too light) handle.
This way, you can easily balance and control it so that it doesn’t slip from your grasp.
Top knife handles to consider:
- Carbon steel
- Pakkawood
- Wood
- Stainless steel
- Plastic (for budget-friendly knives)
2. Knife Balance
The best knife to cut meat should be one that is balanced proportionally to the kind of meat cutting it is meant to cut.
A meat cleaver knife, for instance, should be balanced in a way that you can provide more force behind it than an ordinary kitchen knife or a bread knife.
On the other hand, knives for carving should be structured so that you can place enough force to form intricate trimming movements and relatively forceful slicing simultaneously.
Basically, equal balance is more critical in these blades than in others.
Then, we have knives like paring knives, which are used to slice off the delicate skin of fruits or cut thin slices of fish meat.
This is another type of knife that requires a more evenly balanced blade.
3. Weight
Another essential factor to consider in the meat knife selection process is weight.
It mainly plays a role when choosing a meat cleaver knife or a knife for chopping or slicing thick slabs of meat like roast and poultry.
If you’re in the market for a chef knife you expect to cut thick slabs of meat or bones, choose a heavier knife like the meat cleaver knife.
When buying a meat cleaver, the average weight to aim for depends on the length and shape of the blade.
In general, a meat cleaver knife weighs around two-and-a-half pounds.
4. Grip
It goes without saying that your choice knife’s ergonomic design should extend to the handle.
This part is what you’ll be holding on to, and you want to make sure it’s attached securely to the blade and provides you with a comfortable grip.
Any less, and it’s time to look elsewhere.
Aside from a comfortable handle, the best meat cutting knives also have finger-protection features in place for the safest possible handling of the blade.
When looking at a knife’s finger guard, make sure you opt for a metal guard instead of a plastic one.
Chances are, plastic will break more easily compared to metal.
While you’re at it, consider a handle that is either some type of high-quality wood, plastic, or silicone rather than metal if you’re after comfort.
5. Blade Material
The blades of the best knives for cutting meat are typically made of German steel or high carbon metal.
These are some of the highest quality and most robust blades in kitchen knives.
Not to mention, they’re the easiest to clean and maintain. Cobalt, ceramics, and titanium blades are also good options.
A chef’s knife with a more balanced quality to price ratio is stainless steel, and it’s also one of the top blade material choices of meat knives.
Stainless steel offers a high performance longer than most other materials.
Knife for Cutting Meat FAQs
1. Can you cut meat using a bread knife?
The answer is no, you can’t.
A bread knife has a six-inch-long serrated edge blade that can mangle and tear meat because it lacks sharpness.
Bread knives do not possess the kind of blades that can cut through muscle fibers effortlessly and create clean slices.
2. What can a serrated knife cut?
A knife with a serrated edge can cut bread, which is why you often find this type of knife on the breakfast table or among the set of utensils for any meal that includes bread.
Other food items that are great to cut or slice with a serrated knife are cake, chocolate, cucumber, and tomatoes.
3. What do you use a bullnose butcher knife for?
This knife is best used for trimming and slicing boneless primal cuts.
If you break and section meat a lot, it would be a good idea to add this type of knife to your collection.
4. What is the best knife for cutting raw chicken?
Cutting raw chicken is best done using a boning knife. A boning knife is curved just right for slicing through sinew and joints.
Moreover, its thickness provides the perfect balance and helps you hold on to the grip securely and comfortably.
5. Is it normal when your knife rusts?
Yes, it’s perfectly normal for your knife’s blade (or any part made of metal) to eventually rust.
Over time, a knife’s exposure to moisture in the air and water can cause it to rust.
That said, a knife having rust isn’t all that bad; you just have to treat it to keep it usable.
6. What is the best knife for cutting prime rib?
The best knife for cutting prime rib is the carving knife.
These knives are extremely sharp and tend to be made of metal, which adds just that bit of edge to the blade.
So, What Knife Should You Use to Cut Meat?
Our extensive research has led us to the conclusion that the best knife to cut meat with is none other than the Dalstrong Butcher’s Knife.
It’s solid in every way a quality meat cutting knife should be, and its only fault (if you can even consider it that) is that it’s too sharp for the everyday user.
Dalstrong designed this piece with accuracy and precision in mind to reduce the resistance of meat slicing and improve the overall cutting experience.
The fact that it comes with a lifetime warranty against all defects should convince you further of its necessary addition to your kitchen knife collection.
Overall, this is the knife to have, though the other pieces shouldn’t disappoint should you decide otherwise.
